Donnie Wahlberg Reveals His Favorite Blue Bloods Episode—and Why It Still Stands Out

After appearing in nearly 300 episodes of Blue Bloods over the show’s remarkable 14-season run, Donnie Wahlberg says one episode continues to stand above the rest.

The actor, who portrayed Detective Danny Reagan throughout the CBS drama, recently shared that the series premiere remains his personal favorite. Speaking on the Boston Blue YouTube channel, Wahlberg said the pilot still feels as powerful today as it did when it first aired.

“I still catch it on reruns every now and then, and it really holds up,” Wahlberg said. “Getting to work with Tom Selleck, Bridget Moynahan, and the rest of the cast for the first time was an incredible experience. We’ve had so many great episodes over the years, but I don’t think we’ve ever topped that first one.”

The premiere laid the foundation for everything that made Blue Bloods a fan favorite. It introduced viewers to the Reagan family, established the show’s central characters, and debuted the now-iconic Sunday family dinner scenes that became a signature part of the series.

Blue Bloods Almost Never Happened

Despite becoming one of CBS’s most successful dramas, Blue Bloods nearly failed to make it to television.

In a previous interview with Variety, Wahlberg recalled the uncertainty surrounding the show’s future before it was officially picked up by the network.

According to the actor, Blue Bloods was the last pilot CBS approved that year, and for a brief period, it appeared the project had been passed over entirely.

“I was told on Friday before the upfronts that it wasn’t going to make the schedule,” Wahlberg remembered. “Then by Sunday, I got a call while I was on a New Kids on the Block cruise with about 3,000 fans. They told me I needed to get to New York for the upfronts the very next day.”

The unexpected reversal proved to be a turning point. Blue Bloods went on to become one of CBS’s longest-running and most dependable dramas, building a loyal audience over 14 seasons before concluding in 2024.

Although the original series has ended, Wahlberg continues Danny Reagan’s story in Boston Blue, the new spin-off that expands the Blue Bloods universe while paying tribute to the legacy of the beloved Reagan family.