20th Television
As the title suggests, the TV series “Bones” often revolves around, well, bones. The duo of Brennan and Booth, portrayed by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, are at the heart of every episode, investigating a myriad of unusual murders. This procedural formula has sustained the show for over 200 episodes across 12 seasons. Creating a unique dead body for the script is one thing, but bringing it to life on a network TV budget is another. Sometimes, this necessitated a return to traditional practical effects.
In the companion book “Bones: The Official Companion,” the creators delve into the making of the season 2 episode “The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House.” The title not only serves a functional purpose for the creators but also sets the stage for the viewers. Brennan and Booth were set to uncover some glowing bones, and they did just that. But how did the team manage to make these bones glow on screen? Producer Jan DeWitt sheds light on the process:
“‘Bones’ is a show full of surprises. You never know what’s coming next. There’s a cabin deep in the forest where we discover a glowing body. So, how does the body glow? Do we infuse the glow within the bone, or do we paint it on and use a black light, or do we electrify it? It took us about a week to figure it all out. In the end, we decided to paint it on and use black lights. It turned out great.”
The episode in focus sees Brennan and Booth summoned by Homeland Security to investigate an old stone house where some glowing bones have been discovered. The fear was that the remains might be radioactive, but this fear was later debunked. The team later identifies the victim (a rising chef), but this doesn’t explain the glow. The mystery unravels when it is revealed that she accidentally cut herself while preparing sushi. This led to the introduction of bioluminescent bacteria into her bloodstream, which eventually settled on her bones.
Bones adopted a low-tech approach for effective results
20th Television
This is just one instance of the “Bones” team achieving their goal with limited resources and time. In the episode “Bodies in the Book,” they were tasked with creating a believable dead body that resembled the actor in a short span of time. Such tasks had to be completed on time and within budget. With over 20 episodes per season in most cases, Fox had no room for delays or cost overruns. Hence, the solution was simple: paint and black lights.
The show often relied on the mystery element of each episode, like figuring out why the bones were glowing, because creator Hart Hanson wanted to avoid putting the main characters in real danger too frequently. But how does one keep a show interesting without the constant threat of the protagonists being harmed or killed? A mystery provides a compelling answer. The challenge, however, lies in making the mystery convincing. If the bones didn’t convincingly glow on TV, the whole premise could have crumbled.
Despite occasional chaos behind the scenes, Hanson and the team generally managed to make it all work. They faced budgetary constraints occasionally, as with the bottle episode “The Man in the Fallout Shelter.” However, episodes like “The Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House” showcased the show’s ability to deliver consistently. It wasn’t about CGI or fancy tech. It was about low-tech creativity.
“Bones” is currently available for streaming on Hulu and Peacock.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
