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.

Amazing Television. Some people have said Emily Dechanel's Acting is Wooden and bad. Temperance Brennan is supposed to be wooden and as sweets states,she over rationalises things,meaning she doesn't understand 'life' like Booth/everyone else does. So she is supposed to be wooden and as seasons progess,she gets better as Booth teaches her.And I think Emily Has done this very Well. David Boreanaz's Acting is changed drastically from Angel,its much better! I love this show and the psychological aspect of relationships,especially between booth and Brennan. 4:47

......which frankly started to put me in mind of a Mothercare advert. Too much goop about babies... Not at all what I was expecting having read most of Kathy Reichs' work, but enjoyable and well served by an excellent supporting cast, notably TJ Thyne and Michaela Conlin. Even the terminally irritating characters of Sweets and Daisy became less annoying with time. It's unusual to see a programme in which there are no main characters you can't connect with. In this case they are all easy to like sympathetic characters....even the interns. Good job fellas.