Hulu’s 12-Part Crime Show Is So Good, It Deserves a Reboot 9 Years Later
*Bones* used forensic anthropology to give the crime procedural a distinctive angle, following experts who analyse human remains while building a character-focused story around Dr Temperance Brennan and FBI Agent Seeley Booth. The article argues the series is well suited to a reboot, with no comparable show filling its niche and renewed interest in its cast creating an opportunity to revisit the characters.
Inspired in part by forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, the series ran for more than a decade and developed its leads from contrasting colleagues into partners in both work and life. Their changing relationship, supported by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz’s on-screen chemistry, helped the show explore how experience and family history shaped its characters. The article says the original ending resolved their arcs, but the cast’s enthusiasm about returning and the passage of time could draw viewers back.
In short
- *Bones* brought forensic anthropology to the crime procedural.
- Its character relationships developed over more than a decade.
- The article sees renewed cast interest as an opening for a reboot.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A reboot could bring back a distinctive procedural centred on forensic anthropology, a niche the article says remains underserved. The original cast’s interest and the time elapsed since its characters’ stories concluded could support a fresh continuation, while renewed attention might attract both longtime viewers and a new audience.
The case against
The original series ran for more than a decade and gave its central characters a resolved ending, so revisiting them could weaken a conclusion that viewers found satisfying. A reboot would also need to offer more than nostalgia: without a compelling new story, it might repeat familiar material or disappoint audiences who valued the original’s particular chemistry.