Bones

OK, so I AM a big fan of Kathy Reichs books, and was intrigued to see what this show would be like. The addition of David Boreanaz also was a big draw, as he is a very charismatic actor(and I adored Angel!) For fans of Ms Reichs books, this is a slightly odd amalgam of Kathy herself and her main character Temperance Brennan, who on the show is also a crime author (like Ms Reichs - a top forensic anthropologist and author.)

The characters are all new, apart from Brennan's ex-husband Pete (although we only got a glimpse of him in the season premiere) plus it is set in Washington DC rather than Canada and Virginia as in the books.

Tempe herself is rather different than the book character. Emily Deschanel is fine, but rather young and headstrong compared to the book Tempe. Even in the one episode, we have seen her rushing into things quite recklessly. I guess they wanted to make her a little more dynamic for TV.

The chemistry between Brennan and Booth (Boreanaz) was pretty good from the start, although they need to handle it properly. Maybe the Mulder and Scully reference is a hint of how they might handle things. However, the crime was a little flimsy. This first episode seemed to focus far more on establishing character and tone than on plot. Probably something that will change with future episodes.

On the whole, Riechs fans can have fun being snooty and complaining about Tempe's drinking and the lack of her cat, but I thought the show had definite possibilities. I know I'm keen to see how things unfold.

I didn't expect to like it as much as I liked it. In fact, it's a sure sign of cancellation how much I like this show. I never like crime shows. My mom loves them, but I find them dull, because they're about plots not characters. This is a crime show about characters (not as good as "The Closer" -- the crime show I adored this summer -- mind you), and I enjoyed it. At times, it seemed far-fetched, and the whole Senator plot-point in the pilot seemed awful easy, but the dialogue worked, the characters intrigue me, and the chemistry is great. I expect good things from it.

Alison

David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel start well with better than two-dimensional characters in a fresh look at a CSI type show. Based on the real-life work of forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs, it's fun, kicky, and only occasionally too gruesome to look at. Not quite like one of Ms. Reichs' novels, it is still a pleasure for a fan (me!) to watch. Boreanaz' past work on Buffy and Angel stands in good stead here as he delivers lines that stand up to a strong female role without diminishing it. Also like Buffy, humor lends grace to embarrassing social situations that highlight common human vulnerabilities. Surrounding the 2 major players are other characters who add to the thrust of a character driven show. The writers do good work giving each character unique attributes that have nothing to do with hair color or body measurements. The entire cast does a good job presenting real, quirky individuals who don't have to rely on looks to sell the worth of their character to the viewers. That alone is something new for any CSI show. Still some rough edges in writing and delivery (Tempe's "I wish this was the worst I have seen" was painful for all the wrong reasons),"Bones" has great potential.

"Bones" is exactly the kind of show that you binge when you're home sick or the weather is bad outside, or maybe when you're cleaning the house. It's familiar, not too challenging mentally or emotionally, and the leads are really great together. They're the kind of people you don't mind having in your house, lol.

Are the cases mindblowing? No, but that's not what I want from network TV or procedurals. I want things I can watch and enjoy without hurting my head and that I can at least figure out every now and then before the show tells me. On this front, "Bones" is really top notch.

I found the first 15 minutes or so to be a little "trite". The characters didn't seem to fit comfortably in their skin. But by the end of the pilot I was very much interested, especially in the forensics aspect. I have a friend who is an anthropologist and I'm going to get her opinion about the Dr. Brennan character.

The series has a lot of potential and I especially like that unlike X Files, these characters are dealing with "real life" events rather than other worldly events.

I think the lead actors are good together and am looking forward to the building of their chemistry together. Whether as working partners or romantics, I don't care, I just want there to be a degree of tension between them that will keep things interesting.