Tom Selleck admitted he was “frustrated” by CBS’ decision to end the long-running police series Blue Bloods.
Tom Selleck criticizes CBS for canceling "Blue Bloods" after 14 seasons@whatsupnow-k7l #BlueBloods
In a new interview with TV Insider, the star, who played NYPD Chief Frank Reagan for nearly 300 episodes, 14 seasons and as many years, said he felt like the primetime series "has always been taken for granted."
"I'm a little frustrated. During those last eight shows [Blue Bloods concludes with eight episodes beginning Oct. 18 at 10 p.m.], I didn't want to talk about an end for Blue Bloods, but about the fact that it's still incredibly successful," he said, adding that the series was a top performer in terms of total ratings last year, making the Top 10 if you don't count top football shows. Despite averaging 8.1 million viewers — a feat in today's broadcasting landscape — the series is headed for the exit, likely because of the financial burden of keeping a long-running show going.
He continued: "I'm not going to turn into a bitter old man and say, 'Get off my lawn!' I don't believe in holding grudges, but if you said to the television network, 'Here's a show that you can program in the worst time slot you have, and it guarantees that you'll win on Friday nights for the next 15 years,' that would be almost impossible to believe."
