Is the Reagan family really saying goodbye after 293 episodes? Well, not if the cast of Blue Bloods could help.

Since it was announced that the police drama’s 14th season would be its last, Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg and other cast members have been vocal about their desire to move on.

But before we get to the end, let’s start at the beginning.

In 2010, CBS almost passed on the police drama. “They did 10 pilots this year, and it was the last one they did, but also the most challenging one they did,” Selleck recalled as he sat across from Wahlberg during our interview. A big reason he believes it was greenlit – legendary producer Leonard Goldberg.

“Tom and Leonard were two titans of television. “I’m sorry to embarrass you, Dad,” Wahlberg added, referring to Selleck, who played his father, Commissioner Frank Reagan, in all 14 seasons. “I think her reputation, talent and commitment to excellence gave the show a fighting chance.”

“I was told the Friday before the opening that it wouldn’t be on air. And then I got a call on Sunday,” Wahlberg recalls, saying that he was with New Kids on the Block at the time. “I was on our cruise with my band with 3,000 fans, and they tried to catch me at sea by saying, ‘You have to be at the top in New York tomorrow.'”

Selleck remembers it like it was yesterday. And remembers that getting the Friday night 10pm slot wasn’t exactly a hot ticket. “Imagine if you told CBS when it started in 2010, ‘Here’s a show you can program in your worst time slot.’ You don’t have to promote it and it will stay ahead for 15 years. “That’s pretty neat!”

Selleck met Wahlberg once before filming the pilot episode in Toronto. The day filming began, he met Bridget Moynahan (Erin Reagan) and Will Estes (Jamie Reagan), and they were all ready to start a family. It wasn’t easy – but one thing was clear: the Reagans belonged in New York City. So it was time for everyone to move.

Selleck had made a commitment to his family in Los Angeles, but agreed to a return trip. “It was worth commuting every two weeks for 15 years,” he says. The Reagan dinner scenes, in which all the members sat down at the table, were extremely important to him; It’s a scene that occurs in every episode.

When Selleck first read the pilot, he warned Goldberg about the dinner scenes, telling him, “The network is going to ruin it, they’re going to fucking cut it out.” Goldberg promised they wouldn’t. And he kept his word.

“I was scared to death (in the beginning),” Selleck admits. “The director called me the night before and said, ‘I think you should do a New York accent.’ And I said, “I don’t have that in my bag of tricks.” If you wanted it, you should have told me six months ago or six weeks ago!’ So that’s all I could think of. They all sound great. I sound stupid!”

But Frank never sounded stupid. And Selleck “fought for the integrity of the show from day one,” Wahlberg says.

“After the show was recorded, it could have gone in several directions, and Tom said, ‘Listen.’ “It’s about family first.” They had a big stage set with a computer, and Tom was supposed to stand in front of the computer and rule over New York. And he said, ‘This is ridiculous!'”

Selleck explains that Frank was originally supposed to stand in front of a green screen every week and run the operation. But the veteran actor knew that’s not what the role of a detective looked like – nor what the show should entail.

It’s been five months since filming and the two-episode finale is scheduled for December 13, but none of them have realized that the series is over. Wahlberg chokes back tears during the interview as Selleck admits he’s not sure what’s next.

When CBS told them that season 14 was coming to an end, the original plan was to air ten episodes last spring. “It really looked like the handwriting was on the wall,” Selleck says, so he went to CBS and found a way to convince them that they would actually save money if they made eight more episodes. After some persuasion, they split the final season into two parts – ten hours aired last spring and eight hours this fall. “The show deserves a legacy we are proud of.”

I bring up rumors and reports about a possible spinoff, but Selleck is still confused about CBS pulling the plug.

“I don’t understand why they haven’t started streaming it and producing 10 episodes a year. But I’m not the boss. Everyone wanted to come back. And I think with this cast it would have been a gift for the audience,” he says. “I don’t make these decisions. I’m ready to celebrate and commemorate this show, but I’m still getting used to it.”

They’re all still getting used to it. Filming the finale didn’t even feel real. The final scene filmed was, ironically, a funeral. But it was the penultimate scene – the family gathered around the dinner table one last time – that brought everyone to tears.

“During those 14 years, at critical times – not just during the show’s existence, but across our state – Tom had a knack for showing up to work and delivering a message, and often not even in his own words. He quoted various things to give us something to think about and focus on what is important. “It was something magical,” Wahlberg remembers. “When they said, ‘It’s over,’ we all waited.”

Then Selleck read “Love Is Not All” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, a poem that has held an important place in his heart for decades, which felt fitting. It wasn’t planned, but it came to mind immediately.

“I always loved it,” he says. In fact, he remembers reading it to Tyne Daly once after she guest-starred on Magnum PI in 1982.

This time the room cried before he could even finish.

“I didn’t make it; I was doomed,” Wahlberg laughs, wiping his eyes. “But when Tom started saying it, literally, my life flashed before my eyes. I listened to his voice captivate this room and thought about what a magical journey and what a gift this boy, who half the time didn’t know where his next meal would come from, in this broken, grown family When I stood up and watched this man on TV, he sat next to him and shared this magical moment of his wisdom and grace. I probably couldn’t hold back the tears for another two days!”

Over the years, many important conversations have taken place around this table, both during filming and outside of it. Aired during three different US presidencies, “Blue Bloods” is a series about a cop family; Of course there were conversations about politics. And some members of the Reagan family have opposing views.

“They don’t all blend together just because they’re family. I think there was always respect,” says Selleck, who also believes in keeping his personal stance on politics to himself. “I can only answer for myself, but if you’re going to blow your own head about your personal problem…why do you want to piss off half the country? We’re actors.”

The show was also good at showing multiple viewpoints. “We’ve dealt with a lot of issues on both sides and are proud of them, but we haven’t ripped them from the headlines like some shows do,” he adds. “I have to be honest and say that I’m not sure that Frank Reagan and I always vote the same way, and that’s a good thing if you have these points of view.”

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The question of what comes next is difficult to answer. For Selleck, he has no plans to stop working.

“I’m not retiring. I have a mortgage; I have a ranch that I love and I love the work. Look, I’m not exactly a spring chicken in the industry,” he says, knowing that “the phone can stop ringing at any time.” At the moment he is looking ahead. “I’m still adjusting. I’d like to think someone would come up with something else. A comedy would be nice.”

Wahlberg and Selleck agree that they have learned a lot from their characters and hope that this continues in the future. Additionally, Wahlberg was inspired by Danny’s commitment to his family.

“It’s not that I don’t feel committed to my family, but I live in a different state than my siblings. I think when you come from a big family you can stay close, but my career has taken me all over the world and it still does,” he says. “My sister always calls and says, ‘Come on, Mom’s gone now, let’s all fly to Boston and have Thanksgiving.’ I often think, “It’s a long flight.” I flew back and forth, filmed and toured. I just want to sit at home, light the fireplace and be with my wife and dogs.’ Maybe I need to get on a plane and do a little more of those opportunities with the siblings and encourage Mark (Wahlberg) to get on a plane and do the same thing.”

He’s also staying busy professionally, as New Kids on the Block just announced a Las Vegas residency in 2025. But what about the next acting gig?

“It feels like I’m reading a script, negotiating a deal for the film, going to my agent’s office and constantly looking over my shoulder hoping that someone from ‘Blue Bloods’ will chase me down down the street and says, ‘Wait, we’re doing another season,'” he says. “On television, 14 years later, people are often racing to get out. We’re all trying to take the next step now, but I think each of us feels like we’re just going to turn around and hope that someone is there and says, ‘Don’t sign this contract.’ Wait a minute!'”

I’ll bring up the idea of ​​a spin-off again before we wrap up. One idea Selleck put forward was that Frank would retire, move north and lead a small police force.

“I said, ‘That’s really good, but I’m going to do another Jesse Stone movie.’ I’m going to write that,” he says of the character he played in nine films, eight on CBS and the ninth aired on Hallmark.

And would a spin-off that focused on one or two characters rather than the entire family — the core of what “Blue Bloods” is about — really work?

“It will be a very delicate dance to maintain that integrity. Where will the family be? You can’t be in New York. If I were Danny, I would probably drive from Ohio to New York, to every dinner and back,” Wahlberg says of his character. “Until we know that there is absolutely no way to revive this show in any way, I think we’re all moving forward… but we’re taking a look back.”

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Selleck’s Groomer: Helen Robertson with Philip B/Cloutier Remix