A campaign to save Blue Bloods has kicked off in anticipation of its upcoming finale. The long-running CBS show, which stars an ensemble cast that includes Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg, follows an intergenerational New York law enforcement family, the Reagans. After premiering in September 2010, the show has run consistently for 14 seasons. However, in November 2023, it was announced that the upcoming season 14 part 2, which consists of 8 episodes, will be the end of the show.
Per TV Insider, a fan campaign has already begun to protest the Blue Bloods cancellation. A Twitter account calledSave Blue Bloods has been launched to advocate for the continuation of the show, or at least for the production of seven additional episodes that will bring the show’s total to 300. The account also encourages viewers to boost the hashtag #SaveBlueBloods while the show airs on Fridays, which has already caught the attention of Wahlberg, who thanked fans for their efforts. A petition to save the show has also garnered 12,248 signatures so far out of its goal of 15,000.
Can Blue Bloods Be Saved?
It remains to be seen if this fan campaign succeeds and more Blue Bloods seasons end up being produced. Wahlberg and Selleck have both made emphatic public statements about their interest in continuing the stories of their characters, which could be a good sign. However, behind-the-scenes issues may be too prevalent to keep the show on the air. For season 14, the cast took pay cuts, which may indicate that the show is having budget issues as it goes on.
It’s also likely that a fan campaign alone won’t be enough to attract the attention of CBS. Campaigns are launched in response to nearly every show’s cancellation, so it might need to garner much more public attention in order to make a proper splash, like DC fans’ campaign for the Snyder Cut of 2017’s Justice League or the fan backlash to Sonic the Hedgehog’s original design for its title character. CBS also has a full schedule of crime procedurals for the upcoming season, as three NCIS shows are already on the docket with a possible two more joining them.
Blue Bloods season 14 may very well be the end of the long-running show. However, as the NCIS franchise proves, CBS is not opposed to spinoffs or prequels. If a new show can be built around a returning star like Wahlberg but surrounded by a more fresh-faced cast, the universe may be able to continue without the same budget constraints as the flagship show.