Boston Blueis already failing to match one of Blue Bloods’ 14-year traditions before the series even airs. Blue Bloods was popular throughout its 14 seasons for several reasons.
Arguably, one of them was that New York City was as much a character as it was a setting. The series took place exclusively in New York and centered on the experiences of Blue Bloods’ Reagan family as cops who lived and worked in the city.
It was clear from the moment CBS announced its plans for the Blue Bloods spinoff that Boston Blue would be somewhat different from its parent show, as the series is set in Boston rather than New York. A new update suggests another change that represents a significant difference in how Boston Blue is produced.
Boston Blue Will Be Filming In Toronto Instead Of On Location
This Makes Key Scenes Slightly Less Authentic
One of the reasons that Blue Bloods was so expensive to produce is that it was filmed on the streets of New York City. This practice meant that the series had to pay expenses related to filming in the area, such as permits to film.
These costs were prohibitively high by the series’ end, which was one reason that Blue Bloods was on CBS’ cancelation list even though it was one of the network’s highest-rated shows. For that reason, it makes sense that Boston Blue is being filmed mainly in Toronto (via Productionlist).
While some scenes may be filmed in Boston, the majority will be produced in the Canadian city. This is far cheaper, which makes it more likely that CBS will greenlight further seasons of the procedural, assuming ratings are high enough.
That being said,Boston Blue might lose some of the authenticity that made Blue Bloods special because it is not being filmed primarily in the city where it takes place. This is especially true for Boston audiences, who may notice incorrect details about their city.
Blue Bloods Filmed In New York Throughout Its 14 Seasons On The Air
The Procedural Never Used Sound Stages Or Filmed Elsewhere
Impressively,Blue Bloods never deviated from its plan to film on location in New York City. This is likely because a secondary goal of the series was to show the NYPD in a fair and positive light, which would have been more difficult to do if the series was not filmed in New York.
In addition to filming in the city, Blue Bloods sometimes filmed on Long Island. This led to coverage in local newspapers because some Long Island sites became associated with the show.
Boston Blue will not be doing something similar in Beantown. While this decision is likely driven by budgetary concerns, it also changes the character of the show, again demonstrating that the new series will be different from its predecessor.
