While Boston Blue, CBS’ successful Blue Bloods spinoff that will be heading into its second season this fall, has been a great path forward for its franchise, one cameo from the original series is looking less likely as time goes by. When Blue Bloods came to an end after 14 seasons and nearly 300 episodes, viewers struggled to see how the franchise could continue with Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan heading to Boston for a whole new chapter. Though Danny remains tied to the Reagans, Boston Blue is a different series than its predecessor, bringing new characters into the fold.
While there have been some familiar faces that have transferred over from Blue Bloods to Boston Blue, including Bridget Moynahan, Len Cariou, Will Hochman, and Will Estes, there’s one cameo that the Blue Bloods fans have been dying to see. Despite multiple Reagan family members appearing on the spinoff series, Tom Selleck’s patriarch, Frank Reagan, has yet to appear on the new series. Frank’s central role on Blue Bloods across its 14 season run made him a prime candidate for an early cameo on Boston Blue, but it’s been noticeable that the reunion hasn’t been planned or alluded to yet.
After a season of Boston Blue that introduced viewers to the universe and broadened the Blue Bloods world, it doesn’t look like a Frank Reagan cameo will be coming to pass. Selleck hasn’t ruled things out, but with Boston Blue season 2 coming soon, his return is a long shot.
Although Selleck has always been a vocal supporter of Blue Bloods, the show’s cancellation seems to have left a bad taste in his mouth according to comments on a recent episode of Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name. According to Selleck, “Blue Bloods was a labor of love” that the entirety of the cast wanted to return to. He revealed that the cast had taken a 25% salary cut to keep the show afloat, and the CBS series’ cancellation was “very frustrating” because it wasn’t about the show’s ratings, which weren’t an issue at all.
While Selleck has been one of the actors most consistently sought after for a Boston Blue cameo, it’s possible that his feelings surrounding Blue Bloods’ cancellation could keep him from reprising his role. CBS choosing to cancel Blue Bloods doesn’t appear like it was a move the actors were anticipating, and with Selleck sharing that it felt like the rug was pulled out from beneath the series, the fact that the network went on to quickly produce Boston Blue may be a thorn in the legendary actor’s side. Instead of returning to the franchise, Selleck’s Frank may be permanently off-screen.
Boston Blue Won’t Feel Right Without A Frank Reagan Appearance
Although Selleck may reprise his role as the Reagan family patriarch on Boston Blue someday, it doesn’t appear that he’s ready to step back into the role just yet. With so much animosity from Selleck about the decision to cancel Blue Bloods at a time when the show was still doing well in the ratings, and when the actors had been interested in continuing the project, it’s possible that returning to the role could be too difficult for the actor. Selleck may also not want to make it seem like he’s okay with Blue Bloods’ cancellation by standing his ground.
Unfortunately, this leaves Boston Blue in a tough situation. With the onus of the show, just like Blue Bloods, focusing on the family at its core, Boston Blue has welcomed several Reagan family members back into the fold as its first season rolled out. The Reagan viewers most want to see, however, is Selleck’s Frank, which creates a huge issue for the series. Until Frank appears on Boston Blue, the link between Blue Bloods and its spinoff will feel flimsier than it should. Without Selleck’s Frank passing the baton to Wahlberg’s Danny, Boston Blue will always have something to prove.
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Directors
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Alex Zakrzewski, Anthony Hemingway, Antonio Negret, Randall Zisk, Jackeline Tejada
- Writers
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Terri Kopp, Pam Veasey, Rebecca Perry Cutter, Brandon Margolis, Brandon Sonnier
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Donnie Wahlberg
Danny Reagan
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Sonequa Martin-Green
Lena Silver