Why doesn’t Blue Bloods get considered for more awards shows?
This is not the easiest question in the world to answer, mostly because Blue Bloods is, at least to us, certainly a show deserving of awards recognition — that’s especially true for Donnie Wahlberg after his performance at the start of season 8. We’ve advocated for that but, alas, he hasn’t received much in the way of recognition from anyone else. The same goes for the rest of the cast.
So what gives here? There are a few simple reasons as to why things are, by and large, the way that they are.
1. Blue Bloods is a network show – Typically, series that air on network TV don’t carry with them, fairly or unfairly, the same sort of high-brow weight that the shows that air on cable do. Premium cable series tend to get more attention than any.
2. Blue Bloods is a show that is far into its run – While there are a few exceptions to the rule, typically shows that are more than three or four years into production have a little bit of a harder time garnering some significant awards-show praise.
3. Blue Bloods is a procedural – The format of the show makes it so that each episode is its own story. There is often very little carryover between one episode to the next and there’s not any of that story momentum that you get with some other shows. While Blue Bloods is one of the best shows out there as TV comfort food on a rainy day, these sort of series don’t get the same attention from voters as one with a continuous story that carries over from one episode to the next.
4. Blue Bloods has a tough timeslot – While there are a ton of viewers who check out the show every week on Friday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, there may not be a lot of Emmy voters that do. There are also not a lot of younger viewers, and they often drive most of the buzz and attention on social media.
It is somewhat of a cliché to say that the art itself is your greatest reward, but that may be the case with Blue Bloods. The biggest reason why this show shines in our mind is simply because of the quality it produces time and time again in performances and in story.
Do you wish that Blue Bloods was the recipient of more awards-show love? Be sure to share in the comments.
(Photo: CBS.)
Alex Ford
August 1, 2018 @ 4:53 am
Blue Bloods is the greatest show on TV of all time. It has depth and great acting most all of the time with rare exceptions. The show depicts a difficult job. It combines genre from the earliest of detective shows with later police shows that advanced and changed. This is extremely difficult to do for any writer or artist.. Despite closing nearly every episode with a conclusion there are occasional two-episodes shows. There is carryover of family and police history from the earliest of episodes all the way to the latest of episodes. The are multiple story lines with most of them strong in each episode. The issues taken up are contemporary in every way. Although some call the show an apologist show for police departments, the issues raised show almost every aspect of the social milieu and diverse opinion as possible in a show that ties up loose ends so quickly. The family scene takes the viewer back to original family values and I would suspect that some people or ‘communities’ hate the show for that. Yet sexual harassment, racism, police brutality and abuse are all covered along with problems that police officers have with one another and with their superiors, on the job. Terrorism and several facets of it are covered as are immigration issues and both sides of the issues are aired regardless of weather the viewer is happy with the depicted result. Court room drama which include witness intimidation and whether or not a prosecutor files a case based upon the availability of evidence as well as Constitutional issues is also accomplished. Perhaps having the family pray together at Sunday dinners rubs some people the wrong way but it is here that certain moral issues get aired in a particularly interesting manner. No one program can be all things to all people but Blue Bloods comes close. Yes, it has a cultural point of view, perhaps many, although the predominant point of view is generated by the fictional multi-generational family of Irish immigrants who were once themselves discriminated against over time in New York. It is one of the few regular television programs that I watch regularly and am both entertained and appreciative. I do write this as a retired 37 year veteran of being a Probation Deputy in California.