The excitement for the CBS spin-off of Blue Bloods, Boston Blue, was palpable, particularly for fans of Donnie Wahlberg’s character, Detective Danny Reagan. The series promised a fresh chapter, transplanting the beloved NYPD detective to the historic, hard-knuckled streets of Wahlberg’s real-life hometown, Boston, Massachusetts.
However, that excitement was quickly mixed with disappointment—and outright backlash—when early filming footage surfaced online, revealing that the majority of the show’s production was taking place not in Beantown, but hundreds of miles away in Toronto, Canada.
The cognitive dissonance was too much for many fans to bear: a show named Boston Blue was being filmed in Canada. Wahlberg, a proud Boston native and the show’s star and executive producer, couldn’t ignore the controversy. He took to social media and later appeared on podcasts to candidly address the situation, revealing the “dire straits” of the industry and the uncompromising financial reality that forced the difficult decision. His explanations have provided crucial insight into the economic pressures shaping modern network television.
🇨🇦 The Controversy: Toronto Substituting for Beantown
The backlash began when footage, shared on social media by a Boston Blue fan account, showed Donnie Wahlberg and his co-stars filming scenes. The backdrop, however, was clearly Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market exterior, which was reportedly being utilized to stand in for locations like Boston’s Fenway Park.
Why Fans Were Upset
- Blue Bloods Precedence: The original Blue Bloods was famous for its commitment to filming on location in New York City for its entire 14-season run. New York was, in many ways, its own character. Fans expected the spin-off, named for its city, to uphold this tradition.
- Wahlberg’s Hometown: The connection was even deeper for Boston Blue given that Donnie Wahlberg is a Boston icon, making the substitution feel like a betrayal of the city and its culture.
- Authenticity Concerns: Boston has a unique architectural and cultural signature—from the brownstones of Beacon Hill to the distinct narrow streets. Fans worried that substituting Toronto would result in the show feeling inauthentic and visually generic, failing to capture the spirit of the Massachusetts capital.
💰 The Wahlberg Defense: It’s Financial “Dire Straits”
Donnie Wahlberg didn’t shy away from the criticism. Instead of offering a standard studio platitude, he gave a raw, honest explanation that centered squarely on budgetary constraints exacerbated by recent industry challenges.
The Money Equation
In an appearance on a local Boston podcast, Wahlberg detailed the conversation he had with the production executives:
“The industry has really been beat up from COVID and the strike. 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.”
Wahlberg drove the point home with a stark comparison of production costs:
- Canada’s Advantage: He explained that due to favorable tax breaks and production incentives, it’s approximately “thirty cents on a dollar” to film in Canada right now.
- Boston’s Cost: Filming a series entirely in Boston would cost significantly more, closer to “eighty cents on a dollar, ninety cents from a dollar” even with state tax breaks.
The economic reality was simple: filming in Toronto was the compromise necessary to get the show made at all.
🤝 The Compromise: A Promise of Authenticity
Crucially, Wahlberg emphasized that while the interiors and bulk of the filming might be in Toronto, he fought hard for, and won, a commitment to maintaining Boston’s authenticity.
The Two-City Approach
The production plan, according to Wahlberg, involves a bicoastal filming strategy (or rather, a bi-city, bi-national strategy):
- Toronto: Serves as the primary production hub for interior scenes (police precinct offices, apartments, etc.) and for general street scenes that can be convincingly doubled for Boston.
- Boston: The crew commits to traveling to Boston “every couple of weeks” to film all major exterior establishing shots and landmark scenes. Wahlberg stressed, “You can’t fake what Boston looks like.” He cited filming a significant scene in Fenway Park, a location that would instantly satisfy Bostonians and ground the show in reality.
Commitment to Culture
Wahlberg, a true son of Boston, ensured the authenticity extended beyond the visuals:
- Boston Talent: The production is actively bringing Boston actors to Toronto for guest roles to ensure the accents and cultural nuances are accurate.
- Experiencing the City: He even took his younger co-stars, like Mika Amonsen (who plays Danny’s son, Sean Reagan), out with his family to show them around the city and immerse them in the local culture.
This dedication demonstrates that the artistic and cultural integrity of the setting was not ignored, but rather protected through a calculated financial compromise.
🔑 Conclusion: Sacrificing Location for Longevity
Donnie Wahlberg’s candid address concerning the Boston Blue filming location was a necessary moment of transparency. It acknowledged the fans’ valid concerns about the show’s namesake city, while simultaneously providing a sober look at the economic pressures driving modern television production.
The shift to Toronto was a regrettable, but necessary, financial sacrifice made to ensure the series could be greenlit and, more importantly, have a better chance at longevity. By committing to frequent exterior filming in Boston and ensuring cultural authenticity through casting, Wahlberg and the creative team have made the best of a difficult situation.
Boston Blue may primarily film its interiors in Canada, but Wahlberg’s personal mission is clear: the spirit, the grit, and the unmistakable visual texture of his beloved Boston will be an undeniable character in this new chapter of the Blue Bloods universe. The compromise allows the story of Danny Reagan and the new Silver family to continue, which, in the end, is what fans truly want.
