Bones was one of the most popular police procedural television shows on Fox — it pulled in millions of viewers and ran for 12 seasons and 246 episodes on the broadcast network. Although its series finale aired on March 28, 2017, shortly following the final episode, many, including some who worked on the series, started discussing the possibility of a revival. In this day and age of television, reboots, revivals, reunions, sequels, and so on are all the rage. So Bones returning to the small screen, in any format, would not be a surprise, especially given its popularity during its run.
Bones starred David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth and Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, and the two formed an unlikely partnership over the course of the show’s 12 seasons. The slow-burn relationship between Booth and Bones was an antagonizing wait that paid off in the later episodes, and a potential revival would undoubtedly have to feature both characters. Other cast members integral to a Bones reunion would be Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro, T.J. Thyne as Dr. Jack Hodgins, Eric Millegan as Dr. Zack Addy, and Tamara Taylor as Camille Saroyan.
Executive Producer Michael Peterson Isn’t Ruling Out A Bones Reunion
Even before the Bones series finale aired in March 2017, executive producer Michael Peterson was already planning for the future regarding what came next for the Fox procedural series. The writers knew that season 12 would be its last, so they had time to strategize a perfect ending for all the characters. Despite this, in late December 2016, a few days before the season 12 premiere and three months before the last episode aired, Peterson opened up about a possible Bones reunion. He told TVLine:
“I absolutely am not considering this the end. I am in full-on denial. I’ve been working on the show for eight-and-a-half years. It is my family. I adore it here. I don’t want to leave. And the idea of having some kind of reunion in a year or two… I would not rule it out.”
Unfortunately, Peterson made these remarks almost seven years ago, and since then, there has been little concrete chatter about a Bones revival or a possible season 13. Fox has not unveiled plans to get the gang back together, but the fact that the cast and crew continue to talk about potentially returning to the television show means that the spark for a revival might never go out. It seems many who worked on Bones loved their time on the series, so they would be more than willing to sign on for a reunion, whether it is a season 13, spin-off, movie, or something else. Related: Bones: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters You Never Noticed
Michaela Conlin Says “Anything Can Happen”
Michaela Conlin played Angela Montenegro for all 12 seasons of Bones, and the actress has been open about her willingness to reprise her character in a future project. Angela was Dr. Temperance Brennan’s best friend and worked at the Jeffersonian Institute as a forensic artist. Her job was to create facial reconstructions of victims and other work-ups of crime scenes, pieces of evidence, and so on, and Angela was undoubtedly the “cool” one of the group at the Jeffersonian in the crime series. In 2021, Conlin expressed her opinion on a potential Bones revival during an interview with Collider. She said:
“Oh my gosh, I don’t know, that’s a really good question. Not that I’ve heard, but I feel like those things usually come together pretty quickly. I think scheduling would probably be the most difficult thing because everybody’s off doing other things, but it would really be funny and fun to revisit that I’m sure. I talked to Emily yesterday, and Tamara and John Francis Daley and Michael Grant Terry, all those guys. We’re all very in touch, so I’m sure it would just be a question of wrangling everybody together. But who knows? Anything can happen.”
Like others who have addressed the possibility of a Bones reunion, Conlin claimed that she has not heard anything definite about it happening. Of course, the actress would be open to having discussions about playing Angela again, but as she pointed out, schedules have to line up, and the chess pieces have to fall perfectly into place. Everything would have to go right for a revival to work, and unfortunately, many things have to be worked out to ensure that more episodes would feel deserved and warranted.
T.J. Thyne Pitched A Bones Spin-off
Michael Conlin’s TV husband, T.J. Thyne has also been candid about his desire to reprise his Bones character. Thyne played Dr. Jack Hodgins, an entomologist, botanist, and mineralogist who worked for Dr. Temperance Brennan at the Jeffersonian Institute in the procedural series. Hodgins was the comic relief of the show, even though his sensitive side would make an appearance from time to time. Hodgins and Angela had an on-and-off relationship throughout the television series, but they eventually worked out their differences and married. Following the series finale, Thyne revealed that he had pitched a Bones spin-off to the network. According to Renegade Geek, he explained at a fan convention:
“I pitched a spin-off. It didn’t go. But the pitch was that Hodgins has all this money. He’s made all this money from his experiments, and also Angela found the money that was stolen, the billions. He said to her, ‘Give it away. Give it to charity.’ But we never saw her do that. So the pitch was that she doesn’t. She gives some of it to charity, but they still have their billions. Then, Hodgins starts his own lab, but it doesn’t work with the government. He doesn’t work hand-in-hand with the FBI, so he hires all the squinterns. They all have their lab together, and we can travel around the country and be hired by people who have money or by local sheriff stations. So we can be doing all different types of stories that doesn’t just have to be focused on day in and day out working with the FBI. It didn’t go.”
Sadly, Fox passed on the spin-off, and the Bones series finale marked the end of Thyne’s run as Dr. Jack Hodgins. Of course, with rumors swirling about a potential revival, there is always a chance that the actor could play Hodgins again in a future project. It sounds like Thyne would be thrilled to join a Bones reunion, after all.
Emily Deschanel Is Remaining Open To A Bones Revival
Emily Deschanel, the star of Bones, has expressed that she is keeping the door open for a revival. Deschanel played Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian Institute, throughout all 12 seasons of the Fox procedural series. If she was not on board for a reunion, there would be no point in producing one. The television show is named after Seeley Booth’s nickname for Brennan, after all. During an interview with TVLine in 2022, Deschanel explained:
“You know, I think it’s always possible. David Boreanaz said, ‘Nope,’ he’s not doing it, but never say never for me. I don’t know, it’s possible, I’d be open, I don’t know.”
The actress remained somewhat neutral in the quote. But it is clear that if the opportunity felt right and everything fell perfectly into place, Deschanel would consider reprising her role as Brennan in a Bones revival. However, according to Deschanel, the same could not be said for her co-star, David Boreanaz. Thankfully, the actor refuted Deschanel’s statement in a later interview.
David Boreanaz Claims A Bones Reunion Is “Realistic”
A few months after Emily Deschanel addressed the possibility of a Bones revival, David Boreanaz made his own comments about the situation. Boreanaz played the other main character of the crime television show — FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. Booth was Dr. Temperance Brennan’s reluctant partner, who often looked down upon the scientists at the Jeffersonian Institute. He called them “squints,” but as time passed, they all earned a special place in Booth’s heart. As mentioned above, Booth and Brennan’s relationship was a focal point in the series, so a revival would have to include Boreanaz. Thankfully, he’s open to the idea. The actor told The A.V. Club:
“You know, as time progresses, you just don’t have that youthful look that you had in your late 20s and early 30s. But then again, [Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer] was a 242-year-old vampire with a soul. That would make him probably, like, 260-something with a soul now. So, I don’t know how that would look. Seeley Booth, I think, may be a little bit more intriguing — as far as getting back to see where he’s at with Temperance Brennan. And that banter. You just can’t beat that. I think that may be more of a realistic approach, as far as I’m concerned.”
Whereas Boreanaz feels more reluctant to play Angel, a character he portrayed in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin-off Angel, again, the same could not be said for reprising his role as Booth. The actor thinks it is more likely that a Bones revival will happen. Now, fans just have to wait for an announcement. Related: Why Bones Ended After Season 12 (Was It Canceled?)
Creator Hart Hanson Is Hopeful About Returning To Bones
Aside from getting the main stars onboard for a Bones revival, it would also be critical to ensure that creator Hart Hanson held the reins to the reunion. The good news is that the writer seems eager to return to the world of the Fox procedural television show. During an interview with Variety, Hanson said:
“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 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.”
Although many seem willing to return for a Bones reunion, there is no concrete news surrounding a revival as of the writing of this article. The rumors are based on the cast and crew’s comments about whether they would want to get their old jobs back. Unfortunately, that is not enough to declare that a Bones revival is in the works, but it is enough to give fans hope that it will happen one day.
Sources: TVLine, Collider, Renegade Geek, The A.V. Club, Variety
