Bones Had A Secret Weapon In The Network That Helped Keep The Show Afloat
Life hasn't changed much for "Bones" since it wrapped up in 2017. Throughout its 12-season run on Fox, Hart Hanson's procedural was never a ratings monster. But while other shows were dominating water cooler conversations, "Bones" was amassing a respectably sized and, just as importantly, loyal audience that only really began to peter off during its final seasons. By that point, the television landscape had changed so dramatically since it premiered in 2005, it was a miracle the show was even going at all! Similarly, while "Suits" has gained a surprisingly massive second wind on streaming in 2023, "Bones" has quietly kept puttering along at a steady pace as people either revisit the show or stream it for the first time.
Hanson has spoken on multiple occasions about the ways Fox tried to kill "Bones" early on during its tenure, frequently moving it to a different spot on the network's schedule with little to no advance notice. As he recalled in a 2017 interview with TV Insider, the show continued to perform well even when Fox made good on a threat to condemn it to the so-called "Friday night death slot," after which it was shuffled elsewhere once more. Of course, it always helps to have an influential ally in your corner, as was the case with "Bones." Hanson explained:
"That's us in a nutshell. We were just their utility player, which is simultaneously flattering and extremely insulting. [Laughs.] But mostly flattering, by the way. During all those years at Fox we had one secret weapon, ninja supporter at the network: Preston Beckman, the head of scheduling. Preston liked 'Bones' and fought for us every single season. He never wavered."
'We were the tortoise every year'
Every streaming service these days wants their new show to be the hare that immediately sprints its way up the charts, as opposed to the tortoise that garners a more niche but faithful following via word of mouth. What they seem to forget, however, is that much like it's the tortoise who eventually wins the race in Aesop's famous fable, historically there have only ever been a small handful of runaway successes on television at any given time. To survive in the long term, you need sturdy, dependable shows to weather the storm while you wait for the next "Stranger Things" to come along.
Hanson takes pride in "Bones" being just that. In his words:
"It is everything. Very early on, when we were the little engine that could, that was the image we had: we were marathoners. Every year there is a show that is the bright and shiny apple. Every year, there was a show that was going to replace 'Bones,' through now five network heads. We were the tortoise every year. That worked; our reward came late. No one particularly loved us early on. We had our fans, but we were never a network priority."
Having Beckman on their side didn't always make things that much easier for the "Bones" cast and crew, either. "There were even network heads who didn't want to talk about us [...] they didn't love 'Bones,'" Hanson admitted. "Our vindication is just surviving this long. It's a lot like life; if you live long enough, they just start to like you." The fact that we're still talking about "Bones" today just goes to show: the tortoise always wins in real life, just like in the story.
All 12 seasons of "Bones" are currently available to stream on Hulu.