The Blue Bloods Character That Almost Got A Spin-Off Series

After years of insisting that "Blue Bloods" will never see a spin-off, it looks like CBS is having second thoughts about letting the Reagans rest in peace. Per an interview with CBS Studios head David Stapf published by Deadline, at least one attempt to spin off a major character from the series has already been considered — although it appears that this idea is dead in the water.

Deadline revealed that the network already delved into talks in the hope of spinning off Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) into his own series. But Deadline notes that the concept won't be going forward and the show has not made it to the scripting stage. That knocks Danny out of contention as the franchise's future standard bearer — at least at this point in time.

What sort of show could continue the franchise's legacy in the future? Stapf wouldn't say, preferring to focus on the show's present. "We don't have anything that's going to be in development soon but it's a brand, a title and a show that is beloved. We've got to get it right so we're taking our time. We have a whole season to go where we intend to celebrate it all season long as to how good that show is, so there's still time for us to figure that out." He is referring to the fact that there are eight more episodes of the final season of "Blue Bloods" which have yet to hit the airwaves. The drama will end sometime this winter, but until then, we do know something about how the beginning of the end will arrive.

It looks like there won't be too many major changes happening in the Reagans' world when the series comes to an end. "Blue Bloods" showrunner Kevin Wade has already confirmed that Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) won't retire. Wade added that there won't be any major upheavals as the show finally winds down, and that viwers can expect the show's usual combination of hard-nosed procedural work to collide with family coziness, as is the typical Reagan way.

But pictures posted on Donnie Wahlberg's Instagram from the last few weeks of the filming showed many cast members wearing solemn, formal black clothing and dress blues. Could that mean something serious — even fatal — has befallen one of the family? Or does all of this formality indicate something joyous, like a major career advancement, a personal achievement, or something even grander than that? Time will tell once the finale of "Blue Bloods" rolls around.