The hit procedural “Bones” has its origins in a series of novels about Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan — but interestingly enough, the show wasn’t actually an adaptation of those novels.
It all started with a documentary on Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and author of the series of 13 novels about Temperance Brennan. “Bones” executive producer Barry Josephson had acquired the rights to the documentary about the author, and thus only her life rights were theirs — or so creator Hart Hanson thought. That assumption fueled his decisions while building the character played by Emily Deschanel and developing the storytelling features of “Bones.”
“I created the world of ‘Bones’ from that documentary,” Hanson told Script magazine. “There’s nothing from the original books in the show. In the books, Temperance Brennan is a 50-year-old, divorced former alcoholic who has a grown daughter. She works in Montreal and North Carolina, in two forensic labs. But I didn’t take any of that world.”
Hart Hanson thought Kathy Reichs’ novels were off limits
Creator Hart Hanson didn’t initially use Temperance Brennan’s name for his character because he assumed that the production didn’t have the rights to the books or the character herself. Writer Kathy Reichs ended up asking Hanson if he would name the TV lead after her novel protagonist, an idea Hanson loved because of the author’s popularity. Executive producer Barry Josephson had, in fact, obtained the rights to one of Reichs’ novels — Hanson had just been unaware of that fact until 2011, when “Bones” was on Season 6.
That hidden detail was a major misunderstanding, one that potentially could have completely changed the face of “Bones” had Hanson been clear on his exact parameters in the development process. “If I’d known everything I should have known, I don’t know if we’d still be on the air,” Hanson said.
Having its own identity paid off immensely for the series. Even though “Bones” needed three seasons to convince Fox it had a loyal audience, it became a major success with a 12-season run — but it still owes its roots to the Kathy Reichs series.
