Blue Bloods

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.)