Bones (Fox, Syndicated, TNT)

Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is a hotshot anthropologist who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels on the side. The character is based on real-life anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs; the character's name comes from Reich's novels. In each episode, the FBI turns to Bones and her team at the Jeffersonian to help analyze skeletal fragments of unidentified corpses.

BONES premiered at a moment in television history when the proceudral series reigned supreme. That's the genre of television where a simple investigative format is pumped full of unique characters and situations, although they mostly turn out to be cop-style shows with varying degrees of quality. Law & Order is the gold standard.

While Bones does not do much to innovate the format, it does have a unique advantage in its two lead characters, Bones (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz), who share a classic will-they-won't-they banter that never gets old. It's where the acting and writing both shine. That same light tone is attempted throughout the series and even in some of the more absurd crimes investigated, but because the characters are less vivid, the jokes fall flat.