As expected, FOX has renewed Bones for an eighth season and the 2012-13 season. There had been some talk about possibly giving the Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz series a two season renewal but it didn’t work out that way. As part of season eight, the cast and crew of Bones will film their 150th episode. FOX has ordered 22 installments but that number could be increased to 24, depending on the network’s needs.

The announcement comes just a few days before the April 2nd return of Bones, as it moves to Monday nights at 8pm. NBC, ABC, and CBS all have very strong programming on Monday nights now so it’ll be interesting to see how the venerable cop series holds up.

FOX has aired six episodes so far this season. They filmed only 17 installments because of Deschanel’s real-life pregnancy. At a recent Paley event, it was mentioned that four “extra” episodes are standalone installments but take place before the events in the seventh season finale. Based on the press release, it doesn’t seem like they’ll air before the end of this season so they may show up over the summer or be shelved until 2012-13.

Here’s the renewal press release from FOX:

HOT FROM FOX…

BRENNAN AND BOOTH HAVE ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE AS FOX DELIVERS AN EIGHTH SEASON OF “BONES”

It’s a Girl! BONES Returns with a New Arrival on the First of Seven All-New Episodes Monday, April 2, on FOX

FOX has renewed the hit series BONES for its upcoming eighth season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

“Over the past seven seasons, Hart Hanson, Stephen Nathan and the incredible BONES cast and crew have redefined the traditional crime procedural with an irreverent and adventurous sensibility and I’m really happy to have this distinctive, fan-favorite on our schedule for another season,” Reilly said.

BONES returns with seven in a row, all-new episodes on a new night and at a new time beginning Monday, April 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). In the first of these episodes, “The Prisoner in the Pipe,” the remains of an escaped convict are found in a residential sewer, but an examination of the sewer pipes indicates that the murder occurred within prison walls. When Brennan (Emily Deschanel) insists on solving the crime – despite Booth’s (David Boreanaz) pleas for her not to overexert herself – the expectant couple experience a very untraditional arrival of their baby daughter.

During the upcoming eighth season, BONES will celebrate its 150th milestone episode.

BONES is a darkly amusing procedural centered on a highly skilled forensic anthropologist who can read clues left behind in victims’ bones and an FBI agent. These unlikely partners take on homicide cases involving human remains that most forensic specialists can’t handle. The series stars Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, TJ Thyne, Michaela Conlin, Tamara Taylor and John Francis Daley.

BONES is from Far Field Productions and Josephson Entertainment in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series was created by Hart Hanson. Hanson, Stephen Nathan, Ian Toynton, Barry Josephson and Carla Kettner are executive producers. “Like” BONES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bones. Follow the series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BonesonFox and join the conversation at #Bones.

What do you think? Are you glad that Bones has been renewed? How do you think the series will do on Monday nights?

Image courtesy FOX.