BONES Casts Andrew Leeds as a New Big Bad
September 13, 2011 by Marisa Roffman
The next baddie the BONES team will be facing has been cast!
Fox has confirmed to Give Me My Remote that Andrew Leeds had landed the role of Christopher Pellant, the new recurring foe who will be tormenting the Jeffersonian team this season. He’ll first appear in the sixth hour of the year, which will also serve as the mid-season finale before the series goes off the air to accommodate series star Emily Deschanel’s (Brennan) real-life maternity leave.
According to BONES creator Hart Hanson, right now the cast is in the midst of shooting episodes 5 and 6, “so we can shoot out Emily, so she can go have her baby.”
As of Monday night — when the part hadn’t yet been cast — Hanson freely spoke about trying to cast the new nemesis.
“We just haven’t started shooting the part that he’s in, [but] it’s a big presence,” he said. “And it’s a really important piece of casting and we all, literally — I don’t think it’s bad to say — we all have an idea in our head of what this guy is like, including the network and all of us [who work on the show] and the studio and everything. So there is a lot of conversation about it.” (And as you may recall, BONES writer Carla Kettner previously teased this guy is “the first character I’ve felt is potentially an intellectual match for Brennan.”)
And how many episodes will the new baddie be in?
“We’ll know more when we come back [from our break],” Hanson said. “[He’ll be in] one before the break and I’d guess two more [after the hiatus] — but it also depends on how many episodes we do.”
Yes, you read that right. While Fox’s President of Entertainment, Kevin Reilly said just last month that they were only planning on having 13 hours this season, Hanson told me last night, “We’ll do somewhere between 13 and 18.”
Stay tuned…
Related:
BONES: Hart Hanson and Carla Kettner Tease What You Need to Know About Season 7 (Part 2)
BONES: Hart Hanson and Carla Kettner Tease What You Need to Know About Season 7 (Part 1)
BONES: Hart Hanson Talks Season 6, The Original Fallout for ‘The Hole in the Heart,’ Comic-Con, THE FINDER and More
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Filed under #1 featured, Bones
Possibly more than 13 episodes???
Works for me!
Please let there be more than 13 episodes!! I would be one happy camper.
Sorry … but all of a sudden, there’s a MENTION of “possibly” more than 13 episodes?? Well, if it’s ONLY a slight “possibility” … then, that’s one thing. But, if that “possibility” is more of a DEFINITE … meaning that there WILL BE more than the “previously-said” 13 episodes … OMG!! I’m NOT thinking this is GOOD NEWS at all!
Why?? Because it makes me believe that Deschanel MIGHT BE ‘considering’ wanting to put her ‘actress career ON HOLD” (after this 7th season) and spend her time raising her baby. If that BECOMES the case … this could be Bones LAST SEASON! So, if this might be Bones last season, that could be ‘the reason’ WHY Hanson is “suddenly” pushing to have MORE THAN the originally-planned “13 episode count”! Really, just ‘taking into account’ WHERE Bones has currently left their storyline … it would seem that if the Bones series was going to end, Hanson would indeed probably NEED MORE than just 13 episodes to do it! This is why I feel this “possibility” for adding MORE EPISODES (than what was ‘originally said’ as being practically ‘a guarantee’) could prove to be BAD NEWS! Honestly, it’s just a feeling I have … and yes, I hope I’m wrong with this assumption! Because, NO … I would NOT want to see this 7th season as Bones final one. Seriously, there’s still ALOT OF IDEAS the writers could ‘pitch’ to make a few more seasons, before this series needs to be put to rest. Although, if it becomes Deschanel’s decision to leave the show … I could certainly understand her wanting to raise her baby. So, even though Bones would suffer having to end sooner than planned … I would understand! But again, here’s hoping it’s NOT going to come down to that … YET!
Hanson has said in the past that he could only write them as a couple for about 15 episodes. Maybe this is the last she season. Who knows? I think a lot depends on the Finder and other Fox shows and if they need to fill more space if they get cancelled or ratings are low.
I hope this character is better than the Sniper. I did not find him scary at all. I am happy that they seem to be back to concentrating on the cases. It became too much of a soap opera for me since the 100th. Only time will tell if this pregnancy SL will be a success. After last season I would have preferred they went their seperate ways romantically. But it seems like many fans have forgotten Season 6 or only care that B & B are together and don’t really care about the story that got them there. I wish I were one of those fans.
Hoping they return to crime and lab scenes and the whole team working together. I want balance back and really hope this does not become a bromance with Sweets/Booth. I like JFD but I feel his character is overused. Want more Jack and Angela (but not as a couple) and more Cam. Mainly, I want a Brennan back who is liked and respected and not just the “joke” of each episode or being taught a lesson each week. For someone who is supposed to have a steep learning curve, th ey just have her regressing this past season. Please let her progress in Season 7. I just don’t want the focus to be on clueless Brennan becoming a mother. We have seen her compassion in the past. I hope they don’t erase that again.
**** Just wanted to mention that my post below is going to be extremely lengthy. Sorry for that … but I’ve been further contemplating … and there’s alot more I should have said earlier. ****
Very interesting point, E!!! … as I too, 100% agree, that ALOT WOULD DEFINITELY “depend” on ‘The Finder’ … and just HOW WELL it does!! Although, something tells me that since there’s been ‘mostly complaints’ than say ‘actual praises’ regarding ‘The Finder’ … well, the ‘end result’ for Hanson and Fox is how to SELL ‘The Finder’ in a way that can make it ‘prosper’!! Really, it’s NOT that ‘The Finder’ is such a ‘horrible’ show … it’s that it has been ‘pegged’ as a Bones Spinoff, which ‘clearly’ was a ‘mistake’ since The Finder’s story plot has ABSOLUTELY NO SIMILARITY ‘WHAT-SO-EVER’ to Bones! Now, Hanson and Fox have their ‘hands’ tied. They have to ‘figure out’ HOW to get ‘The Finder’ ON THE MAP, so-to-speak … just so it does NOT become a major flop!
The thing that ‘concerns me’ the most is that since Hanson HAS ‘no doubt’ devoted a ‘good majority’ of his time to ‘The Finder’ concept … he has absolutely ‘neglected’ his other show, Bones, in the process … and that has made some HUGE ERRORS happen. I mean, there’s NO REASON to discuss Bones 6th season, as it was NOT really something that many would want to remember, anyway. Although, if I had to say one thing “THAT WAS ALRIGHT” about it, I would say that it did ‘serve a purpose’ … which was getting Brennan ‘in touch’ with her feelings for Booth. So, it wasn’t ‘completely’ THAT TERRIBLE of a season … it was just more on the verge of SAD, because we had to ‘stomach’ Booth’s love interest, HANNAH … and it was Winnick’s acting that totally made the viewers want to yell “”HELP””!! An accident that kept happening … as Hanson should’ve ‘recognized’ such failure with the ‘Hannah character’ right away. Let me just further say … “”Yes, Hanson … practically everyone who watched last season DID NOT LOVE Hannah Burley””!! In closing … THANK GOODNESS, Booth ‘woke up’ from la-la land, and kicked her out!!!!
Now, just thinking about a ‘certain question’ that NEEDS Hanson’s response. The question is this … Why is Boreanaz taking his ‘Booth character’ to GUEST SPOT on ‘The Finder’?? … (and he’s all by himself, I might add … without any other Bones cast members to join him) … Oh My!! THIS IS ‘ONE PIECE OF NEWS’ that has me rather ‘nervous’ … as my ‘previous post’ talked about the “WHAT IF’s” to Deschanel possibly wanting to leave Bones, and could Season 7 then be the LAST ONE?? Suddenly, I am overly concerned … as maybe it’s NOT just hearing of EXTRA EPISODES being ‘mentioned’ afterall … which COULD INDEED push the show to it’s end alot sooner than that ‘former-guarantee’ of ‘fewer episodes’ would. Yeah, and I know it’s ONLY 5 more episodes that’s being talked about … (from 13 to actually 18) … but still, ALOT can happen with the storyline in 5 episodes!! It just makes me wonder EVEN MORE NOW because if Deschanel did decide on leaving … we all know Boreanaz would be fine without Bones. But, what about the other cast members?? There’s Conlin, Thyne, Taylor and Daley!! What might happen to them?? You know, I’ve ALWAYS THOUGHT that of the whole cast (Deschanel, included) it would be Boreanaz who WOULD BE ‘offered’ another show to ‘continue on’ with. No doubt, his former success with ‘Angel’ has made that possible. So again I say … Boreanaz would be just fine. Although, as for the rest of the cast … they’re all going to be OFF somewhere ‘scattered’ in limbo. This is the reason Boreanaz’s GUEST SPOT on ‘The Finder’ has me concerned. Could it be Boreanaz is going to END UP ‘permanently’ on ‘The Finder’?? OK … I’ll go ‘one step’ further … Boreanaz is even going to DIRECT and episode of ‘The Finder’ as well. Hmmm … let’s see, Boreanaz stars as Seeley Booth in Bones, and has ‘directed’ 4 of their previous episodes. Now, if Bones does end … what’s to stop Hanson or Fox from having Boreanaz just move to The Finder?? Afterall, Boreanaz IS going to ‘direct’ (so far) ONE of their episodes … and (so far) GUEST SPOT on that show (as his Booth character) with Geoff Stults. And I know many will say it’s only happening because Boreanaz won’t be working when Bones takes a ‘long hiatus’ since Deschanel will be on ‘maternity leave’!! But, you know what?? I think differently because there’s been NO CONFIRMATION if Deschanel will continue Bones after Season 7. That’s obviously the BIG QUESTION to have answered … and Hanson can’t answer that one. It’s going to be ‘completely’ Dechanel’s call on what she’s going to do! So, this ‘trial run’ with Boreanaz appearing on ‘The Finder’ MIGHT just be a ‘backup plan’ in case Deschanel decides on ‘motherhood’. Not too far-fetched, actually … as Boreanaz did mention during this year’s Paley Event that “”HE ENJOYS PLAYING AGENT BOOTH”!!! So, this way, he CAN continue with ‘that same character’ on another show, even if it comes down to Deschanel’s departure from Bones. Just hope the rest of the Bones cast WOULD get to ‘guest spot’ occasionally on ‘The Finder’ at times, too … so, they wouldn’t just end up gone without a trace.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that S7 is the LAST season for Bones. Judie above me made a LOT of good points on why that is. I can easily forsee David Boreanaz either being a main character on the Finder or him getting a completely new show of his own. Deschanel on the other hand is going to take time off to be with her newborn and then come back to acting when she is ready. This comes with a risk though. If and when she decides to comes back, she is going to find out it is not easy to get another job after you have been away for awhile. There are not a lot of parts available for a woman in her late thirties.
Sorry, this is going to be a long one.
Perhaps all of you who think this means the end of Bones should pay a little closer attention.
First, HH has said from the very BEGINNING that he wanted more than 13 episodes. This is NOT a sudden decision. Fox only ordered 13 to start because they were 100% positive they could do 13. They have also said that they won’t do Emily-less episodes. So that means she wants to come back. But coming back specifically to do four “last” episodes doesn’t make sense. If she wanted to take a break from acting to be with her baby, why come back at all? Why not just leave it at the 13?
Second, Marisa Roffman, who wrote this article, has tweeted that if there was ANY indication of this being a bad thing that would have been the FIRST thing she would have said. There simply isn’t enough information right now to determine that.
Third, we don’t know when the episodes are going to air. There is a possibility that they could be held until the fall. Four episodes do NOT make a season, so if they get held until the fall that means there will be a season eight. It would be just like with seasons three and four where four had 26 episodes (four extra) because season three had been so short.
Fourth, if this was 100% absolutely going to be the last season, we would likely know by now. Look at Desperate Housewives for example. It has already been decided that this upcoming season will be its last. Fox has not said anything about this being Bones’ last season, so it is probably safe to say they are at least thinking of a possible eighth season. It won’t be until the Spring when we find out for sure.
And finally, Bones was Fox’s biggest scripted show last year. Unless the ratings drop dramatically this season, why would they want to get rid of it? Some think they are trying to make room for the Finder but I don’t agree with that. The Finder could only benefit from Bones (kind of like how NCIS: LA airs after NCIS and the failed Criminal Minds spin off aired after CM). Plus we still don’t know how well it will do. All of this talk of the Bones cast being on The Finder is likely to keep Bones in people’s minds while it is on hiatus. It is silly to think the characters would actually move to that show.
Judie, I think that DB is going to do really good for himself when they stop production due to the pregnancy, but I really feel bad for TJ and Michaela and the rest of the cast but especially the crew. Actors make enough money to withstand being out if work for awhile but I don’t think that is the case for the crew. Knowing people who have lived out there, Hollywood is one of the most expensive places to live. I also believe that if Hart Hanson doesn’t give the fans what they want, S7 will most definitely be it’s last.
Well, I do NOT believe that Hanson wanted Bones to have MORE than those 13 episodes that were originally ordered by Fox, and here’s why …
The reason is Hanson has been PUSHING his Bones spinoff (yeah, if ‘The Finder’ can even be called a ‘spinoff’) so much … that he has totally made Bones, at the very most … his ‘second’ attention. Now, that is what does NOT make sense. As you don’t ‘neglect’ your current “HUGE RATINGS MAKER” of a show (which is Bones) … and instead spend ‘countless hours, days, weeks, and months’ focusing on ONLY working with your spinoff show. Hanson ‘completely’ has been devoting himself to getting ‘The Finder’ as a SERIES. That is what Hanson HAS WANTED ever since that ‘spinoff episode’ purposely ‘made it’s debut’ on the 6th season of Bones. Seriously, does anyone really think that episode of ‘The Finder’ WAS ‘justified’ as a ‘Bones spinoff’ episode?? I think many will agree 1000 times over, that it was NOT!!! The only thing that made “The Finder’ spinoff episode a part of Bones was that BOTH CASTS were together. But, even so, the ‘story’ of ‘The Finder’ was not even remotely ‘similar or related’ in any way possible to Bones. Hanson should’ve just PUSHED ‘The Finder’ as it’s OWN SHOW … without trying to tie Bones to it. As Bones is ‘strong enough’ to stand on it’s own … and WITHOUT trying to make us believe that ”The Finder’ belongs with it !
As for ‘Deschanel-less’ episodes …
Just because they won’t do any episodes without Deschanel does NOT mean she WANTS to come back. There actually has been NO CONFIRMATION she’s even ‘considering’ returning after this season is over. The reason they will NOT do any episodes without Deschanel is because SHE IS ALSO A LEAD in the show (besides Boreanaz)! Deschanel is ‘under contract’ to do an ‘x–amount’ of episodes!! So, if the ‘original-order’ was for 13 episodes … then she is ‘expected’ to do AT LEAST that many episodes because THAT IS PART OF HER CONTRACT! The fact that there is now MORE EPISODES being added ‘concerns me’ because Hanson has ‘stated’ (what E said in their above post) that he could only write ‘Booth & Brennan as a couple’ for ABOUT 15 episodes. So, this is where the ‘ADD-ON’ EPISODES THEORY might come from. As 15 episodes (instead of 13) is an ‘add-on’ … although, that may NOT ‘cut-it’ … but, 17 episodes might FINISH things for Bones! So, I’m figuring that this could be ‘another backup plan’ just in case ‘Season 8’ does NOT happen, afterall. And although Fox has said they WANT a ‘Season 8’ for Bones, if Deschanel WANTS to ‘take a break’ and ‘raise her baby for now’ … then Bones would NOT return because THEY WOULD NOT DO ‘DESCHANEL-LESS’ EPISODES. So, how does this POSSIBLY not make sense?? Really, it’s only my opinion … and hopefully, I’m wrong … but, it also DOES makes alot of sense … so, I’m just wondering could it be what they’re thinking??
And thanks for the agreement, Cindy & Louise. And to whoever doesn’t agree with my opinion … let’s just say that “only time will tell”!
SAM … regarding THIS PART of your above post —
[All of this talk of the Bones cast being on The Finder is likely to keep Bones in people’s minds while it is on hiatus.]
Well, if that WAS ‘supposedly’ the case, Boreanaz would be making SEVERAL ‘guest appearances’ on ‘The Finder’ … NOT just ONLY ONE ‘scheduled’ appearance. And, Boreanaz does NOT need to ‘direct’ one of ‘The Finder’ episodes, either … as we all know ‘directing’ does NOT put you ‘out there’ being ‘noticeable’ in plain view. Really, if I wanted to ‘change my opinion’ and AGREE with your reasoning to keep Bones ‘fresh in people’s minds’ … Boreanaz would have to be IN FRONT of the camera (that way, he would be seen) … and not BEHIND it! Honestly, the Bones show IS Boreanaz’s MAIN PRIORITY … but, the fact he’s ‘stepping up’ and moving to ‘directing’ one of ‘The Finder’ episodes, makes me think he is taking an ‘active interest’ in that show … which could be just in case Bones does NOT have an 8th season. Sorry, but it DOES make PLENTY of sense, and until it’s ‘confirmed’ otherwise … I’ll stick to thinking it’s ‘highly-possible’ that this very ‘situation” can happen!