Keeping the Blue Blood Pumping

Showcasing as it does a couple of generations of deeply Catholic New York City police commissioners and their array of offspring, Blue Bloods is at the very least an implicitly conservative program and at times goes to bat on hot-button political issues like bail reform. When it premiered during Barack Obama’s first term, there were some relatable righties on mainstream television contributing to the conversation, such as Alec Baldwin on 30 Rock, Nick Offerman on Parks and Recreation, et al. But that sort of pop cultural archetype soon vanished, especially once Donald Trump took office, and Blue Bloods has become essentially the last standard bearer on network television of anything the slightest bit center-right. ...

And so it was disappointing but not altogether surprising when the announcement went out a few months back that Blue Bloods was to be canceled at the end of an abbreviated 14th season, even after the cast reportedly agreed to take substantial pay cuts to try to keep things rolling.