“Why ‘Blue Bloods’ Reigns Supreme Among Primetime Procedurals: The Obvious Reason Revealed”

There’s a reason why “Blue Bloods” has become such a Friday night staple for CBS. Years of following the Reagan family have resulted in a legion of fans who would cross the desert to find out if Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) will end up in a romantic relationship with his decades-long partner in the field, Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez).

To make an audience truly love your show, you have to excel in a way that makes you superior to your nearest competition.

So, what specific ingredient has turned “Blue Bloods” into such a roaring success? With programs like “9-1-1” and “Chicago P.D.” around, what makes it stand so tall over the TV landscape?

Frankly, the show’s success comes from the simple art of combining a memorable and unique family story with a police procedural that gives viewers a fresh angle on policing every week. It’s the perfect combination of comfort food and unpredictability — a nightly joy that’s delicious enough to earn a plate on those family dinners.

Blue Bloods gave Donnie Wahlberg credibility for Very Scary People

Donnie Wahlberg has played Danny Reagan on hundreds of episodes of “Blue Bloods,” and the good times are only going to keep coming. The show has been renewed for Season 14 (with a pay cut for the cast), but when he’s not busy putting on an NYPD uniform and running through the streets, he’s probably sitting in a booth narrating another haunting tale that’s all too real. Wahlberg is the host of “Very Scary People,” and he credits his time in that show to “Blue Bloods.”

He admitted to PEOPLE, “I think in some ways Blue Bloods prepared the audience for me to be the host of Very Scary People.” It makes sense; people had gotten used to letting Wahlberg into their homes for over a decade as Danny Reagan, so it wasn’t a stretch for him to discuss the macabre on a podcast. He went on to say, “Because of the role I play on Blue Bloods, it lent a sort of credibility, I think, to me being the host of this show.”

And while fans wait for “Blue Bloods” Season 14 to get off the ground, at least they have plenty of episodes of “Very Scary People” to keep them entertained in the interim.

Donnie Wahlberg has played Danny Reagan on hundreds of episodes of “Blue Bloods,” and the good times are only going to keep coming. The show has been renewed for Season 14 (with a pay cut for the cast), but when he’s not busy putting on an NYPD uniform and running through the streets, he’s probably sitting in a booth narrating another haunting tale that’s all too real. Wahlberg is the host of “Very Scary People,” and he credits his time in that show to “Blue Bloods.”

He admitted to PEOPLE, “I think in some ways Blue Bloods prepared the audience for me to be the host of Very Scary People.” It makes sense; people had gotten used to letting Wahlberg into their homes for over a decade as Danny Reagan, so it wasn’t a stretch for him to discuss the macabre on a podcast. He went on to say, “Because of the role I play on Blue Bloods, it lent a sort of credibility, I think, to me being the host of this show.”

And while fans wait for “Blue Bloods” Season 14 to get off the ground, at least they have plenty of episodes of “Very Scary People” to keep them entertained in the interim.