Bones - Season 1 [DVD]

If you are a fan of CSI (and who is not?), you will probably look sceptically at this show, which seems to following in the tracks of this major franchise. Well, you would be wrong. "Bones" does much better than just following - from the first episode it actually switches to its own ways and, if put in parallel with the venerable CSI, it could very well take the lead. And here is why.First, there is Bones herself. She is incredibly inteligent, succesful, pretty, liberated, courageous woman, fully in control of her life and perfectly able to kick a bad guy's a.. without any problem if needed. In one word, she is a genius (like Grissom), but she also has a serious case of social autism, which makes many of her interactions with the regular society histerically funny. As a forensic anthropologist she clearly is very comfortable around the skeletons - but her relations with living are not half that succesful. And when the recent deceased are concerned, just wait for the scene when Booth takes her for an autopsy...Then, there is agent Booth. I always liked very much David Boreanaz ("Buffy", "Angel") but I was a little concerned if he still can play without turning into a vampire every two minutes or so... well, he can!! His caracter is great - he is clearly a macho, good cop but clearly not genius (unlike people he works with), in principle just a honest, simple guy - but with some secrets in his past, very much in control of his life and having some really funny habits. Quite smart, handsome and with sense of humour - Booth is surprisingly likeable.Then there is the relation between Bones and Booth - I must say that I enjoy watching it almost as much as the one that existed between Mulder an Scully. They are soooo different that they simply can not stop bickering and both being smart and having sense of humour (although for Bones it is a little... skeletal) they exchanges are a delight. Just wait to see the episode in which Bones is charged with murder!There is more. Other members of the team working in the criminal anthropology lab are as irresistible as the main characters - there is Zack, the genius young anthropologist, who is even less adapted to life in society than Bones. There is Dr Jack Hodgins, "slime and bugs guy", who actually is almost normal - the stress is on word "almost". Finally there is Angela, an adorable Eurasian girl, who actually is an artist as much as a scientist - she designed software for graphic projects and adapted it for the reconstruction of faces and bodies from remains. She is the merriest and most normal person in the lab - although the way she gets the attention of clercs in crowded offices will probably surprise you...Stories are good, some of them very hard. The atmosphere is less gloomy that in CSI and there is definitely much more humour. After watching Grissom and his team for years I really was ready for something new, as smart as CSI, but freshier, funnier, less macabre and - surprise - even more original. I bought the first season and swallowed it in a couple of evenings. I can't wait to buy the second.

This clever 22 part first season of Bones introduces the viewers to Temperance Brennan whom readers will feel they know from the novels of writer Kathy Reichs. However, "book Temperance" and "TV Temperance" have only a name and occupation in common! Whilst the science is spot on and the cases built around the forensic antropology work of Kathy Reichs, TV Temperance is younger, does not have a drink problem nor a regular lover - instead she has martial arts skills, parents who went missing when she was 15, a petty criminal brother and the social skills of a gnat.Written with wit and well thought out plots, Bones takes the viewer in the lab where Forensic Antropologist Temperance Brennan helps out the FBI when unidentified bones are located. Partnered with agent Seeley Both (David Boreanaz - Buffy, Angel) Tempe (Emily Deschanel) becomes involved in a variety of cases with the help of her scientific staff - conspiracy fan Jack, reconstruction artist Angela and lab assistant Zach.The funniest lines come from Tempe's complete lack of knowledge when it comes to popular culture. Her frequent cry of "I don't understand that reference" is heard when Seeley compares them to 'Mulder and Scully', or a sports team or TV show catch phrase is discussed by the staff. When speaking to relatives of victims, Tempe resembles a slow motion car crash - referring to "the remains" whilst wondering why Seeley is trying to catch her eye and the relatives are starting to sob. Romance is not Tempe's priority but Angela has plans to help her friend and guidance is frequently offered. In a nice twist, Tempe has just published a fictional book and her spots of chat shows to promote it are painfull to watch as she keeps to one words answers and drives her interviewer nuts.22 excellent episodes running to 40 minutes each will keep fans of CSI shows as well as cop dramas hooked. Skeletal remains turn up from a variety of sources and sometimes the team are working with little more than a handful of bones. The characters interact in a believable way and the action is gripping as well as tragic - 'The Graft in the Girl' is a particularly moving episode about illegal transplant material, and the script stays clear of a sentimentality.Worth getting hold, of Bones is a highly enjoyable series which presents science to the viewers in a wide selection of skillfull plots.

Good

Average

I can only really describe this series as a breath of fresh air. A lot of people may think "Oh no, not another forensics show!" but in fact this has elements that all of the others are missing. Believe me when I say this, I am an avid CSI fan, but when I began watching this I found that it had all CSI had and more. Not only does it have the forensics and gore, which you must admit is extremely entertaining, but it has character depth and backgroud and most importantly humour (albeit dark humour), which CSI as a show can ultimately lack (even if CSI:Miami has almost become self-mocking through it's use of caricatures and cliches). It is the fact that we see the development and relationships of characters which gives "Bones" the edge. Personally, I would not watch "House" had it not the humour and character development and "Bones" has the exact balance needed in order to keep me glued to the screen. I have recently been watching CSI Vegas and have noticed it's descent into very dark territory and "Bones", with it's snappy, witty dialogue and the ever increasing romantic tension, makes it lighter and ultimately less straining to watch. It is also a benefit that the series focuses primarily on two main protagonists, although I've got to say I love Temperence Brennan's team, as I felt I could relate to the show more and I wasn't constantly bombarded with different cases and complicated, intertwining plot-lines. Overall, I can say that whether you enjoy CSI or you don't, you have to give this a try as I believe that it has something for everybody. Oh yeah, and forensic anthropology is really interesting :)

Previously had the USA version, this much better as you don’t have to turn discs over, can play all contents of disc.

Superb series