Last Friday’s premiere of “Boston Blue” was noticeably missing a couple of key elements — most importantly, the Reagan family from “Blue Bloods.”
Donnie Wahlberg stars in this new “Blue” spin-off, which so far feels like a shadow of the original series that enjoyed a successful 14-year run. The results? Last Friday’s episode pulled in 4.6 million viewers, down from the 5.3 million average of “Blue Bloods” final season — and that was despite heavy promotion. That’s a loss of 700,000 viewers right out of the gate.
Tonight airs the second episode. The big question is: will more longtime “Blue Bloods” fans tune in? Or do they smell a rat — a runaround to phase out Tom Selleck and the original cast in order to cut costs and move on?
Spin-offs and sequels to beloved TV shows rarely succeed. The notable exception was “Frasier.” Back in the day, shows like “Lou Grant” and “Rhoda” also managed to break out on their own. But others, like “Joey” — which emerged from the mega-hit “Friends” — fizzled quickly.
We’ll soon see how “Boston Blue” fares in this challenging landscape.
On a different note, maybe “Boston Blue” will explore some real Boston history, like Mark Wahlberg’s well-documented arrests, convictions, and jail time in the 1980s for racially motivated attacks. Imagine Mel Gibson playing his lawyer — now, that would be a storyline!
—
**Support Showbiz411**
Showbiz411 is an independent site — unlike many Hollywood trades that are owned by a handful of companies. To keep providing fresh, fact-based news and unique perspectives on movies, music, theater, and more, advertising is our primary support.
Reader donations would also be greatly appreciated. They’re a vital part of sustaining fact-based journalism in today’s media landscape.
Thank you,
Roger Friedman
—
**About the Author**
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after spending 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are featured on Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards.
Over the years, Roger’s work has appeared in numerous publications, including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid-1990s and covered the O.J. Simpson trial, as well as Fox News (during a less tumultuous era), where he reported on Michael Jackson.
Roger is also the writer and co-producer of *Only the Strong Survive*, a documentary directed by D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, which was selected for the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.
https://www.showbiz411.com/2025/10/24/tv-donnie-wahlbergs-boston-blue-opens-600k-viewers-short-of-blue-bloods-with-watered-down-version-of-original-series