The fans have spoken. Boston Blue and Sheriff Country are at the top of their “must-watch” lists, so CBS is renewing both freshmen for the 2026-27 season.
Since both series premiered on October 17, CBS has won every Friday night in terms of total viewers after seven days post-airing, per Nielsen. Boston Blue is averaging 8M viewers in live + seven-day, and the network says streaming alone has seen an 87% lift from last season. It’s been getting a nice lead-in from Sheriff Country, too, since that’s averaging 7.6M in L+7. That’s a 33% average audience increase in that time period vs. S.W.A.T last season.
In light of Boston Blue and Sheriff Country‘s standout ratings performance, the early renewals are not a surprise. Both offshoots of hit CBS dramas had received full-season pickups from the get-go, so the logical next step would be a Season 2 renewal versus a back episodic order. CBS similarly gave an early Season 2 renewal last fall to Matlock, which also had headed into its series premiere with a full-season 18-episode order.
“Two new shows on Friday night have become instant hits with audiences quickly embracing Boston Blue and Sheriff Country across broadcast and streaming,” shared Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment. “These early renewals reflect the power of character-driven storytelling, compelling narratives and the exceptional talent on both sides of the camera.”
From left: Sonequa Martin-Green, Donnie Wahlberg, Maggie Lawson, Ernie Hudson and Marcus Scribner in ‘Boston Blue’ John Medland/CBS
Boston Blue is an offshoot of the network’s long-running Blue Bloods, following franchise star Donnie Wahlberg’s character, Danny Reagan, who has left the NYPD for the Boston Police Department. On the 10 p.m. Friday night drama, Danny is partnered with Detective Lena Silver, played by Sonequa Martin-Green. The pairing offers viewers a look at a male and female professional partnership that evolves into a strong friendship, over the “will they, won’t they” situationship.
The series also brings Danny closer together on screen with his son Sean Reagan, a character that originated on Blue Bloods, portrayed by Mika Amonsen. Other stars from the mothership series that have appeared on the spinoff include Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan, Danny’s sister, and, in a recurring role, Marisa Ramirez as Maria Baez, Danny’s former partner and now girlfriend.
The main cast also includes Gloria Reuben as Mae Silver, Ernie Hudson as Reverend Edwin Peters, Maggie Lawson as Sarah Silver, and Marcus Scribner as Jonah Silver. The aforementioned are part of one family, who break bread and host conversations that transcend race, gender, age, and religious affiliation. They host their version of the “Sunday Night Dinner” element that was so popular on Blue Bloods, with the Silver brood now welcoming Danny, Sean, and Erin into the fold.
The CBS Studios-produced title is executive produced by Brandon Sonnier, Brandon Margolis, Donnie Wahlberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed for Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Sonnier and Margolis co-showrun the police procedural they developed based on Blue Bloods, created by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess.
From left: Christopher Gorham, Morena Baccarin, W. Earl Brown (rear) and Amanda Acuri in ‘Sheriff Country’ Christos Kalohoridis/CBS
Sheriff Country, a spinoff of the network’s red-hot firefighter drama Fire Country, stars Morena Baccarin as Mickey Fox, a sheriff in the small California town of Edgewater, as she investigates criminal activity while navigating complex family dynamics.
Outside of the writing and acting, among other elements, it’s the connections between the characters, both from Sheriff Country and those from Fire Country who pop in, that keep bringing people back on Fridays from 8-9 p.m. The drama includes a love square among Fox, her ex-husband, Travis Fraley (Christopher Gorham); Cassidy Campbell (Michele Weaver), a deputy who works closely with Fox and Travis’ new love interest; and Deputy Nathan Boone (Matt Lauria), Fox’s second-in-command, whose tension-filled relationship with his boss raises eyebrows about a possible romantic connection.
The series also stars W. Earl Brown as Mickey’s dad, who shares a rocky relationship stemming from past traumas.
Fire Country stars who have crossed over include franchise star and co-creator of both shows, Max Thieriot, who plays Bode Donovan, and Kevin Alejandro, who plays Manuel “Manny” Remy Perez on the mothership series. He also directed an episode of Sheriff Country this season.
In addition to Thieriot, the spinoff is co-created by Joan Rater and Tony Phelan. Matt Lopez serves as showrunner and executive produces alongside Thieriot, Phelan, Rater, and Jerry Bruckheimer and KristieAnne Reed for Jerry Bruckheimer Television. CBS Studios produces Sheriff Country.
Nellie Andreeva and Katie Campione contributed to this report.
