Bones was a beloved crime drama that ran for 12 seasons from 2005 to 2017. It ran for over 200 episodes, featuring Dr. Temperance Bones Brennan and FBI Agent Seeley Booth solving tricky murder cases. But along with the thrilling cases, the strong bond between the characters also made the show a hit.
Throughout the filming time, the show’s creator, Hart Hanson, made sure to keep the main characters out of serious danger. This decision helped the show remain popular for a long time. Recently, he explained more about why he chose this approach and how it helped the series succeed. Let’s take a closer look at the same.
Keeping the leads safe
Hart Hanson made it clear from the start that he wanted to avoid putting the lead characters in too much danger. In the book Bones: The Official Companion, Hanson explained why he purposely avoided putting Brennan and Booth in danger too often. He thought that doing so regularly could harm the show’s core.
Hanson told Emily Deschanel, who played Brennan that she would be in danger once a year and Booth would rescue her. This choice helped the show stay comforting and stable which fans really liked.
One episode broke this norm
Although Hanson usually kept his characters safe, he occasionally changed things up to keep the show interesting. For example, an episode from Season 2 The Killer in the Concrete broke this usual pattern. In this episode, Booth who usually protects others, gets kidnapped by a dangerous criminal.
Brennan, who is usually more focused on Brennan steps in to rescue him. Hanson called this switch “only fair” because it allowed Brennan to show she could handle tough situations and save Booth. This made the episode more thrilling and showed her strength.
Why danger wasn’t needed?
Bones stayed interesting by having great writing and strong characters. Each week, the show focused on a new case and the growing bond between Brennan and Booth. This kept the drama going without putting the main characters in constant danger.
The show followed a pattern where Brennan and Booth solved different cases each week. The danger came from the crimes they worked on, not from threats to the characters. This way, the show was more about solving mysteries and relationships, rather than just suspense and fear.
The challenge of keeping Bones interesting
But keeping the show exciting without always putting the main characters at risk was a challenge. Hanson and his team managed this by putting other characters in danger. For example, Vincent Murray was killed off. This helped them in showing that the threats were real even if Brennan and Booth were usually safe.
Bones had a formula that worked well with viewers. Each episode focused on solving a murder mystery, with both Brennan and Booth using their skills to solve the case. This formula made the show comfortable and familiar, which helped it stay popular. And, sometimes to increase the stakes of the show, the writers got more creative. Like they put secondary characters in danger or even had them die. This helped the show run for 12 successful seasons.
Is there any possibility of a revival
The continued popularity of Bones has led to talks about a possible revival. Hart Hanson has confirmed that discussions are ongoing. However, he says that the show can only return if both Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz agree to come back. “I could see it. I could see it. Of course, it all depends on David and Emily. Without both of them, no,” he said.
Nostalgia is a big factor in talks about bringing Bones back. The show still has many loyal fans, and the idea of revival excites them. However, Hanson and the team know that just reviving the show for the sake of it wouldn’t honor its legacy.
Executive producer Stephan Nathan also spoke about this. He claimed that a new version shouldn’t just repeat the old show for another 12 years. Any revival needs to respect the original.
Stay tuned with PINKVILLA for more updates on Bones’ sequel!
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