Blue Bloods on CBS will start production of season 11 amid COVID-19 delays but star Tom Selleck hoped CBS renewed the series until season 12.
While negotiating his return after the Blue Bloods season 10 finale in April, Selleck said he wanted the network to renew for season 11 and 12.
“We can do much better shows if we know where we’re going,” Selleck said. “This show has lasted because the characters have been allowed to grow and change.”
By May, however, CBS announced that the cop drama will be back for one more season. But Selleck feels that the show still has “a lot of life” as the characters evolve.
If it were up to him, the series has no endpoint. However, if the network decides to pull the plug, he hopes CBS will give the show a few seasons to properly wrap up the storylines.
Return to production
Blue Bloods season 11 was supposed to start filming in the summer but had been sidelined by the pandemic, along with most of the network’s shows. On Sept. 3, CBS gave the permission for the cast and crew to return to production in New York, according to Deadline.
The report cited that CBS has strict COVID-19 safety protocols, which could affect Blue Bloods‘ signature scene: the family dinners. Producers are still trying to determine with network bosses if these scenes will change and go virtual.
Showrunner Kevin Wade said in an interview with ET Canada that a pandemic storyline is likely going to come up in the scripts.
“I don’t think you can run far away from it, it’s something I’ve been talking about with our writers,” Wade said. “We wouldn’t be doing our show right if we didn’t find some way to pay respect to that from our characters.”
CBS also hired a consultant group for Blue Bloods and its legal or cop dramas. The team from 21CP Solutions has former law enforcement members, lawyers, civic rights leaders and community leaders well-versed on public safety.
Season 11 premiere title revealed
The first episode back for Blue Bloods season 11 is titled “Triumph Over Trauma” with David Barrett as the director. Producer Siobhan Byrne O’Connor shared the script’s cover on Instagram.
View this post on InstagramYep, Blue Bloods is gearing up for Season 11! Bring it on. #bluebloods
A post shared by Siobhan Byrne O’Connor (@siobhanbyrne_oconnor) on
Last season ended with the revelation of a new member of the Reagan family. The family learned of their long-lost relative, Joe Hill (Will Hochman), the son of Frank’s murdered son.
Joe joined the traditional Reagan family dinner in “Family Secrets.” This episode was not supposed to be the season-ender. However, the series had to cut short season 10 because of the pandemic.
Reports confirmed that Joe will be back for Blue Bloods season 11. Hochman is set to guest star in some of the episodes. CBS has not yet announced the show’s return date.
Image courtesy of CBS Television Studios/YouTube