Donnie Wahlberg is opening up about the upcoming Blue Bloods spinoff series, Boston Blue.
TV Insider reported that Wahlberg, who will reprise his Blue Bloods role Detective Danny Reagan in the spinoff, spoke about what fans can expect from the new series during the August 7 episode of the Billy & Lisa in the Morning podcast. According to the Boston native, quite a few of the CBS show’s scenes were shot in the Massachusetts city. In addition, he noted that Boston Blue was also filmed in Toronto, Canada.
“I think we’ll be filming in Boston a lot. People think it’s a personal choice or that I didn’t want to film in Boston. I had the best time in my life filming in Boston. I have the best time in my life every time I go to Boston … The industry has really been beat up from COVID and the strike,” said Wahlberg during the podcast interview. “CBS, for example, used to make, like, 20 shows a year. They’re making two this year — new shows — and I’m on one of them. It’s really dire straits financially in the industry, so I’m really fortunate to be making a show. I’m really fortunate to be able to go to Boston and work at all. But you know, when I initially was offered the job, I said, ‘We got to go to Boston.’ They said, ‘We can’t afford it.’”
He then explained why networks prefer to film in Canada over the United States.
“It’s basically thirty cents on a dollar to film in Canada right now, compared to eighty cents on a dollar, ninety cents from a dollar even with tax breaks,” said the actor.
According to Wahlberg, who is an executive producer of the new Blue Bloods spinoff, he insisted that Boston Blue had to have scenes filmed in Boston.
“But I said, ‘We have to go to Boston. I can’t not go to Boston.’ And so the plan right now is to do the interiors up here [in Toronto] and go to Boston every couple of weeks and do what we did and put a crew together, a Boston crew, and go down and film all over the city,” said the New Kids on the Block member. “You can’t fake what Boston looks like. And you know, we’re bringing Boston actors up here to guest [star] in the show. We’re doing everything we can, and hopefully, in success, we can be in Boston more. The goal is, let’s compromise to get the show made. We’ll work outside and do exteriors in Boston, and then you know, in success, perhaps we can come down there and be there full time. That would be a dream of all dreams.”
In addition, he referenced that Blue Bloods focused on the police family, the Reagans. He suggested that Boston Blue will follow different families.
“We want to pay respect and honor Blue Bloods, but also there are thousands and thousands of police families in America, and we want to tell some of those stories, too. And we want to let Danny explore, you know, be a fish out of water,” said Wahlberg.
In a May 2025 interview with the Hollywood Elite, Wahlberg shared that starting to film Boston Blue, which begins airing on October 17, helped ease the pain of Blue Blood‘s 2024 cancellation following its 14th season.
“[Boston Blue] came our way and I had to take a beat to look at it from the right context. In other words, I kept looking back to Blue Bloods and suddenly, I was like, ‘Wait I can look forward to Boston Blue,’” said Wahlberg to the publication. “This is keeping Blue Bloods alive. This is carrying on the traditions and the legacies. This is a way to bring Blue Bloods forward. So for me, once I began seeing it that way, it became very exciting for me. The end of something became the beginning of something.”
