TOM SELLECK FOR PRESIDENT!!
Posted on 04/05/2014 11:23:38 AM PDT by JoeProBono
The television season’s best surprise is easily Blue Bloods starring Tom Selleck as the New York City Police Commissioner, and the head of a multi-generational family of cops. What looked in trailers to be a clunky cop drama is both a surprisingly original take on the genre and a provocative look at some hot-button issues.
But looking at the lineage of Blue Bloods would have given us a clue. Producers Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green have a lot of Sopranos episodes under their belts, (another family drama in a crime context) and Tom Selleck—other than a brief stint on Vegas—has been pretty choosy about his projects of late.
In a mere 7 episodes, Blue Bloods has taken on enhanced interrogation, profiling, vigilantism, and restrictions on the kinds of force a cop can use to protect his life. And while both sides of the issue are presented fairly, this is a show from a cop point of view, starring one of Hollywood’s most prominent conservatives.
And it’s just cool that perhaps the number one 80s television icon makes his big return in a show as a character named Reagan.Selleck nicely underplays Commissioner Frank Reagan as a dignified fatherly type, though we get hints that he was a singularly tough cop. Donnie Wahlberg (in yet another classy cop role) is his oldest son, Danny, a senior detective and Iraq War veteran, while daughter Erin (Bridget Monyhan) is an assistant D.A., and youngest son Jamie (Will Estes) is a rookie cop, though an Ivy League law school grad.
Veteran actor Len Cariou rounds out the cast as Frank’s father, a former police commissioner himself, whose fall from grace has so far only been hinted at.
The show does a nice job of bringing the family together and showing how the job effects every aspect of every family members life—both the rewards and the stresses—usually around Frank’s Sunday dinner table. The relationships there are convincing enough to turn what might have been a clunky cliché—the family of Irish Catholic cops—into a really effective (and affecting) part of the show.
Blue Bloods takes the opportunity of having the Reagans at every level of law enforcement to explore issues; and so far without seeming too forced—though it does seem like a Reagan is in the thick of every controversial case in New York City. If the show wants to run for years, that is something that will have to be opened up to guest stars.
But up to now, the device has worked beautifully. In the pilot episode, (which owed a lot to Dirty Harry) Danny waterboards a murderous pedophile in a toilet to force the location of the creep’s diabetic victim before time runs out. Then Danny, of course, lands in hot water.
A few weeks later, the Counter-Terrorism Task Force, which has been surveilling a Muslim radical message board raids the apartment after the bomber has already left. Both the necessity and the limits of profiling were examined in a gripping episode with a nice twist.
Blue Bloods can’t live forever on issue-oriented shows, (and I really hope it doesn’t become dominated by the conspiratorial back story it introduced in the pilot) but it has shown it can handle a standard crime plot, a good sign. And with its engaging cast and the smart people running things, I’d say this has the potential to be classic television.
And it’s just plain great to have Tom Selleck back in a worthy project on a weekly basis.
TiVO. . . works for me.
But their table manners need work.
TOM SELLECK FOR PRESIDENT!!
I’m with you - I am going through Jesse Stone withdrawals.
Seriously, was wondering.
And another question; experience. How would we handle experience when those that get good at investigations and other such things, but move on. . how would that be handled.
And last question, where are all the police going to come from? Serious question—we have so many people that don't want the job and see no value in doing the job. We also have many people that would simply not be good at it in any form.
Banning multi-generational families? You mean banning a son from becoming a cop because his father was one? What did the son ever do? If we ban family members from being cops then aren't we unfair to the son if the father is a cop? I mean, you are now placing the government in a position to dictate what you can and can not do for a living. . .merely based on family/blood-line. That would violate the 14th Amendment would it not? How would you handle the freedom issue? We as conservatives believe all men should be free to choose their own life path and by having the government dictate your career is taking away that freedom, individual freedom that we cherish deeply.
So, we are faced with a conundrum, force a high turnover and lack qualified applicants or we do the opposite and violate our rights and freedoms and conscript.
If someone wants to be an EMT and after a few years becomes hardened and aloof, what then?. . .as most become emotionless and hardened and don't really care about the suffering. . .would we require the same employment limitations? Doctors, too. Nurses? Heck, even tax authorities.
And what about ALL government employment positions? As you and I know, some of the most arrogant and aloof and abusive are public employees in any bureaucratic job (DMV, for example, Social Security, Post Office, Public Works Dept, etc. . .).
Perhaps we should adopt your policy for all public policy or public employment positions.
Serious questions not trying to start an argument, just curious as your suggestions brings up many questions.
Was excellent in Band of Brothers.
You’re right! I knew he looked familiar. The episode where he’s keeping the squad/platoon together because the Lt. is an idiot is my favorite.
Yup, there are a lot of loose ends to tie up.
I am referring only to multi-generation POLICE familIes=
It would also put 865,000 ex-leo`s out there in the general public with CCW`s every 5 year;
in 10 years 1.7 million new ccw`s in 20 years 4 million ccws.
“Police departments across the country are reporting increased rates of staff turnover. Many agencies are spending enormous amounts of resources on recruiting, selecting, and training new employees. At the same time, they are unable to make progress because they are losing experienced officers to other employers.”
Even though the problem of turnover is approaching critical levels for many law enforcement agencies, the issue has not received as much publicity as it has in other professions. For example, the turnover rate averages about 12 percent for nurses and 13 percent for teachers.1 A recent study completed by the state of North Carolina revealed that police agencies across the state experienced an average turnover of 14 percent in patrol positions. The average tenure for a new officer is 33 months.”
“According to the National Institute of Ethics, the average officer who was involved in improper behavior that resulted in their removal from duty had 7.3 years of service.4 If this projection is accurate, police executives can expect to continue seeing a relatively high number of officers being involved in misconduct for several more years.”
“In 1843 the NTY State legislature passed the New York Municipal Police Act....each ward nominated its candidates for police officers”, p638
“Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898’
By Edwin G. Burrows, Mike Wallace, 1998
“In May 1844, the NY State legislature passed the New York City Police Act, which ALLOWED the city to create a police force.”
“Policemen were apppointed by their local aldermen, comparable to today`s councilmen, FOR ONE_YEAR TERMS< MAKING THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONAL.”
‘New York City Police”
By Joshua Ruff, Michael Cronin, 2012
Let me get this straight- the original tenure of a NY CITY cop was ONE YEAR on CONDITIONS> WOW!!
MY MY HOW WE HAVE CHANGED!!
The average tenure of a cop in NC is 33 months = hmmm = 6 years 3 months for cops?. ?
For bad cops is 7.3= ave= 6.15 years wow and I only want 5 years !! well golly!!!
BTW nepotism is illegal civil service for a chief to appoint his family members to his own force.
“CBS hated “Touched by an Angel.””
I don’t think so.
“Touched by an Angel” premiered in 1994. Les Moonves has been running CBS since 1995, and I assure you, Les looooooooooooooved TBAA. Because Les looooooooooooves ratings.
“Angels” ratings went into a free-fall during season seven. They were given two additional seasons to turn things around. They failed.
Critics, Emmy voters, and frustrated CBS assistants picking up phones (all of whom really did hate “TBAA”) can snark all they want, but they’ve got no power, and a network doesn’t “hate” any show that gets ratings. “Angel” got good ratings for six seasons. When it didn’t in seasons seven, eight, and nine, Moonves made a responsible business decision.
Why do you think CBS would have rolled the dice on another season if it had been a secular show, especially since hours don’t syndicate as well as half hours?
Really? How so?
Elbows on the table. Talking with food in the mouth.
I’m binge-watching this show now. Excellent television.
Tom Brady’s ex, the one he left for Bridgette.
You know, there’s these newfangled things they call DVR. I just watched that show this Sunday evening.
Well I called Comcast and inquired about it and they said sure for 17.50 more a month. I said, “Thanks but no thanks 203.90 a month is more then enough.” and hung up.
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