Why I’m Glad Blue Bloods Was Canceled Ahead of Season 15

As an avid fan of Blue Bloods, I was sad to see it removed from the TV airwaves after its 14th season.

The series became a TV viewing staple in my household because it was comforting to check in with the Reagans after a hard week.

In my eyes, it was the epitome of appointment TV, which isn’t usually synonymous with a procedural.

But Blue Bloods broke through thanks to its ability to showcase the many different layers of Frank Reagan’s family as they navigated some turbulent times.

TV shows like that are difficult to find, where everything is pure escapism, so it pains me to say this, but I’m glad that it didn’t get renewed for Season 15.

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The reason is straightforward: In all likelihood, the cast wouldn’t have remained intact for a potential Season 15.

Blue Bloods Was Once a Moneymaker

It’s been reported that the principal stars already took pay cuts of as much as 25% to sweeten the deal for CBS to pick up the 14th and final season of Blue Bloods.

Broadcast TV is in a precarious position right now as on-air numbers drop. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to predict which shows will be canceled because shows are not as profitable as they once were.

Blue Bloods was no slouch in the ratings in its final years, but it did boast a large ensemble, and the truth is that everyone together was a part of the magic.

Could you imagine getting Blue Bloods Season 15, only for many of the cast to be let go outright or demoted to recurring players?

Fellow CBS series Bob Hearts Abishola fired 11 of 13 series regulars ahead of its final season, completely decimating the once-upbeat series.

What was once a comical show felt hollow in its final season because the budget had been considerably scaled back.

Unfortunately, some shows are priced out of broadcast TV and are canceled for fiscal reasons, and I’m just glad that CBS ended Blue Bloods instead of renewing it for a season that split the Reagans up.

We’re getting something similar with Boston Blue, but the offshoot is different because it’s completely separate from Blue Bloods.

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If it crashes and burns, we’ll still have Blue Bloods, including its satisfactory series finale, to rewatch repeatedly.

Blue Bloods Season 14 didn’t do an excellent job of closing up many of the long-running storylines, but it was a tactic from creatives hoping that somehow the show would get a last-minute Hail Mary.

It happened more than once for S.W.A.T., so why couldn’t the same happen for Blue Bloods? I will sound like a broken record here, but the budget is the reason.

CBS Likely Considered Blue Bloods Season 15

There’s no reality in which CBS didn’t entertain a version of Blue Bloods without some of the cast.

The show was one of the longest-running procedurals on TV, so there was an incentive to keep it going, but the network understood that eradicating some of the Reagans would be bad.

There’s still a chance for Blue Bloods to return down the line, perhaps on Paramount+ for a more limited run akin to the recent seasons of Criminal Minds.

But there’s no hope of Blue Bloods surviving on broadcast TV in this current climate.

Fire Country just announced that two of its original series regulars are out ahead of Season 4, which leads me to believe even that show is trimming its budget.

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CBS has made some shocking decisions in recent years, and there’s every reason to believe it will continue to do so.

Over to you, Blue Bloods Fanatics! Do you think keeping the show alive for a 15th season without some fan-favorites would have been a worthwhile endeavor?

Hit the comments.

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