Blue Bloods

Channel: Ten
Day & time: Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.
Watch full episodes online HERE

Does television really need another crime show? You don’t have to flick through many channels to find a crime show on at any given primetime slot. Our TV sets are saturated in multiple spin offs of Law and Order, CSI and NCIS. Surely now any new show must be unashamedly bandwagon-jumping? Thus any new crime show needs to bring something new to the table – and Blue Bloods does just that.

Blue Bloods tells the story of the Reagan family; a family which has dedicated itself to law enforcement in New York City. The show features the return to the small screen of Tom Selleck as the wise and principled Police Commissioner Frank Reagan – who has followed in the footsteps of his father, Henry (Len Cariou).

Reagan’s oldest son, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg), is a volatile and street wise detective. Jamie, his youngest, is a bright but green newly sworn in officer who chooses the family tradition over utilise is Harvard law degree. Daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is not a cop, but doesn’t escape far from the family tradition. As an Assistant District Attorney who prosecutes many of the offenders Danny catches – she is often at odds with Danny’s disregard for the rules.

Blue Bloods offers something we haven’t seen before – it’s incredibly fresh when compared to its counterparts. Whereas shows such as Law and Order, CSI and NCIS use convoluted and intriguing crimes as their main drawing point, Blue Bloods moves firmly in the other direction. Crimes are solved, but the journey to their resolution is interspersed with the protagonist’s personal lives like no other crime drama.

Due to the common thread of family that connects the protagonists in Blue Bloods there is a unique scope to see the police force and its effects on the Reagans, at many different levels. The fresh, Ivy-League scholar, Jamie must come to terms with life on the beat; Erin has to work her way through legal minefields to ensure criminals are locked away; Danny must use his street smarts and cunning to chase down leads; and Frank must negotiate the political aspect of his position as Commissioner.

In the pilot we see the Reagans’ celebration of Jamie’s graduation from Police Academy cut short by the kidnapping of a young girl, which Danny must investigate. The clock is ticking as the girl is diabetic and must receive insulin within 24 hours. To find the girl in time though, Danny uses excessive force on a suspect to gain information – creating problems for his sister at the District Attorney’s Office – prompting a heated family discussion at Sunday dinner over the rights of criminals. Finally, new recruit Jamie has to deal with his girlfriend’s reservations about him joining the force. Things are further complicated for Jamie when he is approached by two Special Agents seeking his assistance in a corruption investigation and the revelation that his brother was killed by dirty cops.

As you can see, there’s a lot going on in this family. Thanks to superb writing though, it doesn’t feel like information overload. Furthermore, the tone throughout is gritty and stern – there are no throw away one-liners like those common to Horatio Caine of CSI: Miami, but rather the dialogue is thoughtful and intelligent.

Production values are extremely high, the first five minutes is particularly engrossing, showing Jamie’s graduation and the kidnapping of the young girl to the sound of “New York, New York”. Furthermore, Blue Bloods should be commended for shooting on location in New York City, bringing a greater sense of authenticity to the show.

As Blue Bloods is essentially a hybrid between a crime show and a family drama – the balance between the two is key. In the pilot, Danny’s investigation of the missing girl seems to be sped along by far too many conveniently placed clues – including an overseas phone call which narrows the kidnapper down to three suspects. However, as the purpose of the pilot is to establish the main issues for the season (and this family has many), it’s understandable that the crime solving side was watered down slightly.

Blue Bloods is an engrossing and entertaining addition to the line up of crime shows. Even those with an aversion to the crime genre won’t be able to take their eyes off this one.

Mat Kelly