Blue Bloods Gave Tom Selleck a Great Role, but ‘Jesse Stone’ Fans Are Still Waiting on One Promise
Before Blue Bloods debuted in 2010, Selleck said he didn’t want the series to interfere with his work on Jesse Stone. Despite that intention, the ninth movie, Lost in Paradise, aired in 2015 – only one year into Blue Bloods – and the franchise has been dormant ever since. Selleck even talked about making a tenth film, but it never materialized.
This is disappointing because the Jesse Stone role shows a completely different side of Selleck. Frank Reagan is a respected police commissioner surrounded by family; Jesse Stone is a troubled small-town sheriff battling alcoholism and loneliness. Watching Selleck portray both characters would have highlighted his full range as an actor.
The Franchise Fizzled Out for Practical Reasons
The Jesse Stone series almost ended earlier when CBS dropped it after eight movies due to low appeal among younger viewers. Selleck sold the script for Lost in Paradise to Hallmark, which released it in 2015. Even then, the ending didn’t feel like a true finale – especially with Selleck actively writing the next installment.
So why didn’t a tenth movie happen? Primarily, Blue Bloods consumed Selleck’s schedule. With 18–22 episodes a season, long hours, and his character needed in every episode, there was simply no time. Filming Jesse Stone in Nova Scotia while working in New York made the logistics almost impossible. Forcing another film into that schedule risked lowering its quality.
A New Jesse Stone Film Could Ease the Blow of Blue Bloods Ending
Now that Blue Bloods is ending, fans are hoping Selleck will return to Jesse Stone and finally complete the story he intended to finish years ago. He already had a script in the works, and Hallmark was willing to distribute the films. The audience deserves closure, especially since Lost in Paradise never felt like the intended final chapter.
A new Jesse Stone movie wouldn’t erase the sadness of losing Blue Bloods, but it would offer a meaningful silver lining – and give long-time fans the satisfying ending they’ve waited nearly a decade for.
