Donnie Wahlberg was so dedicated to ensuring that Boston Blue was as genuine as possible that he was prepared to forfeit half of his salary. Boston Blue is a spin-off of Blue Bloods. The series centers on Danny, who moves to the Boston Police Department from New York to mend his relationship with his son, Sean (Mika Amonsen).
He partners with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green) and gets entangled with a family in Boston. Additionally, the show features several characters from Blue Bloods, including Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan), Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez), and Henry Reagan (Len Cariou).
As the spinoff of Blue Bloods prepares for it’s second season, the actor playing the lead role of Danny Reagan is set to head back to Canada to resume filming. Wahlberg shared on Radio Andy that the production of Boston Blue occurs in both Toronto and Boston, despite the fact that the storyline is exclusively set in Boston.
He elaborated on his first impressions regarding the project and it’s chosen filming site. Wahlberg mentioned that he had envisioned shooting in a warmer place such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or Texas. Yet, when a suggestion arose to base the show in Boston, he felt “hooked” and ultimately chose to embrace the project.
According to Donnie Wahlberg, “When I received the job offer, I thought to myself, This is a dream come true. I envisioned doing a spinoff in Los Angeles, Vegas, or Texas—somewhere warm. But then they suggested, What about Boston? I was taken aback. They had me intrigued. So I said, Okay, let’s make it happen in Boston.”
Wahlberg mentioned that although he advocated strongly for shooting in Boston, financial constraints rendered it impractical. He even proposed sacrificing half of his salary to facilitate the project, but was informed that the expenses were simply too steep.
Even if the whole cast agreed to lower their pay, it would still have been excessively costly. Consequently, the majority of the production is now set in Toronto, which acts as the main filming site for Boston Blue.
As per Donnie Wahlberg, “They said, ‘We can’t afford to film in Boston, so we’re going to shoot in Toronto.’ I responded, ‘No, that’s not acceptable.’ I proposed, ‘I’ll return 50% of my salary if we can film in Boston.’ I followed through on that. However, they replied, ‘You could return 100%, and so could the rest of the cast, but we simply cannot film this show in Boston.’ The costs are just too high. Generally, we end up filming in Toronto.”
Wahlberg, a Boston native, acknowledged that shooting in his hometown might be challenging. He elaborated on the city’s heavy tourist traffic and the multitude of activities that could be quite disruptive.
He particularly noted the famous duck boats of Boston passing by, along with the need to pose for photos with fans in front of them, or the onlookers who simply gawked at him for being present. Additionally, the fact that his family still resides there adds to the complexity, as they naturally wish to spend time with him.
As of the publication of this article, a specific release date for Boston Blue Season 2 has not yet been announced. Nevertheless, fans can look forward to it’s return in the 2026–2027 broadcast season.