Hey there, TV fans! Big changes are coming to CBS’s Friday night lineup, and it’s time to grab your popcorn. After the final episode of the beloved series Blue Bloods airs, CBS has announced a new show taking over the 10 p.m. slot. Let’s break it down and see what this means for viewers like you and me.
What's Happening in the CBS Friday Night Lineup?
CBS is shaking things up, and the network has confirmed that starting the last week of January 2025, S.W.A.T. will step into the Friday, 10 p.m. time slot. This shift comes just after the Blue Bloods series finale, set to air on Friday, December 13, at 10 p.m. For those of us who’ve been loyal viewers, this change brings both excitement and a touch of nostalgia.
Tom Selleck Speaks Out on 'Blue Bloods'
Let’s hear it from the man himself, Tom Selleck, who plays the iconic Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods. In a recent interview with TV Insider, Tom opened up about the challenges of maintaining a strong viewership in the late-night time slot. He admitted to feeling frustrated but also proud of the show's success over the years.
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Tom said, "I’m kind of frustrated. During those last eight shows, I haven’t wanted to talk about an ending for Blue Bloods, but about it still being wildly successful. In a Top 100 Shows of 2023-2024 (in total viewers, we were No. 9 out of 100), if you discount the three football shows, we’re No. 6!"
He went on to express his disbelief at how the show consistently performed well despite being placed in a tough time slot. "I’m not going to turn into a bitter old guy saying, ‘Get off my lawn!’ I don’t believe in holding grudges, but if you were to say to the television network, ‘Here’s a show you can program in the worst time slot you got, and it is going to guarantee you winning Friday night for the next 15 years,’ it would be almost impossible to believe," Tom explained.
Why the Decision to End 'Blue Bloods'?
Tom also voiced his confusion and frustration about CBS's decision to end the show after 14 seasons, even with its favorable ratings. "My frustration is the show was always taken for granted because it performed from the get-go. So how do I feel? It’s going to take a long time to sort all of this out," he shared.
He added, "I remember after the weekend [of the final episode’s shoot], I said, ‘I’ve got to get to bed early tonight because I have to do my dialogue for Monday.’ Well, there was no Monday. It’s just going to take a while.” This heartfelt statement from Tom reminds us of the emotional journey the cast and crew went through during the show's run.
Len Cariou Reflects on 'Blue Bloods'
Another key voice from the show is Len Cariou, who plays Frank’s dad, Henry Reagan. Len, now 85, reminisced about the show's journey and how it managed to thrive in the Friday time slot.
He recalled, “I think when they launched us there Friday nights, think about 14, 15 years ago — we weren’t really thrilled with Friday night at 10. Friday has not been—was at least at that point not really a very popular time, the first show on the weekends, and we thought, well, it’s not a very good time slot.”
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Len credited Tom’s popularity from his earlier CBS hit, Magnum, P.I., for helping to draw in a large audience. “But because of Tom, and I think he has such a great following on CBS, that once they saw the show, they said, ‘No, it doesn’t matter. It’s really good. So they’ll make it work on Fridays,’” Len said. “And they thought about moving us to another night way back then, and we said, I think Mr. Goldberg said, ‘No, we’ll own Friday nights.’ And sure enough, we did.”
