#Why the later premiere date?

If you missed the news earlier today, Blue Bloods season 12 now has an official premiere date at CBS! With that being said, it’s happening a little later than expected.

With the exception of last year (obviously caused by the virus), every other premiere has aired within the calendar month of September. However, this time around we’re seeing the Tom Selleck series come on starting on Friday, October 1. Yes, you can argue that it’s just one day into a new month, but in the past, CBS would still work it so that the show launched on the final Friday of September. Something is different here.

What is it? It’s not due to any filming delays, as production in New York City is kicking off over the next couple of weeks. Instead, there’s something a little bit different going on, and it’s a byproduct of a few different things.

Take, for starters, a slightly different approach by CBS to their schedule. There’s more fluidity this year than usual, where the network pressured itself to get all of its shows on at the same time at the end of September. This time, they’re showing more patience and scaling it out. They recognize that on Fridays in particular, people tend to stay outside while the weather is warmer. Shows like Blue Bloods tend to generate their best ratings during the colder months. While there is no confirmed season 12 episode order as of yet, this could be them trying to load up on new episodes for later on as opposed to airing one in September to smaller numbers.

Another possibility is simply that a later premiere date gives the network more time to promote the show individually — it won’t get as lost in the shuffle! The trade-off is that because of the start date, you’ll have to wait until mid-September, most likely, to get an abundance of details on what’s next. If it helps get Blue Bloods more seasons and better numbers, we’re more than happy with the wait.

Related – Be sure to get some more news when it comes to Blue Bloods, including details on the premiere

Why do you think the Blue Bloods season 12 premiere date is a little later?

Be sure to let us know in the comments! (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.