Emily Deschanel

CHICAGO – The awesomeness of history loses any of its stuffiness with the incredibly fun, indeed educational show “Drunk History” from Comedy Central, its two seasons now released on DVD. Hosted by its creator Derek Waters, the show is a celebration of various historic figures and their under-appreciated true tales, as expressed by funny people narrating in the universal language of inebriation; their recounts are then reenacted by famous actors working with their given dialogue, dressed with the comic cheapness of a bloated biopic.

CHICAGO – What do a multi-year procedural like “Bones,” a tragically canceled show like “Alcatraz,” and a struggling new show like “Touch” share other than the fact that you’ll find their most recent (or only) seasons the New Release shelf at your DVD & Blu-ray store? Not much other than the fact that all three are strong examples of how FOX has had difficulty finding an identity in recent years.

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 – The opening moments of Anne Renton’s feature debut, “The Perfect Family,” paint a typically cheery portrait of suburbia, complete with a sign displaying the generic tagline, “An Enjoyable Town.” It’s the sort of neighborhood audiences have seen countless times before in indies aiming to depict the “dark side” of small town America, a la “Blue Velvet.”

CHICAGO – Yes, they’re moving “Bones” again. Having been shuffled around far too many times, the Emily Deschanel & David Boreanaz mystery show has somehow remained a consistent performer for a network that could really use one. Fans are loyal to the program and always seem to find it.

CHICAGO – The television series that is deep in its run could have shake-ups and a different direction for story arcs. Or like a comfortable slipper, stay the course that made it popular and hope the audience hangs on. “Bones,” starring Emily Deschanel, is staying the course in its seventh season on FOX.

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.