Blue Bloods

The cast is first rate and the best thing about the show so far. Tom Selleck is maturing so well you almost forget about the youthful, carefree version of the actor. Today he carries a world weary, solid presence that makes him totally believable as Frank Reagan, the top cop of New York. The interactions between the younger Reagans are spot on and believable. Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan in particular are interesting and move the stories along. The rest of the cast is fine with only Len Cariou's role giving a slightly false note, not because of the excellent veteran actor, but because someone thought it would be cool to give him a limp and a cane... hmmmm, a retired older Irish cop with a bum leg and a cane, sounds slightly familiar -- I keep expecting Daphne to appear saying it's time for his therapy.

So far the stories have been solid one offs letting us get to know the lay of the land and the main characters personalities. The show is set in New York and the city is taking an important role. Thank goodness the producers didn't go with the Toronto as stand in for major US city route. I love Toronto, but it always messes with my suspension of disbelief when a car cruises pass a major landmark like the Empire State Building and ends up on Yonge street.

We've been given heavy handed hints of the season's over arching story line -- the youngest Reagan is asked to infiltrate an inner circle of dirty cops called the Blue Templars. I've got a bad feeling about this one. Every time the story goes there it's just lame and brings reality crashing down with a discordant cacophony which jar this viewer out of the story line and makes him cringe.

All and all, however, the series looks very good and if they build on the strengths of the great cast and compelling characters they should have a fine run (once they get the Blue Templars out of the way).

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'll be honest at the outset and say I've given this show a very solid 8 out of ten. Now I'm not sure if you're thinking that that doesn't jive with the heading on this review, if you are please remember two things 1)If I could give half points I would have given 8 and a half and 2)I'm very hard to please when it comes to movies and TV.

First I'll start with Donnie (oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh! {nkotb reference}). I absolutely loved him in Boomtown and was very disappointed when it got cancelled because the show as a whole was brilliant and original and I tuned in every week without fail (RIP Boomtown). Wahlberg does not disappoint in this show either as the thoroughly committed to doing the right thing detective, brilliant and first class as usual.

Selleck as the (nearly) patriarch of the family and the definite patriarch of the police department cannot put a foot wrong for my money either.

Someone mentioned it already, but the whole debating of decisions over the Sunday roast is a brilliant show device with which the audience is exposed not only to the logic employed by the cops but also to the points that can be made by the devils advocate. Thoughly entertaining, and not visited nearly enough in other shows.

One of the strongest selling points of this show is the lack of formulaic clap trap that you find on other shows (granted there is some form to the show as in a crime has to happen in order to be investigated) and the originality in which the show goes about bringing its stories to the audience.

Last but not least is the emotions and feelings in the show. It's much more effective than most cop shows I've watched at tugging at the heart strings and it really is worth watching for all the above reasons.

I hope you enjoy this show!

Blue Bloods is currently my favorite TV program. The casting is great, story lines are very interesting, but what I really enjoy is every episode presents a dilemma where both sides are presented and mulled over.

Direction makes a movie or TV show. It can make or break a story line and Blue Bloods continues to please. It astounds me that a series of rotating directors are tied to these episodes, including actors such as Donnie Wahlberg, with rarely a low point in the episode list.

I do so much appreciate a movie or TV show where the good guys are really good guys and they win as often as possible.

The Sunday dinners are a high point of the show.

It would please me if this series goes on for 15 seasons. I would be truly bummed if this series was cut short. I'm sure there are enough story lines in New York City to keep this show alive and interesting for a very long time.

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.