What Goes On Behind The Scenes?
Blue Bloods is a long-running American procedural drama television series that premiered on September 24, 2010. Starring Tom Selleck as NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan, the show focuses on the fictional Reagan family, an Irish Catholic family in New York City with a family history of work in law enforcement.
Family Dinners
Most episodes feature a family dinner. Tom Selleck requested this to emphasize the sense of family. The dinner takes place on Sundays at around 5 pm.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Father And Son
Tom Selleck and Len Cariou play father and son in the series. In reality, the actors are only five years apart.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Real Life Brothers
The actors who play Sean and Jack are brothers in real life. Andrew Terraciano and Tony Terraciano play Sean and Jack respectively.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Theory Of Broken Windows
In the episode "Shoot the Messenger", the family dinner centers around a discussion of the Theory of Broken Windows. This is an idea that if minor offenses are not addressed, they can lead to more serious issues in the neighborhood.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Photo Of Jamie's Deceased Brother Joe
In the episode "Justice Served", Jamie is shown carrying a picture of his late brother Joe, tucked into his police hat. This is the same photo of Joe shown in the series' pilot episode. The real person in the photo is unknown.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Red State Television
Blue Bloods is considered to be one of the few Red State, or conservative-leaning, television series. Although it takes place in a Blue State, the blue-collar law enforcement family life addresses political and social issues from a conservative point-of-view.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Filming The Family Dinner Scenes
The family dinner scene is usually the first one filmed in an episode's production. The filming takes as long as eight hours and the food eaten in the scene is fresh when shooting begins. After eight hours, the food is cold and, according to Tom Selleck, is "pretty gamy".
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Family House
The exterior of the family house is located at 8070 Harbor View Terrace in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. The actual estate is owned by a group of Maronite Catholics and is not open to the public.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Frank's Full Name
When Henry talks to Frank, he uses Frank's full birth name, Francis. Henry is the only member of the family to do this.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Frank's Office
In Frank's office, there is a photo of Theodore Roosevelt on the wall. Prior to becoming President of the United States, Roosevelt was governor of the state of New York, where he enacted reforms in the NYPD, including creating the office of Commissioner. This is Frank's job.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
General Eisenhower
Frank makes a speech about "the big things in life being easy; it's the small stuff that's hard". This is the same dialogue Tom Selleck uses when he portrayed General Eisenhower in the film Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004).
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Jesse Stone Film Series
Frank often says, "I'm the Police Commissioner. I know everything". In the Jesse Stone film series, in which Tom Selleck stars, Jesse Stone often says, "I'm the Police Chief. I know everything".
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Possible Move To Toronto
The filming almost relocated from New York City to Toronto as the city and state tax credits had expired. New York State provides tax incentives for productions to film in New York—30% plus an additional 5% for productions in New York City.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Sunday Dinner Menu
The series' prop master is the one who chooses what the family eats at the Sunday night dinners. Cast members have preferences which are sometimes considered. Donnie Wahlberg focuses on vegetables while Sami Gayle doesn't eat meat. Tom Selleck, true to his reputation, is a real meat-and-potatoes guy.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Twin Towers
In Frank's office, a photo of the World Trade Center is on one of the walls. It's a silhouette with a red sky and the sun between the towers at sunrise. This depicts a phenomenon called Manhattanhenge or Manhattan Solstice, which happens when sunlight matches a straight line with a street, avenue, or between buildings.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Jack Boyle
Recurring character lawyer Jackie Boyle is played by Peter Hermann. Hermann also plays an attorney in the series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The star of that show is Mariska Hargitay, who is Hermann's real life wife.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Grandma Betty
In the episode "By Hook or by Crook", the origin of the Sunday family dinner is revealed. It was established by Grandmother Betty, Henry's deceased wife, as a tribute to her childhood in Ireland.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Ties To Rescue Me
The drama Rescue Me shares a number of cast members with Blue Bloods. Andrea Roth, Robert John Burke, Bruce Altman, John Scurti, Jack McGee, and Jennifer Esposito all appear in both dramas, which are both set in New York City. Blood Bloods focuses on the NYPD while Rescue Me focuses on the FDNY.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Tom Selleck's Mustache
When he signed on to the show, Tom Selleck considered shaving his legendary mustache. A real-life NYPD commissioner would be prohibited from wearing one. The network overruled this as they felt there would be a public backlash if Selleck lost his iconic mustache.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Cast Changes
Nicky Boyle is portrayed by Marlene Lawston in the pilot episode. For the rest of the series, Nicky is portrayed by Sami Gayle.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
New Kids On The Block
During a Sunday dinner scene, the family discusses their failures during the week. One of Danny's sons relates to being rejected by a girl to which Danny says, "Oh, please don't go, girl". This is a reference to New Kids on the Block, a boy band in which Donnie Wahlberg (Danny) was a member in the late 1980s and 1990s.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Detective Baker's First Name
During the first season, Detective Baker, as played by Abigail Hawk, is never called by her first name. In season two, she is credited as Detective Abigail Baker.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Barney Miller
The 1970s sitcom Barney Miller is set in the NYPD 12th precinct. This is also the precinct featured in Blue Bloods, a clear nod to the earlier series about an NYPD officer known for his mustache.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Frank's Children
Frank has four children: Danny, Jamie, Joe, and Erin. Joe was lost in the line of duty months before the premiere episode. Erin is the only non-cop in the family. She is an Assistant District Attorney.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Mayor Frank Russo
Actor Bruce Altman is credited as Mayor Frank Russo in season 1, although the character's name is never mentioned. When he returns in season 3, he is introduced as Former Mayor Robert Levitt.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Terminology
A term used throughout the series is “RMP”. This is a term unique to the NYPD and it stands for “Radio Motor Patrol”.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Gotham City
Will Estes portrays a uniformed officer in Blue Bloods. He also appears as a uniformed Gotham City officer in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). "Gotham" is a nickname for New York City and Gotham City is understood to stand in for New York City in the Batman comic franchise.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Family Dinner's Actual Food
The food at the Sunday dinners is real. It's catered from a restaurant located up the street from the set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Reduction In Pay
“RIP” is NYPD slang for “Reduction in Pay”, a disciplinary action taken against an NYPD officer. A one-day RIP equals the loss of one vacation day as a penalty.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Freeway Therapy
In the episode "Heroes", Frank reassigns an officer to work on the other side of the city. Called "freeway therapy", this is a slang term for a punitive measure used in the NYPD. The idea is that the officer is given the chance to reflect on their actions while commuting great distances.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Red And Blue Neckties
Frank frequently wears different variations of red and blue ties. The red and blue stand for the red and blue colors of the NYPD car lights.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
.38 Special
In season 1, Frank carries a snub nose .38 Special with a two-inch barrel given to him by his former commissioner father, who got it from his father. Watchful fans have determined that the revolver is a modified Colt .38 Special, referred to as the "Fitz treatment", after a man who worked at Colt, Henry Fitzgerald.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
The Bus
The uniformed personnel often refer to a "bus". This is slang for an ambulance.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Command Discipline
“Command Discipline" is a type of infraction where the supervisor decides on the penalty. This could range from instructions on procedures or a loss of vacation days.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Hill Street Blues
Another reference to an older television series involves the classic 1980s series Hill Street Blues. Frank shares a first and middle name with Hill Street Blues Captain Francis (Frank) Xavier Furillo.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Compstats
Personnel often refer to Compstats in the series. This is a management system that is used to reduce infractions and achieve other goals in the department.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Frank Serpico
In the episode "Flags of Our Fathers," Henry claims to have met the corruption whistle-blower Frank Serpico. In the 1960s and 1970s, Serpico exposed corruption in the NYPD. The film Serpico (1973) starred Al Pacino in the title role.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
1986 Corruption Case
In the episode "Close Calls", the real life 1986 arrest of 11 NYPD officers for corruption is discussed—but the full story was far more scandalous that what we saw on screen.
In December 1986, 11 officers from the NYPD’s 77th Precinct were apprehended in what came to be known as the “Buddy Boys” case. This was the first major instance of corruption being exposed in New York City, and in addition to running “extortion operations within the precinct”, the officers had also stolen money and substances from drug dealers and then resold the stolen substances. But it got worse.
When all was said and done, 13 officers were indicted and nearly all of the 200 officers at the 77th Precinct were transferred to other departments in the city. Only one union delegate was found to be completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
CBS Productions, Blue Bloods (2010-2024)
Renewal
Blue Bloods was renewed for a 14th season, with the cast and producers taking pay cuts to keep the show on the air. The final eight episodes will air in the fall of 2024.
