One of Tom Selleck’s speeches as Commissioner Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods shouldn’t have been hard to memorize and recite, considering that years before, he used the same dialogue as General Dwight Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day. Blue Bloods, a police procedural crime drama, aired for 14 seasons on CBS between September 2010 and December 2024. Focusing on the Reagan family and their massive involvement within the New York Police Department (NYPD), Tom Selleck led the critically acclaimed series from day one as Commissioner Reagan, the patriarch of the family and a tough nut to crack, personally and professionally. Blue Bloods was created by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, famous for their work on HBO’s The Sopranos.

Before he was cast as Commissioner Reagan, Selleck was already a highly sought-after actor with dozens of prolific credits on his acting resume. In the entertainment industry since 1965, Selleck’s most prominent roles include Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988), Peter Mitchell in Three Men and a Baby (1997), and Jesse Stone in the Jesse Stone film franchise (2005-2015). One year before Selleck made his Jesse Stone debut, he starred as General Eisenhower; Ike: Countdown to D-Day was a made-for-television film that didn’t just show off Selleck’s acting chops, but had lines of dialogue reused over a decade later.

Tom Selleck Held Major Influence On Blue Bloods

An Episode of Blue Bloods isn’t Complete without a Family Dinner

There would be no Blue Bloods without Selleck’s involvement (or, if it existed, it would be a completely different show). As one of the main characters and an executive producer, Selleck had significant influence over Blue Bloods in front of the camera, and behind the scenes. As an executive producer, Selleck had the power to collaborate on how the police procedural crime drama should proceed through the seasons, which new characters to introduce or which characters could become the show’s next victim, and which actors were the best to cast from their auditions. Detective Abigail Baker (Abigail Hawk), for instance, was originally named Melissa. Selleck suggested the character’s name change and helped deliver her backstory.

Selleck’s largest influence on Blue Bloods was the recurring family dinners that were featured in almost every episode throughout the series’ 14 seasons. Hosted every Sunday at Commissioner Frank’s house (with a couple of meals taking place at other residences), each family dinner is lively, full of conversation, and an excellent way to showcase the Reagans more traditionally. After the first dinner was filmed for season 1, Selleck advocated for the family dinners to become a Blue Bloods staple; Selleck believed the scenes would bring the Reagan family closer together and let the audience take a break from the tough and sometimes violent police work that the show focused on. The idea ultimately paid off and became a fan favorite.

Tom Selleck Shined In Ike: Countdown to D-Day

General Eisenhower Led the Allied Invasion of Normandy

General Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower, who later served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, was a major player in World War II. Appointed the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Eisenhower oversaw two of the most influential operations during the war for the Allies: Operation Torch (1942-1943) and the invasion of Normandy, now commonly referred to as D-Day (1944). Ike: Countdown to D-Day, directed by Robert Harmon and written by Lionel Chetwynd, examines the 90 days leading up to the invasion of Normandy from Eisenhower’s perspective.