Sometimes, the best thing a show can do is deliver exactly what the viewers want — nothing more, nothing less. And that’s just what CBS does with Boston Blue. .... Lena and Danny quickly settle into a comfortable rhythm — as does the show.

Ultimately, it's a solid debut for Boston Blue. Despite the immense pressure, and frankly, skepticism, it's a good way to start a new show that is part of a known franchise — by balancing nostalgia and fresh content. At the very least, it's worth tuning again to next week.

This spin-off feels of a piece with “Blue Bloods” – police cases mixed with decent family relationship drama — so it should have similar appeal.

A thoughtful and well-paced police procedural, “Boston Blue” expands the “Blue Bloods” universe into a new city, without losing the essence of the original.

Work in progress, but at least the progress seems to be in the right direction.

The first episode of Boston Blue twists itself into storytelling knots to get Donnie Wahlberg’s Blue Bloods character working with the Boston PD, and the way the Silver family is constructed feels equally as contrived. That being said, it might still be a hit among viewers who miss Blue Bloods.

If you miss it, it’s OK, because the writing is such that the storyline gets reintroduced after every commercial break.