The streets are filled with Duck Boats, the monuments look ancient, and all the extras are wearing Boston Red Sox jerseys. But is the “Blue Bloods” spin-off “Boston Blue” actually being shot in its titular Massachusetts hometown? It looks like the show has chosen to split the difference between New England beauty and Canadian thriftiness: while some of the exterior scenes for “Boston Blue” were actually filmed in Beantown, the majority of the show will be shot on a soundstage in Toronto, Canada. This is a cost-cutting measure intended to keep the series afloat and profitable.

Fans can rest assured that they will get to see plenty of local color in the newbie police drama — the program filmed moments at such Boston landmarks as Fenway Park, Granary Burying Ground, and various other spots in Downtown Boston. Still, fans of Donnie Wahlberg, who plays Danny Reagan on the show, have cried foul about the decision, noting that Boston is a great filming location and ought to be used to its fullest extent. In turn, Wahlberg hasn’t hesitated to explain why CBS chose to split the difference between countries. 

While calling into “Billy and Lisa in the Morning,” Donnie Wahlberg explained the network’s choice to keep “Boston Blue” in New England only part of the time while letting audiences know that the show will remain Boston Proud. “I think we’ll be filming in Boston a lot,” he said, while reassuring listeners that it wasn’t his personal choice to film in Toronto and adding that he loves his hometown. So why not keep the whole production in Massachusetts? 

“The industry has really been beat up from COVID and the strike,” Wahlberg said. “CBS, for example, used to make, like, 20 shows a year. They’re making two this year — new shows — and I’m on one of them. It’s really dire straits financially in the industry, so I’m really fortunate to be making a show.” He added that he did fight for every inch of the series to be filmed in one place. “When I initially was offered the job, I said, ‘We got to go to Boston.’ They said, ‘We can’t afford it,'” he revealed. A valiant fight, but it looks like Danny Reagan will have to keep his dual citizenship active for the time being.