BONES: Hart Hanson on Getting a Season 9, the Possibility for Season 10, Pelant, and More
January 21, 2013 by Marisa Roffman
Pelant returns tonight on BONES (star Tamara Taylor teased he returns in a “gnarly, creepy, scary way”) and things get a bit dramatic. (Okay, that might be a really big understatement.)
And while this arc has been going on for more than a year (and potentially may have had a shorter run had things worked out differently), thanks to Fox’s early renewal of BONES, it may be continuing on a little bit longer.
I spoke with BONES creator Hart Hanson about getting season 9 early, if there’s life for the show beyond that, and more…
The BONES renewal was just announced, but there were rumors and rumblings about it for a while. When did you find out you’d officially be back for a season 9?
Hart Hanson: We knew…season 9 has been picked up for a long time, but there were a number of contingencies. There was a license deal and then deals with actors. So there were a multitude of things that had to happen before the pickup was official. I found out that the last of those things happened shortly before Christmas.
David Boreanaz (Booth) and Emily Deschanel (Brennan) have signed on to return, but will the rest of the cast remain intact for season 9?
HH: Our plan right now is to have everyone back for [season] 9.
The way the season has been playing out, it almost feels like you guys could be on the path to writing out Michaela Conlin (Angela)…
HH: Right? Let me say this: we have no plans to write out Michaela.
Good to know. Does your all in plan for next season include the squinterns, too?
HH: Well, we always risk losing a squintern…it would be very useful for us if that worked out. But we’re not going to get rid of anybody. Not by choice.
But I’m telling you, these people are amazing. So we always assume we’re going to lose more than one, to tell the truth. And when it doesn’t happen — or they’re able to do both things — like Michael Grant Terry (Wendall) has been doing GRIMM. But it’s worked out so far.
Nothing’s for sure, and I’ll tell you why — right now is the time where we have to pivot between ending the season and ending the series. So, we’re pivoting to end the season and not the series. And we’ve been moving as much as we can so we can do cases, but what’s going to happen to people [depended on] is this an end of series season or an end of season season.
It’s a little crazy, because it feels like yesterday when you were telling me the big question was whether the show would get picked up for season 7, and now you’ve been picked up for a ninth season. Kevin Reilly said he’d like the show to continue on, and some fans on Twitter pointed out that if it goes to season 10, in theory, it would might end at exactly 206 episodes… [Note — it seems like if a traditional 22 episode season was ordered for 9 and a hypothetical season 10, it would actually reach over 206 episodes.]
HH: I’d have to do the actual math, because we did have a strike in there. That’s really interesting.
Are you thinking about doing the show beyond season 9? Or is that too much?
HH: Well I am now! Here’s what I always thought — we could get to 10 with the series resembling to a degree what it is now. To go into 11, we would have to shake up the series; at least something as big as Booth and Brennan having a baby and moving in together, which gives us through 10. But I promise you, I’m not even thinking through 10 right now. I’m getting through 8 and then getting from the end of 8 to 9.
Does finding out this early that you got a season 9 change the plans for the Pelant arc going forward?
HH: Yes.
Will he continue on in season 9?
HH: If I tell you that, you’ll know if he survives season 8…the Pelant story takes a massive twist throughout season 8. And he may be back in season 9 or he might not. What if he doesn’t survive?
–
Hm…
BONES airs Mondays at 8 PM on Fox.
Related:
BONES: Tamara Taylor on Cam’s Romance with Arastoo, the Return of Pelant, and More
BONES: ‘The Twist in the Plot’ Photo Preview
BONES: Hart Hanson Offers a Cryptic Hodgins Tease
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After the season she has had, I’d almost like to see Angela off the show. She used to be one of my favorite characters, but she has been so selfish and immature this season; my coworker at DISH and I think she detracts from the story more often than not. I’m excited to record season nine on my DISH Hopper when it airs so I can watch the show on my schedule. The Hopper has PrimeTime Anytime which will automatically record the four major networks, and two more channels I choose, during primetime. I can watch Bones, and all my other favorite primetime shows, when I want without recording conflicts getting in the way.
This is where I must disagree with the previous comment. I love Angela. Its about time they acknowledge that she never really signed on for her current role, at heart she is an artist not a scientist. She never had the right disposition for her job, she sees the corpses as people, which while it brings some humanity to the show is tough on a person to have so many faces to reconstruct. It would take a toll on any person and I’ve been waiting for her to crack. I don’t think its selfishness in the conventional negative connotation, she needs to make sure she’s happy so she can be Angela to everyone else and bring that humanity, she can’t if she’s slowly losing herself.
I love Bones, always have, however I am so tired of the Pelant character. I just want to see Booth or Hodgins kill him off. I would love to see this show go on for years and years! I only hope that on the Series Finale, which I am not looking forward to, that it ends with a Booth and Brennan wedding. And please again, get rid of the Pelant character sooner rather than later!!!
I could watch this show forever. It is undoubtedly the best show on TV. The writing, the acting, the way the characters interact is amazing. It is a crime that this show and it’s creators and actors don’t get nominated for Emmys. This last episode was a series highpoint even without a lot of attention focused on Brennan. T. J. Thyne is so much fun to watch and I love Michaela Conlin. Angela is a necessity because she keeps Brennan more grounded, more human. I really like their scenes together. I like how they have converted Sweets from a “relationship counselor” into part of the team. Usually a show running this long takes some turns that you don’t like but amazingly this show just keeps getting better. I will say that I miss the character of Zack. He had a similar dynamic with Hodgins that Brennan has with Angela.
I love that the gang is all back and I’m sure this season is going to be fantastic! But they eventually need to catch that stupid Pelant,hopefully sooner than later!And I’m so happy you guys have decided to keep the family thing going!There are too many shows that have seperation,divorce and fighting all the time,so I just love that you’re keeping the family values especially from my favorite show ever…BONES!!! Keep it alive guys!!!
I agree with Donna, get rid of Pelant the sooner the better.
Seriously tired of this storyline. Hey Hart Hanson, you’re in a rut with the convoluted psychopath’s targeting Temperance/Seeley stories. ENOUGH!
I never get tired of watching Booth and Bones, best couple
I love bones! the show could have a 100 series, I will always love them.
I am in love with the show bones i want it to last for a long time. Emily and david are amazing actors and they are so cute together i Really wanted them to be a cuple in real life and in the show. I wanted there to be more drama in the shows to. I wanted them to get married. It would make the show more intresting. Also they should act like there in love.
hey jeremy nice way to put Dish out there and really not say anything about Bones (the show this is about). I can’t wait for season 9. I have Directv and guess what my Genie does the same thing if not better. You need to be able to get the prime channels for the thing to work. On a better note I love Angela she hasn’t had much to go off this year.