# Bones (2005)

> A forensic anthropologist and an FBI agent team up to identify murder victims whose remains are too decomposed or burned for standard methods.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/1803

## Facts

- Seasons: 12
- Episodes: 246
- Episode runtime: 44 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Hart Hanson
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, John Boyd, Michaela Conlin, Tamara Taylor, T.J. Thyne, Jonathan Adams, Chad Donella
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460627/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: witty, banter driven, brisk, warm, clinical

## What critics say

Viewers broadly rate Bones as a well-crafted, character-driven procedural whose appeal lies in its lead pairing and the growth of its ensemble, though its formula grows familiar over time.

## Synopsis

Bones (2005-2017) is an American network crime procedural created by Hart Hanson for FOX. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), a brilliant and socially blunt scientist, works at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab in Washington D.C., where she reads the story a body tells when flesh has burned, rotted or been destroyed. She is paired with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), a grounded investigator who relies on instinct and people skills. Their sparring partnership is the engine of the show, as they race to identify victims and corner killers while the lab team, including forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin) and entomologist-turned-tech Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), contributes specialist expertise. Each season is built from self-contained cases, with a longer personal arc running beneath them. Across twelve seasons and 246 episodes, the tone is warm, witty and brisk, with the grisly remains kept at a clinical distance. Fans of CSI, Castle and The Mentalist will find the same mix of forensic detail, romantic tension and ensemble humor.

## Shows like Bones

- [Castle (2009)](https://ember.film/tv/1335)
- [Crossing Jordan (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/2286)
- [Body of Proof (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30104)
- [CSI: Vegas (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/101460)
- [Rosewood (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56242)
- [FBI (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/69199)
- [The FBI Files (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/623)
- [The Chemistry of Death (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/137404)
- [Criminal Minds (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/3856)
- [The Mentalist (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/5574)

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