CBS has renewed the venerable cop drama for a 14th season after the cast and producers agreed to a 25 percent pay cut, according to sources.
According to sources close to the Tom Selleck production, the stars and key producers all agreed to the pay cut in order to keep the Friday night cop drama running and hundreds of production workers employed for another season.
Blue Bloods becomes CBS’ second-longest-running current scripted series with the renewal, as NCIS: Los Angeles ends this season after 14 seasons. Only NCIS, which was recently renewed for a 21st season, has aired for longer than Blue Bloods.
“Blue Bloods has dominated Friday nights since its debut and has remained an important anchor for CBS’ winning lineup,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said. “Viewers continue to love the Reagans, their law enforcement family, and the series’ dramatic storytelling, led by Tom Selleck and an incredible cast and creative team.””We can’t wait to take a seat at the Reagan dinner table for another incredible season.”
Blue Bloods, which is produced in-house at CBS Studios, has been a cash cow for Paramount Global, thanks in part to lucrative syndication and international deals. The drama is still one of CBS’ most popular originals, anchoring the network’s Friday night primetime lineup. The show is the third most watched drama on television, with over 9.5 million viewers per episode. With delayed viewing, that figure rises to more than 11 million.
Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Len Cariou star alongside Selleck in the series, for which CBS sought budget cuts (along with SWAT). The fate of SWAT, a Sony TV and CBS co-production, is unknown. Shawn Ryan, co-creator of SWAT, recently told THR podcast TV’s Top 5 that the show’s renewal is contingent on both studios coming up with more favorable economics.
“For the time being, it’s unclear whether SWAT will be renewed for a seventh season, and it has nothing to do with ratings.” “That situation would never have happened 15 years ago,” he said. “SWAT is third in the demo at CBS; there’s no reason why the show shouldn’t be renewed other than the changing economics of the business.” CBS and Sony will either figure out how to make a season seven work economically or they will not.”
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