Donnie Wahlberg Reveals the Surprising Story Behind the ‘Boston Blue’ Series That Almost Happened
After a successful 14-year run on Blue Bloods, Donnie Wahlberg is returning to TV full-time as Danny Reagan-this time in a new city. Boston Blue, premiering October 17, follows Danny as he heads to Boston to take on a case he can’t walk away from.
During an early screening and live Q&A with Woman’s World, Wahlberg and co-star Sonequa Martin-Green shared behind-the-scenes stories and details about what almost happened in the series.
A Different Direction for Danny
Before settling on Boston, Wahlberg revealed that he originally imagined Danny heading somewhere completely different.
“I had this idea that maybe Danny goes to Texas, or LA, or even Vegas-someplace where he’s out of his element,” Wahlberg said. “He’d have to do things outside his comfort zone.”
However, Blue Bloods executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and creators Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis pitched a more natural fit: moving Danny to Boston, where he becomes connected with another law enforcement family.
A Family Rooted in Reality
Boston Blue centers on Detective Lena Peters (Martin-Green) and her blended family, which includes Boston PD superintendent Sarah (Maggie Lawson), rookie cop Jonah (Marcus Scribner), DA Mae (Gloria Reuben), and Reverend Edwin Peters (Ernie Hudson).
According to Wahlberg, the Peters family is inspired by co-creator Brandon Sonnier’s real-life family. “He converted to Judaism, and Lena is modeled after his daughter,” Wahlberg explained. “There’s a real family foundation here-it’s authentic.”
Dinner Scenes, Done the Real Way
Just like Blue Bloods, Boston Blue features family dinner scenes in every episode-and yes, the cast really eats the food. “We all eat for real,” Martin-Green said. Wahlberg laughed, recalling his Blue Bloods co-stars’ on-set tricks: “Bridget [Moynahan] would move her potatoes around, and Tom [Selleck] would butter his roll for six hours.”
With heart, humor, and a new city, Boston Blue promises to carry on the Blue Bloods legacy-while letting Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan start a bold new chapter.
