"We Couldn't Do It": Donnie Wahlberg Addresses Failed Attempts To Save Blue Bloods From Cancellation

Blue Bloods is officially over, but its cast is not yet ready to say goodbye.
After premiering in 2010, the show has enjoyed a long and storied run that
has seen a stunning 14 seasons. Donnie Wahlberg (Danny), Tom Selleck (Frank),
Bridget Moynahan (Erin), and more stars made up Blue Bloods' expansive cast.
Most are now set to move on to other projects, though some may remain behind
to develop the spinoff show.

Regardless of the hopes for a spinoff, Wahlberg is not pleased with the
cancellation. In an interview with Fox News, Wahlberg explained that they
worked hard to "keep the show goin g", but the cast lacked the power and
influence to convince the network. The crew is now out of work, which has
emotionally devastated Wahlberg. The actor also spoke about losing his
connection to everyday New Yorkers and the NYPD. Check out his quote below:

I think one of the things we haven't really talked about is having
worked so long with the crew that we had in New York City. I
personally � and I'm sure some of the other castmates � felt bad. I
felt sad. Like, we tried to keep the show going. We tried to help
the show carry on, and we couldn't. We couldn't do it. You know, we
did everything we could, everything in our power, to have the show
carry on.

That was tough. That was tough to process, you know. And I know the
crew wouldn't feel that way. But in some ways, we just kept sort of
believing we would keep the show going. When that finale ended, it
was kind of like reality hit us all. It was definitely a part of it,
a bit of like, �Gosh, you know, if we could have just kept going a
few more years, you know?�

We got close to that crew, and they have, you know, families and
mortgages and a lot of responsibilities. It was a really cool feeling
to go to work every day knowing that hundreds of New Yorkers who
work on this show had these careers that we were a part of. And just
to know that that was ending, it was tough. It was tough. I'm sure
it's scary for them. It had a lot of emotion because of that.

We worked hard to represent the people of New York and the NYPD, and
we worked hard to keep the show going and to keep it compelling for
14 years. And it was a lot to say goodbye . It might sometimes, from
the outside, seem weird, like, 'Oh, all these actors are crying that
their show's over.' But we did become a family, and we did become a
family with the crew. And just to say goodbye to them was emotional.

What The Cancellation Means For Blue Bloods
Blue Bloods Will Likely Return (But With A New Cast)

The official ending is not likely to be the last that viewers see from the
hit procedural. An upcoming Blue Bloods spinoff has reportedly been in
consideration since July, and Paramount co-CEO Brian Robbins has even
confirmed that there is a follow-up show in development. Nothing has been
confirmed since, leaving the future somewhat dubious. Still, the show only
ended on December 13, so it is likely that the network is still considering
paths forward. They also may not wish to overshadow their popular production.

This latest statement appears to be an indicator that he has given up on the
fight.

However the spinoff progresses, it is not likely to feature every cast
member. The show maintained strong ratings, but its high budget meant that it
could not last. With the same cast, that budget would remain too high. The
cancellation is likely a means to clear off its cast's salaries. Knowing
that, Wahlberg could never have won. Wahlberg previously promised to defend
Blue Bloods, but this latest statement appears to be an indication that he
has given up the fight. Thankfully, while Wahlberg is devastated by its
ending, he still retains his connection to the rest of the show's cast.

Blue Bloods Frank sitting with his hands clasped during a meeting
Few shows ever earn 14 seasons, and fewer still have ever maintained such a
devoted audience. The fans campaigned to see the series survive, but they
were unable to save it from the ax. As much as it hurts to see Blue Bloods
come to an end, it has been touching to see the continuous support for the
cast and crew. The campaign to save season 15 failed, but it is still a mark
of the show's success that it endured for so long.

--
Let's go Brandon!