After a double Hollywood strike that has reduced the size of its 2023-24 scripted seasons to between ten and thirteen episodes each - with some CBS series making as few as ten - the network is giving two of its top series coming to an end, Blue Bloods and Young Sheldon, a fitting send-off with expanded final seasons. As reported last week, the seventh and final season of The Big Bang Theory prequel series will consist of fourteen episodes.
Blue Bloods, about several generations of the Reagan family working in New York law enforcement, is leaving while still at the top in ratings.
Blue Bloods, a longtime anchor of CBS' formidable Friday night lineup, was the evening's most-watched primetime program last season and the #3 most-watched broadcast drama with 9.54 million viewers (more than 11 million viewers per episode after +35 days of multiplatform viewing).
The series, produced by CBS Studios, has gained total viewers in the 10 p.m. Friday timeslot every season since its launch in 2010.
“Blue Bloods will forever be a beloved part of CBS’s legacy. It ruled Friday nights with unprecedented dominance since its premiere and established itself as a pillar of our winning lineup with an exceptionally devoted fan base,” Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios, said in a joint statement.
The two executives acknowledged the series’ star and executive producer Selleck, the late Blue Bloods executive producer Leonard Goldberg, who died in 2019, and writer/executive producer Kevin Wade, who has been on the show since midway through the first season and showrunner since Season 2. They also referenced a Blue Bloods fixture, the Reagan’s weekly Sunday dinner, which is at the heart of each episode.
“We’ll be forever grateful to the legendary Leonard Goldberg for developing this signature series and to the amazing cast led by Tom Selleck, who America embraced as family and watched as welcomed guests at the Reagan dinner table,” Reisenbach and Stapf said. “We also sincerely thank the incredible writing and producing teams guided by executive producer Kevin Wade, for years of compelling episodes as they conceive this final chapter that we expect to be the most satisfying season yet for our loyal viewers.”
Blue Bloods' renewal followed difficult negotiations in March, with CBS asking for significant cuts to its budget - 25% for above-the-line talent, including actors - amid increased fiscal scrutiny in the media industry and a push to cut production costs to hold your hand. The cast and producers ultimately agreed to the salary cuts in order to keep the series going and hundreds of crew members and other support staff employed.
The March renewal came with a presumption that Season 14 would be likely the series’ last, sources said. When the Blue Bloods writers reconvened in early October following the end of the WGA strike, they started crafting the upcoming season as a potential final chapter. The decision to end Blue Bloods was solidified after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike when the size of the order was determined and the idea to split it into two parts came about.
Blue Bloods, which has aired 275 episodes in its 13 seasons to date, will end its run with 293 episodes. With its 14 seasons, it ranks among the ten longest-running CBS scripted series ever. Selleck leads a cast that also includes Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Marisa Ramirez and Vanessa Ray.
