Erfolg in Serie

Filmtalk about: BONES (2005-2017)

»It was the kind of science that I had not seen on television before,« says executive producer Barry Josephson, looking back at the inception of Bones. Based on a mixture of the biography and fictional stories of forensic anthropologist and bestselling author Kathy Reichs, Bones is a show that focuses on the life and work of Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), aka Bones, and her relationship with FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). As the two become crime-solving partners, the show uses the backdrop of criminal cases in order to advance characterization and explore interpersonal dynamics between these two protagonists and an ever-evolving group of colleagues-friends at the medico-legal lab of the Jeffersonian Institution and the FBI. By doing so, the show achieves and largely maintains a remarkable balance between its focus on the character development, a spotlight on the forensic science, and the driving force of humor. Apart from bringing romantic comedy and the science of forensic anthropology to the screen, however, the show also investigates some of the central aspects of American cultural mindset, setting up its characters in a way that allows it to meditate on topics such as individualism, patriotism, history, (in)equality, etc. This talk will provide a general introduction to the show and unpack some of the main themes in relation to its narrative and to the broader context of American culture.

Dr. Svetlana Seibel is a research assistant at the Chair of North American Literary and Cultural Studies at Saarland University. She studied North American Literary and Cultural Studies, British Literary and Cultural Studies, and Classical Archaeology at Saarland University. She completed her PhD on the topic of Indigenous popular culture as a member of the International Research Training Group »Diversity: Mediating Difference in Transcultural Spaces.«