Emily Deschanel is heading back to network television and returning to familiar territory. The actress who played Dr. Temperance Brennan for 12 seasons on Fox’s Bones has signed on to lead a new NBC drama pilot. She will play a criminal profiler who works with the FBI to solve difficult cases. The project is currently untitled but has already generated buzz because of its connection to real-life crime expert Dr. Ann Burgess and the subtle Bones reunion happening at NBC .
Deschanel’s former co-star David Boreanaz recently landed the lead role in NBC’s The Rockford Files reboot pilot. Now both actors are developing projects at the same network, giving longtime Bones fans reason to pay attention to NBC’s upcoming development slate .
What Is the NBC Pilot About?
The untitled pilot follows Professor Georgia Ryan, a psychologist who challenges traditional crime-solving methods. According to the official logline, Ryan shifts the investigative focus to the victim rather than just looking at the perpetrator. This approach helps uncover clues that standard police work tends to miss .
“Professor Georgia Ryan is a trailblazing psychologist who challenges the field of criminology by shifting the investigative focus to the victim rather than just the perpetrator in order to uncover the crucial clues that more traditional methods leave behind. Alongside her team, this pioneering expert consults with the FBI to solve the most baffling and elusive cases.”
The character builds a team and works directly with the FBI to tackle complicated cases that leave other investigators stuck. The premise feels familiar to anyone who watched Bones, where Deschanel’s Dr. Brennan used forensic anthropology to help the FBI solve murders. But this time her character focuses on psychology and victim profiling rather than bones and evidence .
Real-Life Inspiration Behind the Series
The pilot draws inspiration from the work of Dr. Ann Burgess, a real-life expert profiler and author. Burgess is known for her groundbreaking work in criminal profiling and victim studies. She was the subject of the Hulu documentary series Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer .
Burgess is directly involved with the project as a consulting producer. Steven Constantine also serves as consulting producer, ensuring the show stays true to real profiling methods . This connection to reality gives the project weight and sets it apart from purely fictional crime dramas.
The series is based on Burgess’s approach to understanding criminals by studying victims. Her books include A Killer by Design: Murderers, Mindhunters and My Quest to Decipher the Criminal Mind .
Who Is Making the Show?
Dean Georgaris and John Fox wrote the pilot and serve as executive producers. Georgaris previously worked on NBC’s Quantum Leap revival and wrote for The Brave. He also wrote the screenplay for the Jason Statham movie The Meg .
John Fox is president of Davis Entertainment. His credits include The Blacklist and the film Game Night. John Davis executive produces through Davis Entertainment .
Universal Television is the studio behind the project. Deschanel also serves as a producer on the pilot in addition to her starring role .
How Does This Connect to Bones?
The Bones connection is hard to ignore. Deschanel played Temperance Brennan opposite David Boreanaz’s Seeley Booth for 12 seasons and nearly 250 episodes. The show ended in 2017 but remains popular in syndication and streaming .
Now both actors are developing pilots at NBC during the same development season. Boreanaz will star in The Rockford Files reboot, playing James Rockford, a private investigator originally played by James Garner .
If both pilots go to series, Deschanel and Boreanaz would be back on the same network schedule. They would not share scenes together, but fans would be able to watch both actors in new crime dramas on NBC .
Italian outlet ComingSoon.it noted that the concept “recalls not so vaguely Bones itself” because both shows feature a female expert working with the FBI to solve crimes .
Emily Deschanel’s Career Since Bones
Since Bones wrapped in 2017, Deschanel has stayed busy with television and film roles. She had a season-long arc on TNT’s Animal Kingdom. She also starred in the Netflix limited series Devil in Ohio, playing a psychiatrist who shelters a young cult escapee .
Her film credits include the coming-of-age comedy Big Boys and the romantic sci-fi drama ReEntry. She also has the film Monkey Bread in development .
Deschanel also directed the premiere episode of Bones final season, making her directorial debut. She served as a producer on the show for many years .
What We Know About Production
The pilot is one of eight drama pilots NBC ordered this development season. The network has increased its pilot orders as part of a small-scale revival of the traditional pilot process .
Pilots give networks a chance to test casting, writing, and chemistry before committing to a full series order. NBC plans to evaluate this project alongside others before deciding which shows move forward for the 2026-27 television season .
TheWrap reported in January that NBC ordered the pilot as part of a push to bring back the traditional pilot model, which had become less common during the streaming era .
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Where Things Stand Now
The project is still in development. NBC has not announced a decision about picking up the show for a full season. That decision typically comes after executives review the completed pilot .
If ordered to series, this would be Deschanel’s first lead role in a network drama since Bones ended. The show would join NBC’s strong lineup of crime dramas including Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order, and Chicago P.D. .
Deschanel is repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA, and Hansen Jacobsen. The project does not yet have a scheduled production start date or premiere window .
Also Read: David Boreanaz Cast in NBC’s Rockford Files Reboot Pilot
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