David Boreanaz and “Bones” creator Hart Hanson report that the series has just received its season 4 renewal for 20 episodes — with the popular Fox network show looking likely to location abroad next season. “Some of the contenders are Spain, Monaco, Italy — it just depends on how it gets put together,” Hanson says of the show, which also stars Emily Deschanel.
First, however, there’s season 3 to complete. “Bones” heads back into its post-WGA-strike production Tuesday (March 25) to shoot six more episodes for the current season — and will return to the air with fresh episodes April 14.
This is Boreanaz’s first season as one of the series’ producers, although he says, “I feel like I’ve been doing that for some time. This is the first season I’ve been credited. It’s great to step into those shoes and be more involved on the creative side with specific scenes, characters, the actualities of locations…”
Last year, he’d thought it might give him a little more leeway in scheduling for himself. That’s not how it’s turned out. “The more responsibilities you have, the more you’re grinding it out and working it. 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.”
Boreanaz also tells us that he and Emily continue to work on their characters with famed acting coach Ivana Chubbuck on weekends. “We explore the relationship between these two. The more we work on it, the more we come up with what I call ‘movie moments,’ as opposed to TV moments. I think you have to continuously work like that, whether it’s the first episode, the 15th or the 68th.”
Warner Bros.’ latest animated Justice League feature, Justice League: The New Frontier is reaching shelves in a matter of days, so what better time to catch up with the cast and get their thoughts on voicing DC’s costumed supergroup?
Winning the coveted role of Green Lantern’s voice was a thrill for David Boreanaz; the Bones star went so far as to wear a green t-shirt and green socks to his first day of work. Saying “I like to get into my characters — literally,” Boreanaz went on to discuss his affection for the ring-wielding Hal Jordan:
“Hal’s an interesting character — having been part of the Korean War, he’s kind of damaged goods, but yet he’s striving to get back to being himself. I think Hal’s sense of a duality is fascinating — his holding onto his past, overcoming it, and being heroic with it. It’s about coming to an understanding of where your strengths are and where your weaknesses may be — and as an actor, to go into his dark place and work from there. I found that very appealing. I think everybody, in a sense, can kind of lose themselves in this fantasy — I know I did. Where else can you partake in this level of adventure, in this amazing way of blowing things up in a fair and simple way without ever actually hurting anybody? It’s just so enjoyable.”
Taking the role of Jordan’s girlfriend, Carol Ferris — the woman who ultimately morphs into the supervillain known as Star Sapphire — is Brooke Shields, who describes her character as “hot,” saying she wishes she could cut her hair like Ferris (”and I love that pencil skirt she’s wearing, too”). Shields’ one major difficulty with Justice League: The New Frontier was recording dialogue for a character she didn’t get to see until her work was mostly done:
“I wish the animation process was done in reverse — it was such a different experience to record to picture versus just recording without the visual reference. I didn’t really know who she was as much without the picture. When we were initially recording it, before the animation, sometimes it felt flat. We worked on modulations, but I was not as clear on her character — I think I needed the picture in my head for it to take on a life of its own. When we recorded to the animation, that made it much clearer.”
Still, even without coming face-to-face, Shields found some common ground with Ferris:
“I think the thing that I responded to with Carol, as a character, is that, if you think about the 1950s, people were not sympathetic towards women in any position other than the very traditional homemaker — and here’s Carol, this revolutionary woman for that period of time. There’s a strength in Carol — she’s not willing to lose her sexuality by being in a man’s world, and she’s determined to be respected for having the same intelligence and ability to stay on course, and be par for the course, with the men that she’s surrounded by. I admire her character from that perspective for that period of time, and I would admire her in this day and age.”
Joining Boreanaz and Shields, in the role of Batman, was animation vet Jeremy Sisto. The Law & Order star, who had already done voicework for American Dad, Duckman, and The Wild Thornberrys, relished the opportunity to channel the Dark Knight’s strong, silent ways:
“I think Batman is a great character in that he has a lot of internalization, and his heroics come from a dark place. You can have fun with that side of him, sort of showing his dislike for people and yet, at the same time, he’s all about helping people and doing good for society. Batman is a bit of a loner. He’s very intuitive and, while the rest of the Justice League are using their super powers, he uses his detective skills to get to the heart of the matter and, in this case, help save the world. Throughout the course of the story, though, I think he learns that it’s not such a bad thing to have friends.
Making his animation debut with Justice League: The New Frontier is Kyle MacLachlan — and what a debut: the Twin Peaks and Desperate Housewives star got to provide the voice of Krypton’s blue-tighted favorite son, Superman. Taking the role wasn’t a hard decision:
“Superman stands for so many things that I believe in — strength, justice, fighting for what’s right. You just can’t turn down the opportunity to play a guy like Superman.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean the role was without its challenges:
“When I’m synching to myself in live action, which is what I usually do, my mouth moves the same way and I can see it visually and it somehow connects. This is a little more difficult because the animated mouth moves a little differently — the animation doesn’t quite have the same amount of detail that you would see in a real-life performance. Like the word ’strategy’ — we were having trouble in the booth getting that one right because I couldn’t really see how it was formed in my animated mouth. But we made it all work. The physical performance is fun — you have to use your imagination a lot more. It’s a lot of grunts and oomphs and ughs, which you just can’t help but act out physically. I’m sure it looks funny from the other side of the glass. Like in one scene, it was about getting hit with a pterodactyl wing versus getting punched by a super villain. There’s apparently a difference in that sound. So you have to shade it a bit and use the imagination.”
Justice League: The New Frontier — which also features the voice talents of Neil Patrick Harris, Miguel Ferrer, Kyra Sedgwick, and Phil Morris — will be released to DVD and Blu-ray February 26.
David Boreanaz (Angel, Bones) was eager to voice the role of Hal Jordan a.k.a. the Green Lantern for Justice Leage: The New Frontier, but few realized quite how eager he would end up being. Boreanaz told Comics2Film that he even wore a green t-shirt and socks to get demonstrate his passion for the character.
“I like to get into my characters - literally,” Boreanaz said from behind a wide grin.
Asked to describe his character, Boreanaz said “Hal’s an interesting character - having been part of the Korean War, he’s kind of damaged goods, but yet he’s striving to get back to being himself. I think Hal’s sense of a duality is fascinating - his holding onto his past, overcoming it, and being heroic with it. It’s about coming to an understanding of where your strengths are and where your weaknesses may be - and as an actor, to go into his dark place and work from there. I found that very appealing.”
This was Boreanaz’s first time recording vocal tracks for an animated film, having only ever provided a voice for a character in the video game Kingdom Hearts. As such, he put himself in the hands of the film’s vocal director. “The voice director, Andrea (Romano), was unbelievably fantastic in the way she guided me through Hal’s course of emotions, and really helped me get to know the character,” Boreanaz said. “Once I got my feet underneath him and really got into character, everything fell into place and we just flew through the script. It was a great journey.”
Boreanaz said that his favorite scenes in Justice Leage: The New Frontier have less to do with the battle between the heroes and the villains, and more to do with the conflicts between the heroes. “The edginess and the conflict between the characters is what makes this a great movie,” Boreanaz said. “Super heroes or not, these characters are going to go at each other at times. There’s a fusion of a lot of strong, different personalities, and although they all want to achieve the same goal, they might not have the same approach. And Hal knows how to get the job done. So there’s good balance and a nice edge to the story.”
Based on the landmark DC Comics graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke and produced by animation legend Bruce Timm, Justice Leage: The New Frontier features an all-star voice cast led by Sisto, Kyle MacLachlan (Superman), David Boreanaz (Green Lantern), Neil Patrick Harris (The Flash), Lucy Lawless (Wonder Woman), Kyra Sedgwick (Lois Lane), Brooke Shields (Carol Ferris), Miguel Ferrer (Martian Manhunter) and Phil Morris (King Faraday). The film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on February 26, 2008. The HD DVD edition will be available March 18, 2006.
Bones (Tuesdays, 8 pm/ET, Fox) star David Boreanaz talks with TV Guide about the kiss fans are dying for, the movie that took him home again and why he spends weekends with Emily Deschanel.
TV Guide: Now that you’re a coproducer for Bones, where do you want to see the show go?
David Boreanaz: I think where I’d like to see the show go and where the executives are taking it may be two different things. [Laughs] They’re very creative and they’re planning to continue the therapist angle ā which is a great idea ā as a way to help Booth and Brennan deal with their relationship.
TV Guide: Which begs the question that everybody’s asking: When are they going to get together?
Boreanaz: The bottom line is, they are together. They’re not sleeping together, but in a way they are, because they’re arguing, they’re bickering, they’re going back and forth. They have this relationship that puts them in situations where they could be vulnerable to each other. And the therapist sessions are a perfect example of how [real] couples work out their problems.
TV Guide: So there’s hope?
Boreanaz: I think eventually that’s where the show will probably go. But for me, creatively, it’s really about having these characters invest their time. They have to earn that payoff, you know? They’re not quite there yet. And I think that the audience roots for that and they want to see these two get together.
TV Guide: How do you and Emily keep that tension going?
Boreanaz: We work [at it]. We work on the weekends, focusing on character development, improvisational stuff, what’s between the lines. We work each script so we can find the banter and those places where it’s important to have the ad-libs. It takes a while to find all of that.
TV Guide: Of course, as a good Catholic boy, Booth would hold off until marriage anyway, right?
Boreanaz: [Laughs] You know, I’m not sure he would. He’s a practicing Catholic but at the same time, he’s a bit of a hypocrite. Whether or not he holds out to have sex with Bones because he loves her ā that’s a good subject matter to examine. That’s also not to say he doesn’t have an active sex life. We just don’t know about it!
TV Guide: What was the motivation to step away from solely self-contained cases to this season’s ongoing Silver Skeleton serial-killer storyline?
Boreanaz: I think that going into the third season, it’s an opportunity to make as many [creative] advances in the scripts as you can and not just appease the network or studio for what they want. Because at the end of the day, it’s going to be over. You know, tomorrow you wake up and the show’s canceled, and you just go to the next gig.
TV Guide: Is it really that simple?
Boreanaz: I mean, ultimately, I’ve never been one to question my talent. If this show goes away, I’ll be working on another one.
TV Guide: On top of your Bones duties, didn’t you also spend part of the summer shooting a movie back home in Philadelphia?
Boreanaz: Yeah, I was there doing Our Lady of Victory about Immaculata University’s 1972 run for the [women’s basketball] championship. Carla Gugino plays the head coach, Ellen Burstyn’s in itā¦ it was directed by Tim Chambers, who is also a local Philadelphia guy. I play Ed Rush, who was a real NBA referee, and it was great to kind of step into the shoes of somebody I was familiar with as a kid growing up. I actually met the guy, which is kind of weird.
TV Guide: And how was it being back in Philly?
Boreanaz: It was great. I mean, I’m from there, I know the area. When you get a chance to shoot something in your hometown, that really is something special.
TV Guide: So producing, acting, weekend rehearsalsā¦ do you get any time off?
Boreanaz: I do! [Laughs] Last summer I was in Mexico and Hawaii. I definitely took time to feel my vacation and spend time with my family [wife Jaime and son Jaden]. That’s one of the most important things about having time off.
By Peter Johnson, USA TODAY
When John Francis Daley was tapped to play a shrink on Fox’s Bones this fall, he had never seen the show, now in its third season.
But after he watched a few episodes, Daley says, he liked the fact that Bonesā a comedic drama about an elite team of forensic scientists who solve seemingly unsolvable murder cases ā wasn’t strictly a nuts-and-bolts whodunit and that it also went for laughs and romance.
“So many of these procedural shows take themselves so seriously,” says the Freaks and Geeks veteran, whose four-episode guest arc as neophyte Dr. Lance Sweets, which began in October, is slated to become permanent.
In tonight’s Christmas-themed episode (8 ET/PT), team partners whom Sweets has been called in to counsel ā FBI agent Booth (David Boreanaz) and forensic scientist Brennan (Emily Deschanel) ā give Bones fans what they have long been asking for: a first kiss.
Boreanaz, who became one of Bones’ producers this season, says a slow romantic build-up between Booth and Brennan has been intentional. It’s better than “having them start the series by sleeping together and then saying, ‘Where do we go from there?’ ” Boreanaz says.
“It has taken time for them to get over some obstacles so we can get to some of the crazy stuff,” he says. The romantic tension is reminiscent of the ’80s series Moonlighting, leading up to tonight’s kiss. “It gives back to the audience what they have wanted for the past two seasons in a way that is smart and a win-win for everybody.”
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Says Deschanel: “We kind of get blackmailed into kissing, but we linger maybe a little bit longer than we have to.”
What separates Bones from other procedural dramas is the interplay between Booth and Brennan, “about how they get along or don’t get along, the tension that they have between them. It’s a very unpredictable show,” she says. “You never know what’s going to happen next.”
Tonight’s episode ties together several recurring plotlines that involve Brennan’s long-lost, now-imprisoned ’60s anarchist father, Max (Ryan O’Neal); her fugitive brother, Russ (Loren Dean); and a serial killer who is playing cat-and-mouse with the forensic team.
In that respect, says producer Barry Josephson, it’s a good episode for viewers who have never caught Bones. “This season, the relationships of the characters are progressing.”
Although Bones is enjoying its best season ever, drawing 9 million viewers last week, Josephson says it has yet to become a household name, despite a loyal fan base. “We’ve never had the luxury of being scheduled in a place where some enormous lead-in could take us to a bigger rating.”
O’Neal says that when he originally read for the part, “I couldn’t make heads or tails” of his role as a dad who abandoned his daughter when she was a teen and has been a fugitive accused of murdering a top FBI official. But as he read more scripts, he noticed that “in a lot of scenes, they talked about the father.”
So far, he has appeared in eight episodes and is ready for more.
He loves the recurring role. “It’s the easiest time I have ever had. I guess I was born to play desolate, renegade fathers on the run.”
Witnessing the comic chemistry between Bones (8 p.m. on Fox, 10 p.m. on Global) stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel during the fall TV press tour in Los Angeles, you can see why their darkly humorous crime drama has become an under-the-radar cult hit.
“I’ve always picked up Kathy’s books when they come out,” Deschanel (the shy, nerdy one) says of the bestselling crime novels by Kathy Reichs on which the series is based. “But my character is very different from the book, so it gets very tricky.”
“I read the books,” interjects Boreanaz (the loud, in-your-face one), angling for attention.
“No, you don’t!” counters Deschanel, annoyed.
“Yes, I do!” says Boreanaz.
Deschanel: “No, you don’t!”
Boreanaz: “I do, too. I read the books!”
Deschanel (sarcastically): “Oh yeah, that’s right — you read the books all the time!”
At which point, series creator Hart Hanson jumps in like a solicitous parent.
“Does it make me sound too cranky if I say the series is not based on the books?” he offers meekly. “Because the series is not based on the books — Booth (Boreanaz’ character) is not in the books!”
Boreanaz: “I thought I was.”
Deschanel (sarcastically): “You read them!”
Boreanaz: “I thought I was the mystery man — isn’t there, like, a mystery man or something?”
Hanson: “There’s a French-Canadian cop.”
Boreanaz: Oh, OK — I didn’t even know there were books!”
It’s an amusing moment — in a genuine, not contrived way — that illustrates why Bones has transcended the “butler did it” mandate of blood-splattered corpse-a-thons like CSI and Cold Case to land in the emotionally charged realm of mismatched lover series like Moonlighting (David & Maddie), Cheers (Sam & Diane) and The X-Files (Mulder & Skully).
Except, of course, that the bookworm anthropologist (Deschanel) and the boisterously unschooled FBI agent (Boreanaz) who team up to solve murders aren’t actually involved with each other.
“What romance?” poses Deschanel in response to a question from critics.
“There is no romance!” confirms Boreanaz. “There’s no books, no romance, no tension, no conflict! There’s only just the two of us — and we start from there, really, and then all of the sudden it evolves.”
It’s been a winning formula so far, but as the series sails through its third season with no smooching in sight, viewers are understandably clamouring for, well, progress.
“We want to keep them apart as long as we can without annoying the audience,” admits creator Hanson. “And there are certain little steam valves you can use to relieve pressure, and we’ll use every single one.
He pauses thoughtfully: “I hope we’re deft enough to do it, but y’know, it’s Season 3. I think we’d better see something! That’s all I have to say about that.”
You can understand his reluctance to, as they say, “jump the shark” on the relationship issue.
Both Moonlighting and Cheers lost their edge — and their ratings — once their characters coupled up and a similar fate seems likely for Bones, a show whose appeal stems from the perceptional gulf between its leads and their dogged efforts to bridge it with affection, respect, but no real success. “He loved The Cure!” a murder suspect tells Deschanel’s interrogating supergeek, who takes everything literally.
“For what?” she pesters unknowingly. “What did he have?”
“Bones,” interjects Boreanaz’ hipster. “It’s a band!”
And off they go, two crazy corpsekickers — a she-geek and a culture freak — pushing each other’s boundaries just enough to see what makes each other tick.
In the end, I predict, they’ll probably like what they find.
Joss Whedon freaks (like us!) will be excited to hear that Angel ā the WB drama that started as a mediocre spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and wound up, five seasons later, as one of the best shows on TV ā is returning for a sixth season. When we last saw Angel, the vampire with a soul, back in 2004, he, Spike, and their friends were facing down about a million hellish monsters in a dark and rainy alley. “Personally, I kinda wanna slay the dragon,” Angel said, and the series ended in blackout. It was a great series-ending episode, but we always wished we could find out what happened next.
But now Whedon is bringing Angel back, in comic-book form, for season six. Launching in November, the series follows the lead of the phenomenally successful Buffy: Season Eight, which has been awesomely carrying the story of the Slayer forward since this spring. Unlike the Buffy comics, the Angel series doesn’t look like it’ll be written by Whedon, but we’re still really, embarrassingly excited for this.
Ain’t It Cool News has a preview of the first five pages, and it turns out that Angel didn’t slay that dragon ā¦ he made friends with it! Nonetheless, he still seems pretty badass, plus he’s thinner than David Boreanaz, which is nice.
” Dr. Temperance Brennan is a brilliant, but lonely, anthropologist whom is approached by an ambitious FBI agent, named Seely Booth, to help the bureau solve a series of unsolved crimes by identifying the long-dead bodies of missing persons by their bone structure. But both Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan and her team come up again a variety of interference from red tape, corruption, and local noncooperation.
The sophomore year of āBonesā has proven to be a special treat for viewers, as not only interesting crimes are solved through riveting science, but much back story has been revealed making the characters even more fascinating.
Relationships are primary plot developments during the season, but are handled in novel ways, so as not to be the same old story of meet, love, lose, and regain. FBI Agent Seely Booth (David Boreanaz) and Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) are an updated Nick and Nora Charles using wit and intelligence to solve the crimes, and arguing like they have been married for years.
Twists in plot keep them from being a romantic couple, but that doesnāt lessen the impact of their chemistry as partners.
With the addition of Tamara Taylor as Dr. Camille Saroyan, Dr. Brennan has authority issues that need to be resolved, but the Team becomes even stronger. Cam is in there working alongside the rest of the group as they delve through a colorful array of corpses finding clues.
The yuck factor on this show can get intense, with the exotic means of death and the resulting remains graphically portrayed, but the clever sleuthing and incredible science far outweigh the grossness in most cases. The humor is always there, too, as an important part of the character of these people who have to deal with such grim events and circumstances. Perhaps this is to show that they are sensitive to humor and need to bring it out to balance their experiences. It works that way for the audience.
Season Two is presented in a nice six disc set, with special features. The episode that was not shown in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre is not included in this set. There are many fans who applaud the sensitivity of the decision to withhold this episode until a later time.
Special features include: The Memories in the Season featurette; Visceral Effects: The Digital Illusions of Bones featurette; Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Executive Producers Barry Johnson and Stephen Nathan; and a gag reel.
In the memories featurette, each character is given time to relate what he or she feels has happened during the season. With this great cast, the special features are even more interesting than usual.
This show keeps getting better and better, with additions of recurring characters such as Ryan OāNeil as Brennanās father, and Patricial Belcher as Caroline Julian an opinionated but gifted legal professional who steps in to help Booth and Brennan. Then there is the story arc involving Boothās therapist Stephen Fry as Dr. Gordon Wyatt. These are so good!
Bones - The Complete Second Season is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.”
Between his star-making turn as a vampire on Buffy (and its spin- off, Angel) and taking a bite out of crime as an FBI agent on FOXās Bones, David Boreanaz added another role to his reĢsumeĢ: Menās Fitness cover model, in September 2005.
How do you get fit for this role?
I usually tone up with core- strength workouts. I do them four times a week with a trainer Iāve been with for about five years now; his name is Andre Hudson. He puts me through a rigorous course incorporating cardio with strength training. I also maintain a pretty strict diet and workout program, because youāre constantly in a pool of people around you for other roles, so you always have to be ready. I work out mostly for my health, but for creative purposes, it helps me get the engines rolling in the morning.
Filming Bones is so involved. How do you find time to get fit?
I work out in the morning, before my call time. So if I have a 7 a.m., Iām in the gym at 6 a.m. for my hourlong workout. As it gets into the week, the workouts usually get pushed back, but as long as I get three or four in a week, Iām fine.
Whatās the most physically demanding?
I maintain a pretty strict diet and workout program because youāre always in the pool for other roles, so you have to be constantly ready. I work out for my health, and creative performances for what I do, it helps me get the engines rolling in the morning.
Are you a TV watcher?
My favorite show is The Office, if I had to pick one show on television. I watch a lot of American Movie Classics and Turner classics, and a lot of sports center and the NFL network.
Whatās next?
A film called, Our Lady of Victory. It takes place in Philadelphia in 1972, I play Ed Rush who was a real NBA Official, and so I had to be in shape for that. And thatās it; Iām working on the show now.”
“When Bones returns for its third season next week, one of the most anticipated storylines for viewers to look forward to is the ongoing romance between Angela Montenegro, played by Michaela Conlin and Dr. Jack Hodgins, played by T.J. Thyne. When we last saw the lab couple, Angela was on the verge of exchanging āI Dosā with Hodgins until a blast from her past effectively halted the marital proceedings.
Michaela Conlin recently spoke to the Boston Herald about the sparks between her and her onscreen love interest on Bones.
āOur romance actually didn’t happen as quickly as I think everyone thinks it did,ā the 29-year old Conlin remarked. āI think it was happening all throughout season one, if you really watched.ā
The Pennsylvania native who is of Chinese and Irish descent also hinted at what’s in store for the forensically gifted duo.
āI think this season it’s going to be really interesting to see where it goes, because Angela is definitely not one to be pinned down. She’s definitely a free spirit who really fell in love. I think it’s going to be really interesting to see how all of that plays out when you have a relationship that you’ve set up and what happens in the aftermath or what happens when you do leave the altar. We’ve been working on a lot of that.ā
In other Bones news, production for the upcoming season was briefly disrupted when a fire broke out on the set during filming three weeks ago. Apparently, one of their electrical equipment accidentally set a piece of material ablaze. A production assistant immediately extinguished the flames, preventing any injury or major damage. Filming resumed that same afternoon as mainstays Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne, Tamara Taylor and Eric Millegan reportedly all donned costumes for the new season’s Halloween episode.
