Maker Hints at a Possible Return for the Crime Drama Bones

Creator Hart Hanson revealed that fan-favorite crime drama Bones may not see the light of revival anytime soon.

The series, which starred Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as a forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent, was loosely inspired by the real-life work of author Kathy Reichs.

Hanson spoke to Variety at a recent show reunion for a WGA picket demonstration, where he revealed that the cast and crew are still in touch, but the revival prospects are uncertain.

He cited the unclear rights situation after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and that they can’t find a compelling story to stitch the characters together. Here are his comments:

We are in contact with each other. Everybody on ‘Bones’ is in contact with each other. At separate times, it’s like, ‘What are you doing? What’s the availability?’ It’s complicated now because Fox broadcast ‘Bones,’ but Disney now bought 20th, so they own [the show]. It would take a million agents and lawyers to figure out who owns what and what platform it would show on. But we do keep talking. And every once in a while, we are all nostalgic enough to think, ‘Maybe we should do it again.’ Who knows? Maybe this will bump-start us. I could see it. I could see it. Of course, it all depends on David and Emily. Without both of them, no. We have heard that they would not be game, which is a step. The actors are going to say the truth, which is it depends on what it is, the scripts, what it looks like, if it feels right. They’re not going to do something just because it’s us.

Hart Hanson Hints at a Possible Return for the Beloved Crime Drama Bones — David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel in Bones (2005) | Source: IMDb

As the demand for popular IP grows, networks and studios are increasingly looking for ways to reboot and revive their successful series. From comedy shows like Will & Grace to sci-fi thrillers like The X-Files, fans are being treated to reboots and reprises for almost every successful creative.

However, some shows have a much longer hiatus between the original and the revival, sometimes lasting for decades.

Bones ended in 2017, so fans have only waited for six years so far, which is much shorter than what other shows’ fans have endured. Longer gaps also tend to raise the expectations of the audience.

With the return of Dexter, another hit crime show that started after Bones, the timing might be perfect for the Bones team to hit the pedel on the metal.

However, as Hanson says, it all depends on whether Deschanel and Boreanaz are up for it and free to do it. Bones and Booth are the heart of the show, and no revival would work without them.

About Bones

Bones is an American crime procedural comedy-drama television series created by Hart Hanson for Fox.

It premiered on September 13, 2005, and concluded on March 28, 2017, airing 246 episodes over 12 seasons.

The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) to Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a forensic anthropologist.

Bones is a joint production by Josephson Entertainment and Far Field Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television and syndicated by 20th Television. The series is the longest-running one-hour drama series produced by 20th Century Fox Television.