US TV fans celebrate as beloved cancelled show gets spin-off resurrection

The crime procedural’s universe is about to grow

TV fans have been left feeling joyous after a cancelled show was resurrected in the form of a new spin-off.

Just two months after Blue Bloods drew to an end on CBS, it’s been announced that one key cast member will be returning for his own show.

CBS cancelled the crime procedural in 2024, despite protestations from the show’s stars, but viewers will no doubt be happy to hear that Donnie Wahlberg is returning as NYPD Detective Danny Reagan.

The series is being made under the title Boston Blue, which will be an expansion of the Blue Bloods universe that was fleshed out over 14 years.

Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis are writing the series that will see Danny take a new job with the Boston Police Department.

Deadline reports that the show started out as an original property with a character from Los Angeles before CBS saw a chance to hitch it to Blue Bloods in the wake of its cancellation. Wahlberg was viewed as the most suitable star to lead the show.

In December, when the final episode of Blue Bloods aired, Wahlberg paid tribute to the show with a statement reading: “Thank you for all the love – through all the years! All 14 of them to be exact. We are on to whatever comes next, and whatever that is, we do it together, again! As always!”

At this time, he had been approached about the spin-off opportunity, but only now has he signed a deal to return as star and executive producer. The network is so impressed with Boston Blue that the show has received a full-season order.

The Blue Bloods fandom is celebrating the news and congratulating Wahlberg for the appointment.

Donnie Wahlberg is returning for ‘Blue Bloods’ spin-off ‘Boston Blue’ (CBS)

Blue Bloods, which premiered in 2010, follows fictional New York police commissioner and family patriarch Frank Raegan (Tom Selleck) and his children, who all work within law enforcement.

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At the time of its cancellation, lead star Selleck said: “For the past 13 years it has been an honour and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City but also displayed the importance of family.

“Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors and crew has been a dream come true and I’m grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes.

“Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night.”