Tom Selleck expresses his “frustration” over the ending of “Blue Bloods,” and I honestly can’t think of any similar TV cancellations

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One of the longest-running dramas on the small screen is coming to an end TV program 2024and although it is only one of them Many series are ending this year, Blue blood“is the kind of show that no one really expected to leave its Friday night slot on CBS. Star Tom Selleck himself has been vocal I don't want the series to endand now we know a little more about why he's so frustrated about it.

Part of Selleck's point of view undoubtedly has to do with a personal interest in maintaining a comfortable job surrounded by loved ones for more than a decade. But that's definitely not the only reason CBS's decision to end the police drama concerns him, one of relatively few Shows that lasted longer than 250 episodes. In conversation with TV Insider After the last episode was filmed, the Magnum PI Vet shared this Blue blood“Success alone is reason enough to keep going.” In his words:

In any case, Tom Selleck probably has every right to turn into as bitter an old guy as he can be, shouting himself into the air like Abe Simpson. It is part of a series that maintains itself as one of the most-watched series on television year after year, despite airing on what is traditionally considered one of the two worst nights of the week in terms of ratings and viewership. (And at least Saturdays are supported by sports and cable TV.)

Selleck is obviously not the only cast member with complaints of this nature, and it's hard to imagine anyone involved in the series 100% understanding why the network decided to end it. He continued, addressing another specific frustration he has with CBS' decision. As he put it:

Tom Selleck said: Had Blue blood If the series had struggled to be successful in its early seasons and only gained traction in the ratings later on, network executives might have had more of the mental impetus to keep the show on the air and continue to reliably reproduce the results. Instead, its ensemble of popular actors quickly attracted a large audience when it launched in 2010.

Season 1 averaged more than 12.5 million viewers, while Season 7 peaked at an average of 14.07 million. Even in this current climate of declining ratings, this is only the case in Season 12 Blue bloodThe seasonal average fell below the double-digit total. That was just two seasons before the decision to end everything.

The cool way Blue Bloods incorporated Tom Selleck's love for his ranch during filming

While it's obviously not uncommon for network executives to cancel a series once its viewership falls below a certain threshold, Blue bloodThe lowest numbers are the kind that other shows dream of. And I can't think of another show that was canceled and still was an undeniable success.

I understand that Blue blood“CBS bosses face financial barriers to keeping such scripted series on the air for as long as cast and crew contracts include pay raises that depend on how many seasons a show stays on the air. And this isn't the kind of show that adds tremendous value through merchandising efforts like toys, video games, companion books, and the like. But still… if it ain't broke, don't cancel it.

Blue blood will return from its short hiatus to CBS on Friday, October 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET.