Heather Wines/CBS
Blue Bloods star Tom Selleck has a confession to make: After filming 99 episodes of CBS’s highly-rated drama, he still didn’t know whether he could call the show a hit.
“Each week we’d see the numbers and hear the positive feedback and reactions from viewers, but I didn’t want to jinx it,” Selleck tells PEOPLE. “But now, at 100 episodes, I can say that, yeah, we’re a hit.”
“I remember shows like Cheers and Seinfeld reaching this milestone, so it’s a big deal,” says co-star Will Estes. “Plus, I heard they’re bringing us a cake — it’s a win-win!”
Heather Wines/CBS
So, what’s the secret to the series’ success? According to the cast, it all comes down to family.
“The Reagan family has a lot of love for each other, and you can see that during the family dinner scenes,” says Donnie Wahlberg. “It’s the main reason I did Blue Bloods in the first place. When I read the pilot script and heard how that dinner scene would be in every episode, I knew I had to be a part of it. I knew that would be the heart of the show.”
Agrees Estes: “Dinner scenes take a long time to film because everyone is at the table. Believe me, you don’t want to look at another green bean or lettuce leaf when you’re done, but they’re the most fun to film. All 100 of them have been a real blast.”
Adds Wahlberg: “And I can’t wait to get started on the next hundred!”
Watch the 100th episode of Blue Bloods on Friday, Jan. 9th at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
