Despite a successful 14-season run for the police/drama series, Blue Bloods, it seems like one of the lead stars, the legendary Tom Selleck, believes it was treated poorly. In an interview with TV Insider, the star revealed that the cancellation of the show after Season 14 was not justified, saying:
“…I don’t believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, “Here’s a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,” it would be almost impossible to believe. My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out.”
And indeed, despite it starting as an afterthought, Blue Bloods managed to bring the audience back for more with each new episode and season, which makes Selleck’s frustrations very valid. And with the show’s cancellation coming so abruptly, it’ll be no surprise that the star keeps this in his mind for a very long time.
Tom Selleck Became the Cast’s Patriarch on Blue Bloods’ Set
Along with dedicating a large portion of his life and career to the show, what had also gotten Tom Selleck upset was the cast that he had to say goodbye to after more than a decade of working together. In fact, there was a chance that he would’ve never met this dedicated group of co-workers if he had decided not to sign up for the series.
In the same interview, Selleck revealed how he would miss these people the most after the show ended, where every one of them would’ve loved to return for a new season. He also claimed that, due to his seniority and experience, he kind of became the father figure in the cast. He said:
“You set a tone early, and I’m proud to say I had something to do with that, having had such a good experience on Magnum. On Blue Bloods, in some ways, I was the patriarch of the actor Reagan family. They knew I [had worked on a long-running show before] so I had some credibility when problems came up. It helped, I think.”
And problems he did solve when it came to anything related to Blue Bloods, whether it was on the creative front or anything else that needed his experience. This is how, despite not being expected, it became CBS’s most-watched series in history.
How Tom Selleck’s Magnum P.I. Role Made Blue Bloods a Success
As the star stated, his work on the hit ’80s series in the lead role of Thomas Magnum gave him a sense of authority on the sets of Blue Bloods. The experience of playing a morally strong, tough, and equally charming detective in Magnum P.I. translated very well to the role of Frank Reagan, who was a leader and authority figure, both in the NYPD and his family.
And with the show’s 8 seasons and weekly releases, Selleck proved he could hold his own and excel in a long-running TV series, which required a very character-centric narrative. Even the star’s performance was praised as captivating without much dialogue or words, as his mannerisms and actions did the talking.
And finally, his love for his work and care for his co-workers made him the central point of both the productions, making him a legend in the TV industry.