CBS recently officially announced that the Friday night TV drama Blue Bloods, which fans and stars of the show have been trying to save, is actually over. While fans, and stars of the show alike, have been protesting over the announcement, it seems that there may be a glimmer of hope that the show can continue.
According to TVLine, co-CEO Brian Robbins of CBS’ parent company Paramount Global shared the following information with shareholders during a recent meeting: “In TV, new franchise extensions are coming for Dexter, Billions, and Blue Bloods.” Paramount has announced spinoffs of Dexter and Billions, but this is the first news that spinoffs are planned for the Blue Bloods universe.
Blue Bloods – Continued Success In Ratings
Fans of the NYPD drama shouldn’t be disappointed by the news, for despite being canceled, the show has continued to do well in the ratings for CBS.
With 14 seasons under its belt, it ranked as the 8th most-watched show on TV in the summer of 2016: it is still the top-rated program on Fridays.
The Blue Bloods star Tom Selleck told Country Living, “They announced this was gonna be our last season. I think CBS will come to their senses. My hope is CBS wakes up to the fact that we’re still winning the night on Friday night and performing on Paramount Plus.”
Meanwhile, fans must be scratching their heads: why a spinoff when the series has proven so popular that it could likely be renewed far beyond season 14? CBS has left the reason behind their judgement unstated.
While this isn’t exactly the Blue Bloods update fans were hoping for, we think seeing more of the Reagan family is a win.
Speaking to CBS News, the Magnum PI legend said, “All the cast wants to come back. And I can tell you this: we aren’t sliding off down a cliff. We’re doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don’t know. You tell me!”
CBS Executives’ Uncertainty About A Blue Bloods Spinoff
But, amid the show’s continued ratings success (with critics predicting another long life for Blue Bloods if last season was any indication), CBS executives seem unable to decide what to do about a Blue Bloods spin-off.
Deadline reports that a spin-off focusing on Danny Reagan (played by Donnie Wahlberg) got scrapped, and fans might be waiting a while to find out what happens next.
The possibility of a Blue Bloods spinoff was first teased in November by Paramount Global co-CEO Brian Robbins ahead of the procedural’s series finale in December, but it doesn’t seem like anything would happen right away.
David Stapf, president of the TV studio CBS Studios, told Deadline: “We don’t have anything that’s going to be in development soon, but it’s a brand, a title, and a show that is beloved.”
Blue Blood Viewership and Future Plans
The recent downdraft in viewership, at least temporarily, halted Blue Bloods’ surging numbers but the past few seasons of the show were watched by almost 10 million people per episode, a very sizable audience waiting for any spin-off to match the excellence of the parent series.
“We’ve got to get it right, so we’re taking our time and trying to figure it out, ‘OK, what is the next iteration of Blue Bloods?’” Stapf continued.
“We have a whole season to go where we intend to celebrate it all season long… so there’s still time for us to figure that out.”
Amy Reisenbach, the president of CBS Entertainment, shared that perspective back in May. “We love this cast, we love their passion for the show,” she said about deciding to put Blue Bloods to rest.
But while another Blue Bloods spin-off might be far off, fans can look forward to the final eight installments airing on CBS over the fall. Although no premiere date has been announced, it shouldn’t be long before news of that drops. In the meantime, you can stream all the episodes on Paramount+.
Be sure to catch up on everything happening with Blue Bloods right now. Come back here often for all Blue Bloods spoilers, news, and updates.
The post Blue Bloods Spinoff Update Spells Disappointment For Fans first appeared on Celebrating The Soaps.
Credit: Original article published here.