Blue Bloods

The new shows this fall have almost all been hugely disappointing, starting with the new "Law and Order: LA" which proves that the concept of the show is starting to get old, "The Event" is yet another bunch of twists and turns that will end in the middle of nowhere sooner or later and the hugely anticipated "Hawaii-Five-O" started out strong, but has now taken a turn for the worse, although it's still among the better new shows, which frankly isn't saying much.

"Blue Bloods", on the other hand, really stands out as a gritty and quite realistic police drama, made by the producers of the hugely successful and dearly missed "The Sopranos". Now, we get to see inside the daily lives of a family whose job is to solve crimes, instead of committing them, and thanks to an ensemble of gifted actors, it's quite interesting to see their interactions, both personally and professionally.

Frank Reagan is the chief of police in New York City, a man deeply respected by his family and the people he works with. His oldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is a homicide detective with a reputation for not doing things by the book, and in the first episode already he sticks someones head in a toilet to get the location of a missing girl out of him. While people admire as someone who gets the job done, he has alienated several people over the years through his views and methods, including his sister Erin (Bridget Moynahan). She is a district attorney, and since Danny often uses unorthodox and even illegal methods to arrest criminals, she has a hard time with convicting them, causing them to argue quite frequently. Jamie (Will Estes) is their youngest brother, and after finishing law school, suddenly decides to become a police officer, much to the dismay of his fiancé. Although still a rookie, he is approached by a secret society called the Blue Templars, who wish to hire him to investigate the death of his brother, who was a cop himself and was shot while investigating a case.

The show comes up with an interesting concept,showing us the interaction of these four family members while investigating crimes and how they often clash in their believes and principles. Donnie Wahlberg's character Danny is probably the most interesting one of the bunch, mainly because it's hinted at that he was in Iraq, and that his tendency to loose patience with the people he arrests is rooted in something he experienced there. It's good to have Tom Selleck back on TV, who is a better actor now than ever, and since I already liked him in the Jesse Stones movies, it's great that I get to see him every week now.

You can watch Blue Bloods every Friday at 10 on CBS, and since it's one of the most successful shows that have ever aired in the time slot, it looks like it stands a very high chance of surviving for more than a season, which will be an achievement not shared by too many of the new shows, I'm sure.

My sister and I watch and discuss this series every Friday. We absolutely love the family dinners. So incredibly nice to see a family that all love and respect each other. Although challenges to their faith are often brought up - usually from questioning by the two sons. They make it clear that keeping faith takes work.

I am not Catholic -- but I still very much appreciate their efforts. (Although I admit their attempts to depict other religions positively - is a hard go for them!)

I'm looking forward to what script changes may be made - with the appointment of Bratton, our new police commissioner.

(St. Vincent's Hospital is still open in this drama - ah, if only it were so.)

Imho, it's a toss up between Tom and Donnie for the best character. But if you enjoy Tom as a soft spoken "top cop" you need to find, and watch, the "Jesse Stone" series. All 9 of them:

Jesse Stone: Stone Cold (2005) Jesse Stone: Night Passage (2006)

• a prequel to Stone Cold

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006) Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007) Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009) Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010) Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011) Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012) Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015)

Tom Selleck plays the Chief of Police in a sleepy coastal town called Paradise, Massachusetts.

But they have crime. Murder, Drugs, Domestic violence... you name it - they got it.

All the while, the Chief, who insists that people call him just "Jesse," deals with it, and a new divorce from the woman hw still loves, and a severe drinking problem all at the sam time.

It's not a bad show at all but the reviews I'm reading here make this to be the greatest TV of all time and it's not remotely.

It's an NYPD Blue for today with characters not as interesting as that show. The characters, all played by capable actors, are the same characters that every police procedural show has. There is nothing original about anything here. The episodes even start out exactly like NYPD blue did, various quick shots of New York - then the story starts.

Selleck is always good but the "voice of reason" character gets a little grating after a while. Donnie Walberg is a good actor but the "plays by his own rules" cop is beyond a cliche.

My problem with the show outside the basic, standard police procedural show which is all this is, is the bad exposition in every episode. They treat the audience like they're stupid. By "bad exposition" I mean where two characters are explaining something that they clearly already know and would never utter outloud like they do but are doing it for the benefit of the audience watching. "You were my partner for three years a few years back, can you watch my back?" Or "must be hard knowing your brother was killed in the line of duty" (girlfriend says to her boyfriend graduating the police academy in front of his family - something no one would actually say like that in that situation in a million years). This stuff happens every episode.

And then the grandfather - yeah, completely pointless character to reminiscent of Frasier. Adds nothing to the show. I keep trying to work out the ages every time he's on screen - I would assume Seleck is playing 65, the father has to be 85 but looks 75. I would guess the oldest son who passed was 45.

Every episode has them having dinner together and sometimes the dialog can get cringy or boring.

Overall, it's a show I don't mind watching while I'm on the treadmill - don't think I'd watch it on regular TV. But it's been on for 14 years so clearly it is doing well.

I've always been a Tom Selleck fan, from his earliest TV performances. He brings class, sophistication and integrity to his performances. The rest of the cast for Blue Bloods meshes well with the high standards set here. It is refreshing to see characters who are not afraid to admit they make mistakes, who often question what is done and why. It is also very refreshing to see an ensemble with a strong sense of faith and goodness.

Please continue the practice of saying a blessing before meals - this helps to set the tone of the characters and helps viewers to understand the strength that a strong Irish Catholic family has - all of the members of the Reagan family are strong and they have the courage and faith to stand up for what is right. This comes from their traditions and their beliefs.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best dramas on television today and I would not be embarrassed to have my grandchildren watch it with me. Can't say that for most of the programming on prime time these days.