Blue Bloods (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Blue Bloods is an American police procedural
/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. The show premiered on September 24, 2010, with episodes airing on Fridays at 10:00 pm Eastern
and Pacific
/9:00 PM Central
and Mountain
.
On May 15, 2011, Blue Bloods was renewed for a second season.
(NYPD). Francis "Frank" Reagan (Tom Selleck
) is the Police Commissioner
. He was a U.S. Marine
and a Vietnam veteran
before he joined the NYPD. He is a widower, and has also lost one of his four grown children — Danny, Erin, Joe, and Jamie.
Danny (Donnie Wahlberg
) is a top LAPD detective but is sometimes hard-nosed and does not always go by the book. Danny is also a former Marine who saw combat in the Iraq War.
Erin (Bridget Moynahan
) is an assistant district attorney
in Manhattan
who prosecutes many of the criminals Danny arrests. Jamie (Will Estes
), Frank's youngest child, is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School
and is a rookie officer on the police force after graduating from the police academy. Henry (Len Cariou
) is Frank's father and a retired police commissioner, who usually provides advice to his son and grandchildren. The family is close-knit; each
episode includes a scene where they all have dinner together with their spouses and children and discuss
their current cases.
Frank's middle son, Joe, was an NYPD police detective who died in the line of duty. Joe was involved with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) investigating a group of dirty cops, who were operating within a fraternal organization called the Blue Templar. Joe was murdered by these dirty cops when his covert investigation into their corruption was getting too close.
A running thread through the first season is Jamie picking up Joe's investigation. The FBI tried to recruit Jamie, but he instead conducted his own covert investigation into Joe's death. Joe's murderers tried to kill Jamie by tampering with the brakes on his car, but failed. Jamie then informed his father Frank, his brother Danny, and his grandfather Henry about his suspicions after the attempt on his life.
Along with Erin, they joined together and completed Joe's investigation of the Blue Templar. After gathering sufficient evidence to obtain arrest warrants, Frank leads a team of police officers, including Danny and Jamie, and they arrest all the corrupt cops at a covert meeting while they are dividing up stolen drug money. A detective named Sonny Malevsky (Michael T. Weiss
) who was leading the gang of dirty cops admits to killing Joe, but Malevsky commits suicide with his own service pistol after confessing to the murder.
Other characters include Kelly (Andrea Roth
), a reporter Frank is dating who is always trying to get the story before Frank wants the public to know about it, Detective Jackie Curatola (Jennifer Esposito
), Danny's partner on the police force, and Linda (Amy Carlson
), Danny's wife and mother to their two boys.
Jamie was engaged to Sydney (Dylan Moore), a fellow Harvard graduate who broke off their engagement after he became a cop. Erin is divorced and has one teenage daughter, Nicky (Sami Gayle
). Jamie's field training officer is Sergeant Anthony Renzulli (Nicholas Turturro
), who is tough but fair with Jamie and thinks Jamie has the potential to be a good police officer.
. Beginning January 19, 2011, Blue Bloods was moved to Wednesdays at 10pm for a four week tryout. In February 2011, the series returned to its Friday night timeslot due to the series premiere of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
. In the UK, the show premiered on Tuesday 1 February 2011 at 10:30pm on Sky Atlantic
, the same night the network launched.
The Daily News drew comparisons between Selleck's characters Jesse Stone
and Frank Reagan, saying that both Reagan and Stone are moral, principled men of few words. In Entertainment Weekly
s annual Fall TV Preview, Ken Tucker named Blue Bloods as one of the "5 Best New Shows" of 2010.
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. The show premiered on September 24, 2010, with episodes airing on Fridays at 10:00 pm Eastern
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
and Pacific
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
/9:00 PM Central
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
and Mountain
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
.
On May 15, 2011, Blue Bloods was renewed for a second season.
Overview
The series follows the Irish-American Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police DepartmentNew York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
(NYPD). Francis "Frank" Reagan (Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
) is the Police Commissioner
New York City Police Commissioner
The New York City Police Commissioner is the head of the New York City Police Department, appointed by the Mayor of New York City. Governor Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his final acts before becoming Vice President of the United States in March 1901, signed legislation replacing the Police Board...
. He was a U.S. Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and a Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
before he joined the NYPD. He is a widower, and has also lost one of his four grown children — Danny, Erin, Joe, and Jamie.
Danny (Donnie Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
) is a top LAPD detective but is sometimes hard-nosed and does not always go by the book. Danny is also a former Marine who saw combat in the Iraq War.
Erin (Bridget Moynahan
Bridget Moynahan
Kathryn Bridget Moynahan , best known as Bridget Moynahan, is an American model and actress. After graduating from Longmeadow High School in 1989, Moynahan pursued a career in modeling. She was signed by a modeling agency, which led her to appear in department store catalogs and the covers of...
) is an assistant district attorney
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws....
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
who prosecutes many of the criminals Danny arrests. Jamie (Will Estes
Will Estes
Will Estes is an American actor best known for his role as JJ Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams. In 2010, he joined the cast of Tom Selleck's new CBS police drama Blue Bloods...
), Frank's youngest child, is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and is a rookie officer on the police force after graduating from the police academy. Henry (Len Cariou
Len Cariou
Leonard Joseph “Len” Cariou is a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
) is Frank's father and a retired police commissioner, who usually provides advice to his son and grandchildren. The family is close-knit; each
episode includes a scene where they all have dinner together with their spouses and children and discuss
their current cases.
Frank's middle son, Joe, was an NYPD police detective who died in the line of duty. Joe was involved with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) investigating a group of dirty cops, who were operating within a fraternal organization called the Blue Templar. Joe was murdered by these dirty cops when his covert investigation into their corruption was getting too close.
A running thread through the first season is Jamie picking up Joe's investigation. The FBI tried to recruit Jamie, but he instead conducted his own covert investigation into Joe's death. Joe's murderers tried to kill Jamie by tampering with the brakes on his car, but failed. Jamie then informed his father Frank, his brother Danny, and his grandfather Henry about his suspicions after the attempt on his life.
Along with Erin, they joined together and completed Joe's investigation of the Blue Templar. After gathering sufficient evidence to obtain arrest warrants, Frank leads a team of police officers, including Danny and Jamie, and they arrest all the corrupt cops at a covert meeting while they are dividing up stolen drug money. A detective named Sonny Malevsky (Michael T. Weiss
Michael T. Weiss
Michael Terry Weiss is an American actor best known for playing the title role in The Pretender.-Early life:Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a steel-industry executive and his mother was a homemaker. He has a sister, Jamie Sue Weiss, who became a make-up artist for television...
) who was leading the gang of dirty cops admits to killing Joe, but Malevsky commits suicide with his own service pistol after confessing to the murder.
Other characters include Kelly (Andrea Roth
Andrea Roth
Andrea Roth is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on the FX television series Rescue Me , as Janet Gavin, the wife of main character Tommy Gavin.-Biography:...
), a reporter Frank is dating who is always trying to get the story before Frank wants the public to know about it, Detective Jackie Curatola (Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer Esposito
Jennifer Esposito is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in films such as I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash and in television series such as Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show and Samantha Who?.-Early life:Esposito, an Italian-American, was...
), Danny's partner on the police force, and Linda (Amy Carlson
Amy Carlson
Amy Lynn Carlson is an American actress best known for playing Josie Watts on Another World and Alex Taylor on Third Watch. More recently, she played Kelly Gaffney on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She currently plays Linda Reagan on the CBS drama Blue Bloods...
), Danny's wife and mother to their two boys.
Jamie was engaged to Sydney (Dylan Moore), a fellow Harvard graduate who broke off their engagement after he became a cop. Erin is divorced and has one teenage daughter, Nicky (Sami Gayle
Sami Gayle
Sami Gayle is an American child actress. She is currently co-starring in the CBS series Blue Bloods as Nicky Reagan-Boyle.- Stage Career :...
). Jamie's field training officer is Sergeant Anthony Renzulli (Nicholas Turturro
Nicholas Turturro
Nicholas Turturro, Jr. is an American film, television and prolific on-stage character actor, perhaps best known for his role as James Martinez, on NYPD Blue from 1993 to 2000.-Early life:...
), who is tough but fair with Jamie and thinks Jamie has the potential to be a good police officer.
Cast
| Character | |Occupation | 1 | Tom Selleck Tom Selleck Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B.... | Commissioner | Main |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Reagan | Donnie Wahlberg Donnie Wahlberg Donald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television... |
Detective First Grade | Main | |
| Erin Reagan-Boyle | Bridget Moynahan Bridget Moynahan Kathryn Bridget Moynahan , best known as Bridget Moynahan, is an American model and actress. After graduating from Longmeadow High School in 1989, Moynahan pursued a career in modeling. She was signed by a modeling agency, which led her to appear in department store catalogs and the covers of... |
Assistant District Attorney | Main | |
| Jamie Reagan | Will Estes Will Estes Will Estes is an American actor best known for his role as JJ Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams. In 2010, he joined the cast of Tom Selleck's new CBS police drama Blue Bloods... |
Police Officer | Main | |
| Henry Reagan | Len Cariou Len Cariou Leonard Joseph “Len” Cariou is a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street... |
Retired Commissioner | Main | |
| Jackie Curatola | Jennifer Esposito Jennifer Esposito Jennifer Esposito is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in films such as I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash and in television series such as Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show and Samantha Who?.-Early life:Esposito, an Italian-American, was... |
Detective First Grade | Also Starring | |
| Linda Reagan | Amy Carlson Amy Carlson Amy Lynn Carlson is an American actress best known for playing Josie Watts on Another World and Alex Taylor on Third Watch. More recently, she played Kelly Gaffney on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She currently plays Linda Reagan on the CBS drama Blue Bloods... |
Housewife | Recurring | Also Starring |
| Nicole Reagan-Boyle | Sami Gayle Sami Gayle Sami Gayle is an American child actress. She is currently co-starring in the CBS series Blue Bloods as Nicky Reagan-Boyle.- Stage Career :... |
Student | Recurring | Also Starring |
Main cast
- Tom SelleckTom SelleckThomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
as Francis "Frank" Reagan, Police Commissioner and widowed father of Danny, Erin, and Jamie. His fourth child, Joe, is deceased. Frank was a Marine during the Vietnam War and often serves as the moral center of the family. He has an indifferent attitude towards politics, often taking on the mayor and numerous reporters who misinterpret his actions or to get things done. - Donnie WahlbergDonnie WahlbergDonald Edward "Donnie" Wahlberg, Jr. is an American singer, actor and film producer. He is a member of the popular 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. His work background includes music, feature films, and television...
as Daniel "Danny" Reagan, Detective. Danny was a Marine in the Iraq War. He is happily married with two sons. - Bridget MoynahanBridget MoynahanKathryn Bridget Moynahan , best known as Bridget Moynahan, is an American model and actress. After graduating from Longmeadow High School in 1989, Moynahan pursued a career in modeling. She was signed by a modeling agency, which led her to appear in department store catalogs and the covers of...
as Erin Reagan-Boyle, Assistant District Attorney and single mother. Erin is almost raped and killed at the end of episode 9, "Re-Do", though Frank saves her life by shooting her attacker. - Will EstesWill EstesWill Estes is an American actor best known for his role as JJ Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams. In 2010, he joined the cast of Tom Selleck's new CBS police drama Blue Bloods...
as Jamison "Jamie" Reagan, rookie police officer and recent Harvard Law graduate. He was the one who continued Joe Reagan's investigation into the Blue Templar. - Len CariouLen CariouLeonard Joseph “Len” Cariou is a Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd in the original cast of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street...
as Henry Reagan, retired Police Commissioner, father of Frank and grandfather of Danny, Erin and Jamie. Cariou, separated in age from Selleck by only five years, wears a dental prosthetic for the part of Henry.
Also starring
- Jennifer EspositoJennifer EspositoJennifer Esposito is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in films such as I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash and in television series such as Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show and Samantha Who?.-Early life:Esposito, an Italian-American, was...
as Jackie Curatola, Danny's new partner (episode 4–present) - Amy CarlsonAmy CarlsonAmy Lynn Carlson is an American actress best known for playing Josie Watts on Another World and Alex Taylor on Third Watch. More recently, she played Kelly Gaffney on the short-lived NBC courtroom drama, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. She currently plays Linda Reagan on the CBS drama Blue Bloods...
as Linda Reagan, wife of Danny - Sami GayleSami GayleSami Gayle is an American child actress. She is currently co-starring in the CBS series Blue Bloods as Nicky Reagan-Boyle.- Stage Career :...
as Nicole "Nicky" Reagan-Boyle, Erin's daughter
Recurring cast
- Bruce AltmanBruce AltmanBruce Altman is an American film and television actor. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.-Film:*Regarding Henry - Bruce*My New Gun - Irwin Bloom*Glengarry Glen Ross - Larry Spannel...
as Mayor Frank Russo (Season 1) - Bobby CannavaleBobby CannavaleRobert M. "Bobby" Cannavale is an American actor known for his leading role as Bobby Caffey in the first two seasons of the television series Third Watch. He also had a recurring role as Officer Vince D'Angelo on the comedy series Will & Grace.-Early life:Cannavale grew up in Union City, New...
as Charles Rossellini, District Attorney - Colleen Clinton as Agent Anderson
- Abigail Hawk as Detective Melissa Baker, Frank's primary aide
- Gregory JbaraGregory Jbara-Early life:Jbara was born in Nankin Township , Michigan, the son of an advertising office manager and an insurance claims adjuster. He is of Lebanese and Irish descent. After graduating from Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne, Michigan, Jbara attended the University of Michigan from 1979 to 1981...
as Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore - Dylan Moore as Sydney Davenport, brief fiancée of Jamie
- David Ramsey as Mayor Carter Poole, Mayor Russo's successor (Season 2–present)
- Andrea RothAndrea RothAndrea Roth is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on the FX television series Rescue Me , as Janet Gavin, the wife of main character Tommy Gavin.-Biography:...
as Kelly Davidson, reporter who dates Frank - Andrew Terraciano as Sean Reagan, Danny and Linda's son
- Tony Terraciano as Jack Reagan, Danny and Linda's son
- Nicholas TurturroNicholas TurturroNicholas Turturro, Jr. is an American film, television and prolific on-stage character actor, perhaps best known for his role as James Martinez, on NYPD Blue from 1993 to 2000.-Early life:...
as Sgt. Anthony Renzulli, Jamie's partner/Training OfficerPolice training officerThe Police Training Officer program is a post-academy training program created from the educational approach known as problem-based learning. Program development was funded by the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to train police recruits once they... - Yvonna Kopacz Wright as Ava Hotchkiss
Production
Selleck said that he was drawn to the project because of the strong pilot script and that he was concerned about becoming involved in an ongoing series because he did not want to compromise his commitment to the Jesse Stone television moviesJesse Stone novels
Jesse Stone is the lead character in a series of detective novels initially written by Robert B. Parker. They were among his last works, and the first series in which the novelist used the third-person narrative...
. Beginning January 19, 2011, Blue Bloods was moved to Wednesdays at 10pm for a four week tryout. In February 2011, the series returned to its Friday night timeslot due to the series premiere of Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was an American police procedural drama on CBS. The show debuted in 2011 as a spin-off from the successful Criminal Minds, which premiered in 2005. This edition's profiling team also works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Behavioral Analysis Unit in...
. In the UK, the show premiered on Tuesday 1 February 2011 at 10:30pm on Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic
Sky Atlantic is a television channel owned by British Sky Broadcasting, which launched on 1 February 2011 on Sky in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland....
, the same night the network launched.
Reception
Reviewers have praised the series on location shooting. The New York Daily News praised Selleck's performance as Frank Reagan. They also highlighted the family dinner scene as a positive and praised the introduction of discussion of morally complex issues.The Daily News drew comparisons between Selleck's characters Jesse Stone
Jesse Stone novels
Jesse Stone is the lead character in a series of detective novels initially written by Robert B. Parker. They were among his last works, and the first series in which the novelist used the third-person narrative...
and Frank Reagan, saying that both Reagan and Stone are moral, principled men of few words. In Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s annual Fall TV Preview, Ken Tucker named Blue Bloods as one of the "5 Best New Shows" of 2010.
Ratings
The debut episode garnered 15.246 million viewers because of the Live + 7 days after with viewings from DVRs. Without the DVR adding to the live viewing the show's debut episode garnered a total of 13.02 million viewers.| Season | Episodes | Timeslot (EST Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) |
Original Airing | Rank | Viewers (in millions) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | |||||
| 1st | 22 | Friday 10:00 PM | September 24, 2010 | May 13, 2011 | 2010–11 | #19 | 12.58 |
| 2nd | 22 | September 23, 2011 | Spring 2012 | 2011–12 2011–12 United States network television schedule The 2011–2012 network television schedule for the five major English commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers primetime hours from September 2011 through May 2012... |
TBA | TBA | |