Airing reliably on Friday nights since 2010, Blue Bloods has become a staple of CBS’s lineup, offering a grounded look at the Reagan family—a close-knit clan deeply embedded in law enforcement. TV icon Tom Selleck stars as Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, with his character’s father, retired Commissioner Henry Reagan, and his three children—Detective Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), Police Officer Jamie (Will Estes), and Assistant District Attorney Erin (Bridget Moynahan)—all playing crucial roles in the show. Their family bonds are as strong as their commitment to justice, and their “blue blood” runs deep in the world of Gotham’s law enforcement. Here’s a peek behind the scenes of this enduring series.
Though Blue Bloods may not always dominate media headlines or social media, its popularity is evident in its ratings. According to TV Insider, the show has consistently attracted a dedicated viewership, making it one of the most stable hits on television over the past decade. Although it doesn’t always capture the younger demographic, partly due to its Friday night slot, it remains a Friday night powerhouse, drawing in around six million households per week as of its twelfth season.
One of the show’s most iconic elements is the Reagan family dinner, featured in nearly every episode. These scenes, meant to highlight the family’s close relationships, are notoriously time-consuming to film. A single dinner scene can take up to five hours to complete, as the crew captures multiple angles and close-ups of up to nine characters, all while resetting the table and food to maintain continuity.
During these lengthy shoots, the cast members have their own ways of coping. Bridget Moynahan, known for her sense of humor, often gets the giggles, while Donnie Wahlberg, who jokes about eating the prop food all day long, takes breaks on a nearby couch. Tom Selleck, ever the professional, tends to eat only the meat from the prop food, using a spit bucket for the rest to avoid overindulging.
Selleck has another trick for handling the marathon dining scenes: while delivering lines or during camera shots focused on him, he often buttered his bread to manage his food intake and ensure continuity. Although the food served at these dinners is real, the utensils are not. The Reagan family’s table is set with plastic cutlery, a change from the metallic silverware used in early episodes, which proved too noisy against the plates, according to CBS 58.
Blue Bloods may not always grab headlines, but its dedication to depicting authentic family dynamics and its meticulous behind-the-scenes efforts contribute to its enduring appeal.
