Well there was one other little show that had a good amount of Whedonverse connectivity called Lost...I wonder whatever happened with that one...

[ edited by ringworm on 2005-09-14 19:09 ]

ringworm | September 14, 21:09 CET

I watched Bones last night and enjoyed it, for the most part. I could hear the machinery working, establishing relationships and personalities for the first episode. That was basically my only beef. I think it has potential.

looking | September 14, 21:14 CET

I watched Bones and think it can use some improvement, but I think some of that will come in the new episodes. Because I watched so many video clips and kept flipping to Fox for their commercials (I know I'm pathetic), the story line was too familiar. I thought DB and Emily both did great. I'll admit, all the flashing and martial arts in the first scenes were - well, just silly. But I'll watch this show til its dying day (hopefully, long off) just to see DB.

My quandry here is that my next favorite CSI type show is NCIS (Bones now being #1). I'll probably watch NCIS when it premieres and tape Bones because I'll want to save each episode of Bones til the DVD's come out anyway.

I don't have a conflict with Gilmore Girls because where I live, Fox is on for the first two hours of primetime, then it switches on the same channel to the WB, so GG is on 2 hours later. Not that it matters. I've tried watching it and found it to be much ado about nothing at best and irritating at worst. So no conflict there for me. Sadder than that channel arrangement - I don't get UPN at all!

TexLuvsAngel | September 14, 21:16 CET

I'm not crazy about procedurals but I do like David's and Emily Deschanel's characters. I also would've liked to have seen more scenes with her and David. That should come with time. Glad David's new show is off to a good start.

batmarlowe | September 14, 21:17 CET

Good news ratings-wise. Looking forward to catching this on tape tonight.

Shakespeare | September 14, 21:24 CET

This was the third time watching it through for me, and, well, ugh. I like DB and all, but I am not sure that I am going to commit what little adult TV that I am allowed to watch each day (I have two tiny cartoon lovin' kiddies) on this show. I actually ironed through the show, and I HATE ironing. The ironing, for me, was preferable to Bones the third time through. I'd like to blame it on the bad-ish mood that I was in at the time, but hearing "I don't understand what that means" for what felt like the zillionth time had me wanting to smack ED. Gadzooks. Is that going to be her catch phrase? More ughs.

genia | September 14, 21:49 CET

Genia, I'm glad to see someone agrees with me. My Livejournal friends list is awash in people (whom I respect) lovin' Bones. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. It doesn't help that I dislike procedurals or that ED and DB have no discernable chemistry. To me the real sticking point was stodgy dialogue. It simply could not compete with the crisp, fresh, original Mutant Enemy-written banter that sets the bar for my expectations.

chickenbird | September 14, 22:17 CET

DB was the only good thing in the show and he wasn't in it enough. I'm not captivated by the lead girl or the supporting players. The music was awful and the plot was very meander.

eddy | September 14, 22:21 CET

Haven't seen it yet (taped it while watching GG), but I heard from my husband that DB acquitted himself well in his first comedic-tinged primetime outing. "He looks good in suits, and the character gets in some funny lines", he told me. I wonder if they were the ones DB ad-libbed himself? If so (and also given the show's ratings success), maybe he'll be trusted by the producers and given even more input.

If this passes muster after my viewing tonight, it'll be the first procedural show (besides The Inside) I decide to check out on the regular.

Wiseblood | September 14, 22:33 CET

Has there ever been another show where 2 people were credited as "lead" at the same time?

eddy | September 14, 22:45 CET

I like the scene with David shooting the head off the target, and the part where the girl flashed her boobies. When you're trying to get a man's attention, that's the best way to do it.

SpikeBad | September 14, 22:59 CET

It has to be a bit of a mixed blessing for DB to possibly be committed to another series for what could be years. If he wants to use the series as a stepping stone to gain a higher profile to get film offers and it turns out to be a hit, then he may only be able to make films based on if they can be filmed during the Bones hiatus and not necessarily on quality.

I know the episode was trying hard (too hard) to grab the audience’s attention, but my mind still kept wandering because the plot was just too much of a straightforward procedural ‘who dunnit’ and I didn’t care ‘who dunnit’. It wasn’t dreadful, but I don’t think I would have given it my time if I wasn’t curious to see DB in another role. Temperance seems like she could be an interesting character, but the writing was too uninspired to make me care much about her and it really bugs me when characters are trying to being explained in a nutshell with a bunch of awkward exposition in the first episode. I didn’t sense that much chemistry between the leads, but I think that was the fault of the writing. DB wasn’t given that much to do so I couldn’t really form an opinion of his character or what he might be able to do with it if he’s allowed to have some quirks. I don’t think he’s the most dynamic of actors, but he is good at that retro masculinity thing. It was nice to see him in the sunshine without him turning into a big pile of dust!

bloodflowers | September 14, 23:05 CET

That DB's character was an ex-sniper now dedicating his life to SAVE lifes and bringing murderers to juctice sounds kind of like...humm....Angel/Angelus, mayhaps???
I'll be back though.

Jonas | September 14, 23:12 CET

I will watch this show for David. The female lead I found annoying, and, SpikeBad, I can do without seeing a woman flash an agent in the airport. Very silly. Maybe I would feel differently if I were a guy. I really disliked all the sidekicks also. They were such arrogant little morons. Hope the writers can do better with them in future episodes. Guess this first installment was partially meant to introduce all the cast as well as show the forensic scientist/martial arts expert in action. But I am on board about that scene where Seely Booth (David) plugs the target dummy. Really cool.

Del | September 14, 23:12 CET

Well, as with the negative reviews of Serenity, I just don't get folk's objections here...this is a good show which could become a special show if they can tighten up the plot lines. I certainly don't understand how folks can watch the initial episode and conclude there is no chemistry between Emily and David, that was the first thing I recognized...the chemistry is not only obvious, it overlays the entire episode. Now maybe "chemistry" means something different to different folks (I suspect that's true) but, to me, if there was a higher level of sexual tension between the two characters, the female lead would have to be played by Jenna Jameson!

Calledon | September 14, 23:12 CET

FOX sure promoted the heck out of Bones. I've seen so many ads for the show both on tv and internet, than for any other show. Making it the lead-in to House (which I love) I bet helped too. I wanted to watch. My tv was tuned to FOX and yet I kept finding myself distracted, you know, need to pick that lint ball off my sock sort of distracted. It just didn't hold my interest. However, I did notice that DB and the lead actress had good chemistry. That's something at least. Which reminds me, I need to get some Pledge and dust the tv stand. If nothing else, the show will help me keep my life neat and clean.

killinj | September 14, 23:44 CET

eddy asked "Has there ever been another show where 2 people were credited as "lead" at the same time?"

Yep, one that I know of. X-Files had two leads, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson.

Sister Spooky | September 15, 00:07 CET

Actually, I thought there was strong chemistry between David and Emily.

My problem is with the supporting characters. They need improvement, and some of the acting was spotty with them.

The first episode didn't thrill me like LOST did, but it is well deserving of my 3 Episode Statute of Limitations to Completely Win Me Over.

AlterLeo | September 15, 00:19 CET

Like I said in the other thread I liked it and hopefully with the ratings it got it will get a chance to get better (plot wise that is). I liked DB and ED and thought there was a lot of chemistry and humor between the two.

Firefly Flanatic | September 15, 00:48 CET

During the first five seasons of Cheers, Ted Danson and Shelley Long led off the acting credits simultaneously, one name on the upper right corner and the other on the lower left (I forget which went where!).

Good for DB. I'll catch Bones on reruns, after Gilmore Girls runs out of fresh episodes.

cjl | September 15, 01:06 CET

Just wanted to make note that the full Serenity trailer ran during the episode, at around a quarter after 8 p.m. -- I just now remembered my husband screaming to let me know from the other room. I'll see it for the first time tonight! :)

Wiseblood | September 15, 01:25 CET

Well, that was an incredibly boring pilot. If I want Kathy Reichs, I'll turn off the TV and read her books, thanks.

I can't believe that FOX cancelled The Inside but is pushing this banal, mundane dreck. Should last for about four or five years.

petranef | September 15, 01:32 CET

Woohoo! My first Whedonesque post! *tear*

Celebration aside, I have to say that as a long time Joss-verser, I am completely underwhelmed by the idea of 'Bones'. Nothing that I read or saw prior to the premiere managed to sway me from that stance. TV needs another procedural cop show like it needs another
reality show. It's great that David has managed to find life beyond Angel, but I seriously doubt that Bones lasts beyond this season. Oh well, now bring on Willow: The Series. I already have the storyline Joss! (yeah, like he would even need it)

Inara's Spongebath | September 15, 01:57 CET

Welcome to the wonderful world of Whedonesque, Inara's Spongebath! (typing that just made me feel like a 'hostess' at a bathhouse... ; ) )

Tuned in for the last couple of minutes and thought Bones was... *sheepish* painful. Emily? Not so good. Feel really bad about it, but there it is.

barest_smidgen | September 15, 02:17 CET

i liked it but i found it hard to watch DB in the sunlight. i am too use to see him in dark settings. its hard to let go of angel

noffbaby | September 15, 02:27 CET

They beat a couple of points into the ground to the point that it felt unnatural -- lab ners vs. street cops/agents for one, ED's characters naivety re: emotions another -- but I thought it was amusing. Will I watch it again? Probably. Would I cry if I didn't ever see it again? Not really. DB's character was not a stretch for him at all, either. I don't thinnk ED was as bad as some people are saying, but the heavy handed writing made everyone look a little silly from time to time.

zeitgeist | September 15, 02:40 CET

Hmm. Bright female unable to relate to her co-workers due to childhood trauma. I've seen that somewhere before. Somewhere inside.
I'll watch it a couple more times and see if it grabs me but it hasn't yet. We need Peter Coyote.

[ edited by Lioness on 2005-09-15 00:49 ]

Lioness | September 15, 02:49 CET

*sigh* I miss the Inside already. I need my weekly Adam Baldwin fix. I swear he had some Jayne moments on the Inside, but I think I was reading too heavily into it.

Danica | September 15, 02:53 CET

Someone above mentioned Lost. There's also Tru Calling.

Polter-Cow | September 15, 03:05 CET

Lost isn't on Fox is it?

Rogue Slayer | September 15, 03:13 CET

I had never seen David in anything other than Angel and thought it would be hard to not see Angel all the time, but surprisingly it wasn't. He was really great. And I actually liked ED, even though some of the other forensic guys were quite annoying. The writing needs some improvement (and the soundtrack, I agree with that), but it got better in the second half. I hope they'll give David more to do in the next few episodes.

Elo | September 15, 03:22 CET

No, it's on ABC. But Tru Calling was on Fox.

Polter-Cow | September 15, 04:40 CET

Woo-hoo! After months of membership being closed, it is finally open, and I am here! Yaaaaaaay!

So...anyway...Bones.

I was really surprised by how much I liked it. There are flaws, yes, but I think that most of the problems were with the divulging of the expository info...nobody has Joss' rare talents of telling everything that has gone before without making things all mechanical.

The first scene was absolutely horrible. Bones attacking the Homeland Security guy following her, and that terrible bit with the chick flashing some cleavage to get noticed...I was tempted to turn the channel even before the theme song kicked in. Luckily, David came on and brightened up the show. It was so strange seeing him in the sunlight, but I do know that I'd like to see more of it.

Is it wrong that I found the montage scenes of Bones piecing together skeletons very touching and poignant? I also appreciated the camerawork, which didn't feel the need to be up in its actors' faces every shot. There were quite a few long shots, and even some long tracking ones, and I found it all to be kind of refreshing. I also thought that the dialogue, while not brilliant, was far cleverer than most on network TV.

As long as Bones stop using lame-ass martial arts and ditches the catchphrase, "I don't understand that," the show should be in fine order. I definitely like it better than that other forensic crime show...you know which one. Three letters, stiff characters, and the only thing to ever make Quentin Tarantino's writing and directing a bore.

Four Rooms may not have been great...but at least QT's segment was never boring.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 15, 05:12 CET

Emily and David's chemistry was hot and sexy. I enjoyed them, not so much the rest of the cast. I also don't care "who dun it?". I don't get into procedural dramas at all. BUT... I did like the show. Didn't love it. But David was great, and I'll continue to set my VCR. UnpluggedCrazy, welcome to our crazy group! I also enjoyed the scene of Emily putting the skull together. Lioness, interesting comparison with Inside, you are certainly correct. Another girl with a past deal.

Harmalicious | September 15, 06:37 CET

Next week's looks so exciting. Fox comes out with the best shows so if you don't like Bones maybe you just don't like a certain kind of show. But Bones is really good. It was a bit different from the pilot. The music is horrible. I love the music in the pilot but the first episode sounded like porn music.

charisma | September 15, 17:08 CET

I didn't get to see it (My VCR issues) but YAY David!!! I'm going to have to learn to set the thing. I want to start watching HOUSE, too.

spikeylover | September 15, 18:23 CET

Hmm... not to be a party pooper here... but apparently the Nielson's ratings had Bones coming in second to the Gilmore Girls. And I think these ratings are a little more highly regarded.

http://www.eonline.com/Insider/Boards/ann.jspa?annID=124

bravegal | September 15, 20:57 CET

No. Bravegal. Those are demographics. Gilmore Girls beat Bones in " ADULTS 18-34, WOMEN 18-34, PERSONS 12-34 AND WOMEN 12-34" but overall Bones had more viewers.

Not to mention thats a WB release. Networks always spin the ratings in their favor in their press releases.

eddy | September 15, 22:25 CET

I think that Bones is more difficult to enjoy for people who have read the books. The gap in knowledge of pop culture that the Temperance Brennan character of the show displays is very annoying when she is contrasted with the Temperance Brennan of the books, who is not only aware of pop culture, but is damn funny when she uses these references herself.

That said, I am going to give some more time, since I don't have a conflict on my stations.

Judy | September 16, 21:22 CET