The Blue Bloods universe isn’t ready to rest just yet. While the original series wrapped up its 14-season run in December 2024, CBS is already gearing up for its next major chapter: Boston Blue, a spiritual successor led by Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan. And now, details about the show’s premiere and production are finally coming into focus — giving fans plenty to be excited about.
A Familiar Time Slot, A Brand-New Beat
CBS has officially confirmed that Boston Blue will premiere in Fall 2025, maintaining the original show’s iconic Friday 10 p.m. ET/PT time slot. For over a decade, that late Friday slot became synonymous with Reagan family dinners, tough cases, and moral dilemmas — and Boston Blue intends to carry that torch forward.
Episodes will also be available for next-day streaming on Paramount+, giving fans the flexibility to catch up on-demand — a move that reflects CBS’s growing emphasis on streaming alongside network premieres.
Production Rolls in Boston (and Toronto)
While the series is set in Boston, most of the production will take place in Toronto, Canada — a frequent stand-in for major U.S. cities in TV dramas. However, to ensure authenticity, producers plan to shoot establishing and exterior scenes directly in Boston, capturing the unique architecture, neighborhoods, and local color that define the city.
Filming officially kicked off in June 2025, with Donnie Wahlberg and co-stars like Sonequa Martin-Green, Maggie Lawson, and Ernie Hudson already spotted on set. The tone is expected to be grittier and more intimate than Blue Bloods, but still steeped in the same values of justice, family, and duty.
Behind the Scenes: Legacy Talent Returns
The creative team behind Boston Blue includes several familiar names from the Blue Bloods production stable, ensuring the DNA of the original series is preserved. Kevin Wade, longtime Blue Bloods executive producer and showrunner, is involved in shaping the spin-off’s vision, alongside a new team of writers focused on exploring contemporary challenges in law enforcement and family dynamics.
Donnie Wahlberg himself has been hands-on in shaping the show’s direction, and has called Boston Blue “a continuation of the Reagan spirit — just in a new city, with new people, and new purpose.”
What’s the Story?
Boston Blue follows Detective Danny Reagan as he relocates from New York City to Boston to help build a new task force. Leaving behind the family dinner table, Danny enters unfamiliar territory both personally and professionally — but he’s not alone.
Joining him is Detective Lena Silver, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, a seasoned officer with her own deep Boston roots. Other cast members include:
-
Maggie Lawson as Lena’s stepsister and Boston PD Superintendent Sarah Silver
-
Ernie Hudson as Reverend Peters, Lena’s open-minded grandfather
-
Gloria Reuben as DA Mae Silver
-
Marcus Scribner in an undisclosed but recurring role
Each character is designed to anchor a different corner of Boston’s community — police, political, faith-based, and legal — suggesting that the show will explore more than just criminal investigations.
Legacy Cameos? Still a Possibility
While Boston Blue is shaping up to be a fully self-contained series, showrunners have not ruled out cameos from beloved Blue Bloods characters. Tom Selleck has said he’s “open to the idea,” and speculation remains strong that Marisa Ramirez (Detective Maria Baez) could appear to wrap up Danny’s New York arc.
Final Thoughts
With filming underway and a fall premiere on the horizon, Boston Blue is shaping up to be more than just a spin-off — it’s a reinvention of the Blue Bloods legacy for a new city, a new cast, and a new era. Anchored by Donnie Wahlberg and guided by the same storytelling spirit, the series looks poised to fill the void left by the Reagan family while charting its own bold path.
As Wahlberg teased, “It’s not goodbye. It’s see you in Boston.”
