Boston Blue might have the city’s name in the title, but sadly, it is not 100% filmed there. Instead, the Blue Bloods spinoff splits its time between Toronto and Boston. However, Donnie Wahlberg, who leads Boston Blue and is an icon of the city, didn’t want it to be that way. In fact, he was willing to give up part of his paycheck to film the series exclusively in Beantown. However…CBS said no.
As we inch toward the Season 1 finale of Boston Blue on the 2026 TV schedule, Donnie Wahlberg went on Radio Andy to discuss returning as Danny Reagan for the new series. They specifically chatted about shooting in Boston (which is Wahlberg’s hometown), and the fight the actor has put up to try and film more of the show in the city it's named after. To that point, Wahlberg said:
Yeah, and they were like, ‘But we can't afford to shoot it in Boston. We're gonna shoot it in Toronto,’ and I was like, ‘No. No,’ so I said, ‘Listen, I'll give back 50% of my paycheck if we can go to Boston.’...I did, and they said, ‘You can give back a hundred percent, and so can the rest of the cast. We cannot film this show in Boston, but we'll do a couple.’ It's so expensive.
Now, they have filmed various scenes in Boston and at iconic locations in the city (like Fenway Park). However, the majority of the series is shot in Toronto. While that was disappointing to Wahlberg, especially since he was stoked about the idea of Danny going to Boston instead of a place like Texas, he also got it.
Article continues belowThat’s because, along with it being expensive to shoot Boston Blue in Massachusetts, it’s also a hassle, as Wahlberg explained:
We shoot in Toronto, but honestly Andy, we couldn't film it in Boston full-time because it's nonstop. It's literally the duck boats are going by and the duck boat tour guides have on these headsets with speakers and it's literally in the background of a scene. You hear, ‘Oh my god, there's Donnie Wahlberg right over there on the corner. I grew up near Donnie.’
The Bostonian went on to say that when this happens, the cameras come out, and he’s “gotta run over to the duck boat and pose for pictures.” He also joked that if they film in Boston, his entire extended family will try to come see him.
So, it’s hard to be productive there, and it’s pricey. So, I can see why CBS said no. It also seems like Wahlberg gets it, as he explained:
We wouldn't get any work done. Literally. The dailies is just, you're literally hearing cars honking as I'm doing my dialogue. ‘Donnie, how's your father?’ ‘He's in heaven.’
Thankfully, it’s not like Boston Blue totally abandoned the idea of filming in Boston. It might not be full-time, like the Danny actor wanted, but they do get to work in the city from time to time. Then, for the rest of the time, they film in Canada, which also has its benefits (like quieter sets and locations).
All around, they got it figured out, and no one had to give up half their paycheck. Now they’ll get to hone in on this process and filming between the two cities more, because Boston Blue has been renewed for Season 2. However, we have to finish Season 1 first, and you can catch those episodes (which hopefully include some moments that were filmed in Boston) on CBS every Friday at 10 p.m. or with a Paramount+ subscription the next day.
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