Blue Bloods Boss Reveals How He Created Frank Reagan & Those Family Dinners!!!
In 2010, shortly after “Blue Bloods” premiered, Kevin Wade interviewed with Leonard Goldberg, Mitchell Burgess, and Robin Green—the show’s creators—for a writing position. Wade recalls, “The discussion focused on developing Tom Selleck’s character. I suggested that the New York police commissioner acts more as a CEO for 35,000 officers than a traditional cop. His conflicts, dilemmas, strengths, and vulnerabilities should reflect that role. They liked the idea, and I started the next day. Even though I had no proven experience in crime storytelling, I was excited by the challenge.”
Wade faced two firm directives from Goldberg: each episode had to resolve its weekly crime by the end, and despite any family conflicts, the Reagans must have Sunday dinner together at Frank and Henry Reagan’s home. This approach led to rare multi-episode arcs, with notable exceptions like the first season’s search for Frank’s (Selleck) late son Joe’s killer and the intense storyline with Jamie (Will Estes) going deep undercover in the final season. The Sunday dinner scene quickly became a central, nostalgic, and aspirational element for viewers worldwide.
From the beginning, the cast remained cohesive, with minimal changes. Despite only Selleck and Steve Schirripa having extensive TV experience—Selleck from “Magnum, P.I.” and Schirripa from “The Sopranos”—the rest of the cast “found inventive and engaging ways to explore their characters within the show’s framework,” according to Wade. He believes most actors stayed because they enjoyed the stories crafted for them.
Not every storyline was well-received. The offscreen death of Danny’s (Donnie Wahlberg) wife Linda (Amy Carlson) in a helicopter crash, due to Carlson not renewing her contract after Season 7, was a tough moment for fans. However, the writers found fresh ways to invigorate the Reagan family dynamic. For instance, Siobhan Byrne O’Connor introduced Frank’s unknown grandson, Det. Joe Hill (Will Hochman), in the Season 10 finale. Hill’s character, who turned out to be Joe Reagan’s son, was well-received despite his sometimes contentious interactions with his new family. “Will came on and hit it out of the park on his first try,” Wade says, “and kept growing.”
The show also portrayed Frank facing challenges both at home and within the police department. His father, Henry (Len Cariou), provided wisdom from an older generation, often debating with Frank over a glass of scotch. The addition of trusted advisers—Det. Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk), Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore (Gregory Jbara), and Lt. Sid Gormley (Robert Clohessy)—offered advice that sometimes contradicted Frank’s own views.
Wade, who is also releasing a novel about a New York cop in January, won’t name a single favorite character but highlights two favorite scenes: Jamie and Eddie’s engagement announcement in the Season 8 finale and the family confronting Joe’s murderer in the first-season finale.
Though “Blue Bloods” did not win awards or critical acclaim, it maintained solid ratings for 14 years. When the show was canceled, Wade received envelopes of blue confetti and notes from fans pleading to “Cancel the cancel” or “Save Blue Bloods.” “I truly appreciated their affection and enthusiasm for what we created,” Wade says. “I’m still finding bits of confetti here and there!”
