That mitigating factor is, of course, the ongoing writer's strike that's brought a grinding halt to pretty much every major production in Hollywood. Brought forth partly due to writers seeking further compensation for certain film and television projects, that strike has already been raging for several months. As of this writing, studios and the Writer's Guild of America still appear to be far apart on an agreement to get the screenwriters back to work. And that means production on the new season of "Blue Bloods" is set to see a considerable delay.
There is a worst-case scenario there too, in that a lengthy enough delay may leave CBS no choice but to cut its losses and move on from the show altogether. Such outcomes were not uncommon during the last writer's strike in Hollywood, with several film and TV projects disappearing from production slates, and even well-established shows struggling to rebound from the extended break. Complicating matters even further is the fact that SAG-AFTRA (the actor's union) is already prepping its members to hit the picket lines themselves.
At the risk of sounding morbid, the age of series stalwarts like Tom Selleck and Len Cariou may soon begin to play a factor in production too because, well, nobody gets to act forever. So even if "Blue Bloods" has been renewed for a 14th season, there are clearly no guarantees that fans will be seeing it in 2023.
