Any show that lasts three seasons on Fox has to be pretty good, given their flighty nerves regarding programs that may not have mass appeal. As punishment for canceling Firefly, The Tick, and Family Guy the first time; We (royal we) don’t recognize Fox save for Sunday nights, 24, and Hell’s Kitchen. ( “You can’t cook pasta, you bloody ass fuck!?!?” Gordon Ramsey is as ugly and volatile as my darker side — Darth Chef.) Given the popularity of forensic cop shows, Fox “entertainment” now has the balls to present Bones, a unique “drama” I caught for the first time channel surfing.

We’ve seen this jello mold before: guy-girl investigator team with that Odd Couple polarity but heterosexual tension (tell me the neat guy wasn’t code for bottom, fool). “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is a scientistette with geek appeal, walking encyclopedia too uptight to let her hair down Polly Prissypants. Her counterpart is street-savvy FBI Agent Booth, a laid back guy’s guy played by David Boreanaz (Angel, whom still gets vampire-pimp props for turning out The Slayer, but without the stake-up-his-ass emo-intensity).

Rounding out the team is a combination of scientists/pathologists that continue the nerd appeal with Andy a dorky tech, Jack know-it-all House-ish forensic chemist, Angela hot tomboy asian chick (not sure of her job role, don’t care), and Camille fine black boss lady pathologist (they work for the Jefferson Institution and the boss is a Sally Hemmings-like redbone, coincidence?). Out of your league smart chicks in proximity with quirky boys cultivates hope in the heart of the bookish slob viewer (Sit Com 101).

These characters aren’t ground breaking, but their interactions are the selling point. For a TV drama there’s a lot of adolescent joking going on back and forth over gender roles with kiloliters of sarcasm. The repartee is very Joss Whedon styled, with references to pop culture, girls teasing the awkward boys – yet brainy like Aaron Sorkin (the West Wing for scientists, not liberal arts Phds – if those existed). You know it’s drama only because once in a while people give tearful mourning of the dead or remorseful confessions of murder, accompanied by those ever so helpful sad piano cues that say “This is the serious part, dummy”. It’s a goofy show with dramatic relief.

A successful mix of Seinfeld with Law and Order: SVU is hard to find. Check it out before it’s cancelled for being elitist and anti-American (I mentioned it was on Fox right?).

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