Despite its popularity, Blue Bloods is ending, much to the disappointment of fans and cast members. Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg have actively campaigned for the show’s return, highlighting its contradictory state. During a recent Deadline panel, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to cancel the series.

CBS President Expresses Fans’ Dissatisfaction.

“I’m a big fan of TV first,” Amy Reisenbach explained to the crowd. “I sympathize and relate to all the fans out there who are disappointed that these shows are ending.” She expanded on the decision to end Blue Bloods, explaining that it was ultimately not viewed as a long-term source of profitability:

“We toss and turn, have sleepless nights, and endless discussions, but we look at all the numbers. We look at our projections for the future.”

Given how long Blue Bloods has been on the air, it has become increasingly expensive to maintain the costs of the crew and a star-studded cast.

Blue Bloods Experienced Skyrocketing Production Expenses.

When the main cast had to take a salary reduction to bring it back for another season, the cop drama’s fate was sealed. The Hollywood Reporter said in March 2023 that Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, and numerous producers have accepted to 25% wage cuts to keep the program profitable for its 14th season.

While it’s sad to see such a long-running show end, Amy Reisenbach reminds fans that numbers are the ultimate decision-maker in the TV business.

It seems like nobody wants Blue Bloods to end, and yet it’s ending. It’s a fascinating thing to witness in real time, especially as the cast openly campaigns for it to be brought back. Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg have really pushed for more stories involving the Reagan family.

The contradictory state of the show was compounded during a recent Deadline panel with Amy Reisenbach, the President of CBS Entertainment. Reisenbach was asked to explain her decision for canceling Blue Bloods, and she admitted that it was a very difficult process.

We toss and turn and have sleepless nights and have endless discussions but we look at all of the numbers. We look at what our projections are for the future.

This tracks, given how long Blue Bloods has been on the air. The general rule of thumb when it comes to television shows is that they get more expensive the longer they’ve been on the air. It gets tough to maintain the cost of the crew, and a cast that contains multiple stars like Blue Bloods does.

Blue Bloods had ballooning production costs