Is this another tough break for Bones fans? The Hollywood Reporter says Bones executive producer Barry Josephson is suing the FOX network and the 20th Century Fox Television studio’s parent company, over alleged profit shenanigans. Per THR, “[Josephson] also says he was ‘fraudulently threatened’ by [Peter] Rice and other execs into accepting a lower license fee from Fox or else face immediate cancellation of the show.”
Previously, we reported that season 11B of the Bones TV show does not appear on the FOX schedule for the new year, except for a mention that a return date is still to be announced. While not a good sign for the series, that does not mean Bones is cancelled in the middle of season 11. Co-star David Boreanaz has said this 11th is the last season for him, and he does not plan to return to the show for season 12.
Here are more details from a Deadline exclusive:
Detailing “underreporting” of more than $19 million from license fees in Europe, “misclassifying” of more than $3.75 million in integration and product-placement deals and “misallocated revenue” from Fox-owned Hulu, among other focused examples, Josephson’s eight-claim lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Corporation, Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Entertainment Group also asserts that take-it-or-cancel-it threats from high-level Fox executives including now co-Fox CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden were used over the years to get Josephson — plus showrunner Hart Hansen, producer Kathleen Reichs and stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, who also serve as producers, and their WME and ICM agencies — to agree to a reduction in episodic license fees.
“Specifically, on or about May 13, 2009, then-Fox senior executives Newman and Walden telephoned Plaintiff regarding the Release,” today’s filing says, regarding a conversation with Josephson, Newman and Walden about the $2 million per-episode fee the execs said Fox Broadcasting Company would accept for the successful series’ upcoming seasons. This was coming off a vert successful Season 4 for Bones. “On this call, the Fox executives told Plaintiff that he would have to accept lower license fees for Seasons 5 and 6 of the Series or that it would be cancelled if he did not.”
You can read Deadline‘s PDF archive of the filing, here.
What do you think? Are you fan of the Bones TV show on FOX? Do you think this law suit makes it more likely the series will end after season 11? Do you expect season 11 B of Bones to be included in FOX spring 2016 lineup? Let us know how you feel.
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