TJ Thyne

CHICAGO – With the end of “House,” FOX’s “Bones” is now the longest-running drama on the network and one of the longest-running series on any channel on network TV. David Boreanaz has essentially been on TV for two decades now with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Bones.” I think even fans of the show have to be surprised that it’s survived this long. But is it still any good? Surprisingly, yes. The premiere of the eighth season has a lot of plot to get through to reunite Bones (Emily Deschanel) with Booth (Boreanaz) and so it’s hard to tell how creatively vibrant the show will be all year but the show’s incredibly charismatic ensemble still seems vital enough to justify the program’s longevity.

CHICAGO – If you’re like a lot of “Bones” fans you were disappointed and angry about the bait-and-switch in place during the season four finale, which promised to feature the inevitable hook-up between Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) but turned out to be nothing more than a dream episode. Sadly, the bitter taste left by the finale continues into the start of season five with the worst premiere episode the often-excellent program has provided to date.