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).

I watch many different police dramas from dark Scandanavian ones like The Bridge to British ones like Broadchurch, Line of Duty etc. I was not sure I would enjoy Blue Bloods as I do not watch many Amercian shows. However being an original Magum fan and Tom Shelleck was pinned on my wall I had to give a a go. I have been binge watching now for a few weeks to get caught up. Extremely happy that I did. I love the cast and the "family" is what sets it apart from the rest. You will not be disappointed.

The new shows this fall have almost all been hugely disappointing, starting with the new "Law and Order: LA" which proves that the concept of the show is starting to get old, "The Event" is yet another bunch of twists and turns that will end in the middle of nowhere sooner or later and the hugely anticipated "Hawaii-Five-O" started out strong, but has now taken a turn for the worse, although it's still among the better new shows, which frankly isn't saying much.

"Blue Bloods", on the other hand, really stands out as a gritty and quite realistic police drama, made by the producers of the hugely successful and dearly missed "The Sopranos". Now, we get to see inside the daily lives of a family whose job is to solve crimes, instead of committing them, and thanks to an ensemble of gifted actors, it's quite interesting to see their interactions, both personally and professionally.

Frank Reagan is the chief of police in New York City, a man deeply respected by his family and the people he works with. His oldest son Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is a homicide detective with a reputation for not doing things by the book, and in the first episode already he sticks someones head in a toilet to get the location of a missing girl out of him. While people admire as someone who gets the job done, he has alienated several people over the years through his views and methods, including his sister Erin (Bridget Moynahan). She is a district attorney, and since Danny often uses unorthodox and even illegal methods to arrest criminals, she has a hard time with convicting them, causing them to argue quite frequently. Jamie (Will Estes) is their youngest brother, and after finishing law school, suddenly decides to become a police officer, much to the dismay of his fiancé. Although still a rookie, he is approached by a secret society called the Blue Templars, who wish to hire him to investigate the death of his brother, who was a cop himself and was shot while investigating a case.

The show comes up with an interesting concept,showing us the interaction of these four family members while investigating crimes and how they often clash in their believes and principles. Donnie Wahlberg's character Danny is probably the most interesting one of the bunch, mainly because it's hinted at that he was in Iraq, and that his tendency to loose patience with the people he arrests is rooted in something he experienced there. It's good to have Tom Selleck back on TV, who is a better actor now than ever, and since I already liked him in the Jesse Stones movies, it's great that I get to see him every week now.

You can watch Blue Bloods every Friday at 10 on CBS, and since it's one of the most successful shows that have ever aired in the time slot, it looks like it stands a very high chance of surviving for more than a season, which will be an achievement not shared by too many of the new shows, I'm sure.

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.

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.)