Watching Bones

I just wanted to share this quick photo with you from TV Guide - they devoted the cover this week to a photo shoot of some of the “biggest names in TV” of the shows that are finally returning thanks to the end of the writer’s strike. Smallville’s Allison Mack put it well. “This is kind of historic, isn’t it?”

David Boreanaz was one of the stars to grace the cover (actually he was on the inside of the cover - the cover itself actually folded back inside the magazine so it was a pull-out cover - but that’s quibbling over the small details…). It was nice to see his beautiful face along with some of the other big names of TV, and rightly so considering the great job they’re doing on the show Bones! While he was there, he was apparently looking to check out the waters with Dave Annable from Brothers & Sisters. The last time they were together was at the charity hockey game. David said, “he played goalie and I scored on him. He might be a little bitter.” But somehow I doubt Annable held a grudge - and if there were any hard feelings they didn’t come out during this celebration! It looked like everyone was having a great time and there was no room for any animosity. (more…)

Coming to E! on May 1st, the Asian Excellence Awards will honor Asian and Asian-Americans in film, tv, music, and performing arts. Since Michaela Conlin is the bill, it only makes sense that she would be nominated! Conlin plays Angela Montenegro on Bones, a free spirit who has bewitched co-worker and resident dirt and bug guy Jack Hodgins. She’s one of the squints who tells it like it is and is always encouraging Bones to enjoy herself and to open herself up to love. Conlin is of Chinese and Irish descent, which is probably where she gets her exotic beauty from. She stared in MDs and The DA before she landed her role in Bones, where she’s truly made the role her own.

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, she said, “I really liked Angela’s voice from the very beginning. She’s very irreverent. To have that quality in a young woman on screen to start with, I knew that I wanted to play her.” She went on to explain that after playing the part for so long, “you become the character and the character becomes you over the length of time we’ve been shooting.”

(more…)

Well, if you believe Seth Green, he pooped in his trailer - that is, not his own, in Seth’s. Anyway, as long as it was in the toilet, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Kind of an odd thing to bring up at a panel, but hey, this is Seth Green and the cast of Buffy we’re talking about… Anyway, that was just one of the very weird and very interesting things said at the Paley Fest where almost the whole Buffy cast reunited to host a panel for fans.

This was the first time since 2004 that the cast was reunited, it’s just too bad that they all couldn’t - or just plain didn’t - make it. The only ones who didn’t make the reunion were Alyson Hannigan, Eliza Dushku, Anthony Stewart Head, and our beloved David Boreanaz. Since David knew he wasn’t attending, word was that he was going to provide a taped message for the fans, but apparently that didn’t happen either. Sigh.

Anyway, apparently the panel went pretty well despite a few awkward moments. The panel talked about the dark turn Buffy’s character took during the sixth season, and the writers talked about what it was like to work on Buffy. David Greenwalt said, “There’s nothing like taking all your pain and misery and shoving it into good-looking people’s mouths.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar was compared to Jimmy Stewart - sorry, I don’t see the connection there - and Gellar was asked to choose once and for all between Angel and Spike - to which we didn’t really get an answer! Also, Emma Caulfield revealed that during a heart wrenching monologue she gave in the episode “The Body” in which Buffy’s mom had died, what she was really feeling. Too bad it didn’t hold some deeper meaning to life or anything… “I had to go to the bathroom!” I guess if you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go…

They also talked about the bold move to have Willow and Tara become a couple and how the studio dealt with it. An executive at the WB asked “Is [Joss] really going to do this gay thing?” And when they asked him to cut the first kiss between the two, Joss threatened to quit. “It’s the one time I pulled that out,” he said. “And they were like, ‘No, it’s OK. Leave it in.’”

Check out the rest of the “superlatives” at TVGuide.com and weep with me that we weren’t able to be there ourselves…

Well, we’ve been promised more background on Booth’s family, and it looks like we’re going to get it after all, just not this season. Understandably due to the strike, the writers are working doubletime to readjust the final episodes of the season and are having to streamline the stories. Regardless of the extra work, everyone is excited to be back to work, and some are even a little emotional. “The moment I drove on the lot for the first time in three months, I got a little choked up,” said Executive Producer Hart Hanson. He went on to say that as far as Booth’s storyline goes, “Booth’s family story is just gone. It will go into Season 4… We don’t want to give it short shrift.”

As you probably know already, the new episodes for the end of Season 3 will resume in April, and we’re going to enjoy six more episodes before we have to break for the summer. Among them will be the episode that was pulled from last season due to the VA Tech shootings.

Meanwhile, if you’re still jonezing for a Bones fix, TNT has picked up Bones reruns and is airing them as part of their weekly schedule. So, just a few more weeks of reruns and then we’re back to the real deal. Yay for us!

We love Bones. We love the cast, the storyline, the writing. We love the dynamic relationship between Booth and Bones that keeps us wanting more. We love Zach’s inability to relate to common people, Angela and Hodgins unconventional relationship and Cam’s ability to be a boss, friend and colleage all at the same time. Now, as we finish up Season 3 and look forward to Season 4, there may be a new thing for us to love…

According to an interview with David Boreanaz and Hart Hanson, the show has just received a go-ahead for 20 new episodes in Season 4, and the possibility of shooting abroad! Hanson said “Some of the contenders are Spain, Monaco, Italy — it just depends on how it gets put together.”

Now that Boreanaz is a producer on the show, he’s enjoying the ability to make a bigger impact on the show, which includes location. He’s finding out that being a producer isn’t all glitz and glamour though. “I’m actually busier now. I’m not scheduling myself out of any episodes. This has enabled me to do more things, expand my horizons, meet other people, make more impact.”

I guess we’ll have to wait and see where the show ends up as far as location, but regardless of where it is, I’m sure it will only get better!

Working as a storyboard artist, forensics scientist and biomedical illustrator, Donna Cline has her hands full making sure the Bones cast and crew get their information straight. With a Master’s in Biomedical Illustration and undergrad in History of Art and Fine Arts at Berkeley, Cline also has a second Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and is working on a Doctoral study in clinical psychology. She’s also been working in film and TV for almost 20 years, so she definietly knows her stuff.

As well as the work she does for film, she also woks as a forensic artist (Angela’s job on the show) for police agencies. Cline says that most of her work usually is for suspect composite drawing because “that’s more common than facial reconstructions simply because of frequency and the budgetary constraints of governmental agencies.”

Cline says that although she mostly stuck with feature films, she once received a call to work on The X-Files. She worked as the storyboard artist for that show for their last three seasons until she was recruited to work on Judging Amy. From there she came on board with Bones. The rest is history.

Anyway, here’s a quick interview with her that gives you a little insight into her role in the production of Bones.

Also, there’s a good interview with her on Mania TV that you should check out. It’s worth your while!

Check out this video showcasing some of the Season 2 bloopers from Bones. There’s plenty of profanity, blowing of raspberries, funny faces, forgotten lines, and general goofiness to enjoy! One of my favorite is David Boreanaz as Booth giving us a close-up on his beautiful smile - as in through a magnifying glass close-up!

There’s a funny bedroom scene with Emily Deschanel (Bones) and Eddie McClintock (Sulley) under the covers, and Boreanaz does a little dance step more than once. We see a silly side of Eric Millegan’s character Zach, and what appears to be a fly-by air attack. There’s an unscripted Booth/Bones kiss, and loads of uncontrollable giggles.

Squeaky nose jokes, more cussing, and what blooper reel would be complete without the all-time favorite, the fart joke. Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check it out! (They make having and doing their jobs look like so much fun.)

Well, David Boreanaz did it, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that his old Buffy and Angel buddy James Marsters, aka Spike, has joined him in a role of his own where he plays for the other team. (Okay, technically both teams, but let’s not split hairs…) David’s role in the movie Suffering Man’s Charity as a gay man (played opposite Alan Cumming) garnered him a lot of attention, and Marsters’s guest appearance on the TV show Torchwood should raise plenty of eyebrows in his direction as well!

As Captain John, a Time Agent and thief, he plays the reformed Captain Jack’s former partner in crime. He returns to bring Capain Jack, played by John Barrowman, back into his thieving ways, and during his stint on the show shares a lip-lock with him. (more…)

Recently, Mark Ulyseas in Bali got the opportunity to interview Kathy Reichs, the author of the Temperance Brennan series that sparked the Fox show Bones. This woman must be brilliant. (Did you know that she’s one of only 50 orensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology? Now that’s a field of work that is understaffed!) I couldn’t imagine how neat it would be to hang out with her for a little while to learn from her, although I must admit that it sounds like her work is a little depressing. In the interview, she talks about working on exhuming a mass grave. She remembers that while working there, “this mother came up to me and held my hand. Her children and grandchildren were in the mass graves. It was moving.”

She also talked about how a lot of her books are based on things that she has seen and dealt with in real life. Her latest book, Bones to Ashes is one such story. Reichs explained that “the plot is based on a true story of a child’s skeleton found on the border of Brunswick and Quebec. I worked on that case. However, the parents or family members were never located. It still remains a mystery.”

Kathy has a new book due out August 26th, 2008 called Devil Bones which will incorporate Voodoo, Black Magic and Witchcraft into the storyline. Sounds like another winner! (But considering that all of her books have found themselves on the New York Bestsellers list, that should come as no surprise…)

Check out this great shot of the Boreanaz family. Other than the fact that I have no idea who the girl is, it’s a pretty good shot. Apparently “Charlie” from Buzzfoto was able to put the family at ease enough to convince them to take a shot for him. I love the grin David has - it’s just so goofy and fun. His son looks a lot like him - only blond and without the spikey-hair thing he’s got going on. I bet he’s going to grow up to be a heartbreaker like his daddy! Heaven knows he’s got two beautiful parents! And he’s already taken after David as far as the wild and crazy footwear goes! Jamie doesn’t look too thrilled to be in the photo, but if you look close enough, is she fighting a smile there? I can’t quite tell…

If anyone has a clue about who the other young girl is - let us know! There was some speculation that it might be a niece or something. Who know? (But she’s not a happy camper, though, is she?)

For all of you die-hard Bones fans out there, be sure not to miss out on the new book out devoted to all thing Bones! Bones: The Official Companion is out and looks like it’s going to be a great addition to any Brennanite’s collection - or any Boothanite, etc…

The book features 160 pages of great features - including interviews with the cast and crew, photos that you’ll want to be sure not to miss, and a complete episode guide of seasons one and two! There is also background info on Kathy Reichs, the real-life Temperance Brennan and the work she does in forensics.

Also featuring behind the scenes info such as the special effects makeup and how they create the corpses on the show, guest star info, location and filming information, and a list of music and artist from each episode, this book just gets better and better! Be sure not to miss out on a great addition to your bookshelf!

Ever wonder what’s behind some of our favorite shows? Well, besides a good cast and crew, we already know, and have never felt their importance more so than recently, we know there’s the writers. Well, ever wonder about them? The writers, I mean. Who are these people that so brilliantly, and sometimes maybe not so brilliantly, bring these characters to life that we follow week after week, hopefully pining away for them as the seasons come to an end, waiting anxiously for the next season to start so we can pick up where we left off… Wow, these guys have a lot of sway over us, the audience!

Well, Bones Creator and Executive Producer Hart Hanson, has answered the question Why We Write in an article posted on the blog by the same name. His response is incredible, I can’t even give you a review that would bring it justice. I’m not really talking about mind-blowing, eye-opening stuff, but you really get a look into the mind of a creative vessel, if that’s what you would call it. Hart Hanson comes across as someone who would be a heck of a lot of fun to hang out with just to see what he was going to come up with next.

He beings his piece by saying “Obviously, I write because something in my psyche went horribly wrong. You know what I’m talking about. If I were a healthy, fully-integrated, functional human being I’d explore the ocean floor or build bridges or perform heart-transplants on blue babies. So would you.

My number one job? Blimp driver! C’mon! Drifting over big cool events waving down at throngs of the earth-bound? Flying at about the same speed as a wobbly drunk crossing the street? How sweet would that be?”

Later on, he says, “I write because I’m totally confused by the world. I never know what’s going on. I absolutely never know what absolutely anything absolutely means. I ask and the good-hearted, intelligent souls around me do their best to explain but I don’t get it.”

If you’re a fan of the show, do yourself a favor and go check out Hart’s answer to why he writes and get a little insight into the person who’s driving the show. You won’t regret it!