Tom Selleck played the protagonist for all 14 seasons of Blue Bloods (2010 to 2024), as New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. Tuning in on Friday nights, families across the U.S. would get an intimate look into the iconic dining scenes of the Reagan family. Unfortunately, the CBS drama did not end its seminal run without drama.
Early into filming of the show’s third season in 2012, original cast member Jennifer Esposito collapsed on set after suffering an allergic attack. The Law & Order actress was kicked off the show, and according to Esposito, CBS didn’t think she was really that sick and was just staying away from work as a ploy to get a raise. (via Looper)
In retaliation for Megan Boone being added to the show, Jennifer Esposito took to Twitter to react to Boone’s casting (via Deadline): ” There it is. CBS got rid of the only minority cast member so they can have an ALL WHITE CAST like CSI.”
Esposito is Italian and not a White American, sparking debate online about whether she was right to criticize the show over her comments.
How Did Jennifer Esposito’s Comment Affect Blue Bloods
According to Hello magazine, Jennifer Esposito, who played Detective Jackie Curatola, was written out of the show due to reasons of stress and burnout as a Detective in the NYPD.
Before she was written off, Esposito was on medical leave for Celiac disease and stated on Twitter:
“CBS…PUT me on unpaid leave and has blocked me from working anywhere else after my doc said you needed a reduced schedule due to celiac.”
CBS eventually responded to her statements on Twitter, stating that the actress could not continue to perform on the show due to her part-time working schedule. Esposito was furious, calling the situation an “injustice in this business.”
Blue Bloods continued with business as usual, without any major cast changes following Esposito’s backlash. In fact, a reconciliation happened during the last two seasons of the show, as Entertainment Weekly reported that Jennifer Esposito reprised her role in Blue Bloods as a guest star.
Blue Bloods Didn’t Bother, CSI Revival Tried and Failed
CSI: Vegas was immediately thrashed on release for being “woke” or “politically correct” on platforms like Reddit. Here is an example below.
The major reason is the new lead, Paula Newsome’s role as Maxine Roby, the first Black woman lead in the entirety of CSI. Fans were upset that the holy grail of crime shows’ legacy was being diluted before spinoffs like CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and CSI: Vegas.
The show was cancelled after just three seasons due to the show becoming CBS’s least-watched show in 2023 and 2024. Another reason is finances due to shrinking network production budgets in the 2020s. (via MovieWeb)