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From NYC to Beantown: Donnie Wahlberg Brings “Blue Bloods” Vibe to “Boston Blue”
NEW YORK, NY – Get ready for a dose of familiar faces and fresh crime-fighting as New Kids on the Block alum Donnie Wahlberg steps into a new chapter with his latest TV endeavor, “Boston Blue.” The show, a spinoff of the long-running hit “Blue Bloods,” promises to honor its roots while carving out its own distinct narrative in the historic streets of Boston.
Wahlberg, 56, who reprises his role as NYPD Detective Danny Reagan, recently shared insights into the new series during a panel discussion following a screening of the pilot episode in Manhattan. He emphasized that fans will find both obvious and subtle nods to the original series.
Viewers will first catch Danny Reagan in a romantic moment with a familiar face from “Blue Bloods” in the pilot, before a family emergency whisks him away to Massachusetts. “That was something, to me, that had to be addressed,” Wahlberg explained, noting the importance of showing who Danny is with when he gets a late-night call.
“And we wrote it, and [director Anthony Hemingway] suggested we do it with no shirt. So, I had to stay in shape.”
The spinoff, which premieres Friday on CBS and Paramount+, also sees the return of Mika Amonsen as Danny’s son, Sean, now a rookie Boston cop, and Bridget Moynahan as Danny’s prosecutor sister, Erin.
In “Boston Blue,” the Reagans find themselves intertwined with the Silver family, another prominent law-enforcement clan. This new family is led by matriarch District Attorney Mae (Gloria Reuben) and her police officer children: Lena (Sonequa Martin-Green), Jonah (Marcus Scribner), and Sarah (Maggie Lawson).
Wahlberg described the new setting as a “fish-out-of-water adventure” for the Brooklyn detective. “This idea was just really good and the script was really good, and I looked at it and I saw the possibilities of weaving the ‘Blue Bloods’ world into it and I saw a chance to play Danny in a different way,” he stated.
“It’s not only Danny with a new partner meeting this new family. It’s Danny being a dad and worried about his son, making sure he gets home safe every day and teaching him the job the way that his family taught him the job.”
Much like its predecessor, “Boston Blue” will feature elements of faith, family meals, and tradition. Wahlberg light-heartedly recalled the challenges of filming those iconic dinner scenes over 14 seasons of “Blue Bloods,” joking about the tricks the cast employed to appear enthusiastic while consuming cold food for hours.
“Bridget re-positioned her mashed potatoes. Tom [Selleck] would butter his roll for six hours,” he quipped.
For “Boston Blue,” he noted, “we have Welch’s grape juice [instead of wine], and the sugar can get you kooky after a while. Six hours of sugar and, if there was dessert with whipped cream, I was already bouncing off the walls.
Forget about it. It was hard to slow me down.”
Wahlberg also shared his gratitude for Moynahan’s support, revealing he sought her advice during the show’s development. She not only guest-stars but also directed an episode of the spinoff.
“She is one of the unsung heroes in this journey because when I was deciding to do the show, I called her and she was so sisterly in the conversation,” he remembered. “There was no ego and was just my friend and sister talking to me about it and challenging me.”
The actor also extended his appreciation to the police consultants who have provided invaluable guidance throughout his career, a wisdom he now shares with co-star Sonequa Martin-Green, who is playing a detective for the first time.
“Everyone’s going to think: ‘Oh, there’s a dinner season like ‘Blue Bloods.’ There’s faith, family and tradition,’ but there’s so much more that just will never really jump out of the screen,” Wahlberg concluded.
“We can never get it right, playing law enforcement on television. But, hopefully, we tried our best on ‘Blue Bloods’ and we’re going to try our best here.”