bones

The 'Boy' is meeting 'Bones' when Ben Savage guest stars on the hit Fox drama.

Savage is better known to audiences as Cory Matthews thanks to seven seasons on 'Boy Meets World.' This his first TV role since 2008.

According to EW, Savage will play Hugh Burnside, a former employee of a shipping store. The character finds himself caught in the middle of an investigation done by the dynamic duo of Booth and Bones.

"First day on the set of 'Bones,'" Savage tweeted. "Great show and a very talented cast!"

Look for Savage to appear in the fourth episode of the new season. His last credited TV role was a 2008 episode of 'Without a Trace.' Besides 'Boy Meets World,' Savage's other TV credits include 'Chuck' and 'Still Standing.'

Paula Pell, known for her writing duties on '30 Rock' and 'Saturday Night Live,' has been cast as Ron Swanson's (Nick Offerman) mother, Tammy, on 'Parks and Recreation.'

According to TV Guide, Pell, who plays Paula Hornberger on '30 Rock,' will appear as Tammy Zero early in Season 4.

Patricia Clarkson will appear in Season 4 as Tammy 1, Ron's first ex-wife. Megan Mullally, Offerman's real-life wife, has made several appearances as Tammy 2, Ron's second ex-wife named Tammy.

Can Pawnee handle three different Tammys? We'll see on Sept. 22 when 'Parks and Recreation' returns to NBC.

In other casting news ...

Last night's 'Weeds' saw our protagonists flash forward three years in the future, with pot-dealing housewife Nancy Botwin moving from prison to a halfway house in New York City. And on Sunday's 'True Blood' premiere, the residents of Bon Temps skipped ahead an entire year -- a major jump for the series, considering the first three seasons took place during the same month.

All that time-jumping got us thinking about other shows that have pulled the "skip forward" move to avoid awkward plot points. You know, like that time 'One Tree Hill' escaped those clunky college years, or when Melinda had a baby on 'Ghost Whisperer' that was suddenly five years old.

After the page jump, join us in a discussion of time jumps and whether or not they actually worked. (And before you comment-yell at us, this list does not include shows that routinely employ time travel, like 'Doctor Who' or 'Quantum Leap.')

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Entourage,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Hung,' 'Nikita,' and 'Psych.'

['Bones' - 'The Change in the Game']

After the tragedy of last week's 'Bones,' we were presented with a light and fluffy episode to round out the sixth season. Well, as light and fluffy as someone being crushed by a bowling pin resetting machine can be. Of course, being 'Bones,' the whole thing was treated with humor.

We also closed the season-long story line of Angela and Hodgins' new baby, welcomed Squintern Wendell back for another run, and said hello to a wheelchair-bound Max Keenan, who knew the murder victim. Oh, there was also this tiny, unimportant little thing at the very end of the episode that probably made long-time viewers of the show jump and scream for joy.

Big Spoiler Warning: Do not read ahead if you haven't watched this week's episode. You'll be angry if you do.

In advance of this afternoons Upfront presentation in New York, Fox announced its fall 2011 TV schedule this morning. There aren't any big surprises, aside from the 'Bones' spinoff 'Finder' getting its debut at midseason instead of this fall as a contingency plan for Emily Deschanel's pregnancy like many predicted.

The long-delayed 'Terra Nova' finally gets its official debut this fall, with the Steven Spielberg-produced dinosaur show airing Monday nights at 8PM before 'House.' 'The X Factor' takes over 'American Idol''s time slot, and will help launch a new comedy on Wednesday nights.

Another interesting tidbit to note: 'America's Most Wanted' has been discontinued as a regular TV series; after 23 years Fox has decided to bring back the show in the form of occasional specials.

Check out the full lineup after the jump.

['Bones' - 'The Hole in the Heart']

Off-screen, the news has been nothing but good for the 'Bones' family. The series has been renewed for a 7th season while 'The Finder,' the backdoor pilot which aired a few weeks ago, was picked up.

If that wasn't good enough, 'The New Girl,' a comedy starring Zooey Deschanel, Emily Deschanel's sister, was also ordered by FOX for the 2011-12 season.

On-screen, the news wasn't as good. In fact, it was quite tragic. Sniper Jacob Broadsky was back and this time he was literally gunning for Booth. Lining himself up in a construction crane which pointed towards the Jeffersonian, Broadsky thought he had Booth in his sights. Unfortunately, the thermal imaging he used did not show faces. Instead of killing Booth, he killed someone else.

['Bones' - 'The Signs in the Silence']

As a forensic anthropologist, Dr. Temperance Brennan deals mostly with the dead, whether it be a recently murdered victim or a skeleton from an ancient civilization. However, her particular career path does also allow her to explore the characteristics of living beings when needed.

Such was the case with this week's 'Bones,' as the good doctor was asked to use her skills to determine how a deaf and uncommunicative teen came to be covered with blood and holding a very imposing knife. Her subsequent investigation brought to the surface a number of feelings amongst those helping with the investigation. The result? A twisty, tension-filled, emotional episode which was quite enjoyable.

Fox has renewed 'Bones' for season 7.

Series star David Boreanaz broke the news on Twitter (while watching a Flyers playoff game).

"OT! Orange and Black craziness! Oh, Season 7 is GO for Bones," Boreanaz tweeted.

"'Bones' is creatively fresh, it's a rock-solid player every time it airs and this season it has helped us win on Thursday nights for the first time in our history," Kevin Reilly, president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company, said in a statement. "Hart Hanson and the fantastic cast and crew, as well as the millions of loyal 'Bones' fans, make this show really special, and I'm excited to have it on our air for another stellar season."

Along with 'House,' 'Bones' has anchored Fox's dramatic lineup. The series, now in its sixth season, recently featured a backdoor pilot for a possible spinoff, 'The Finder,' starring Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan.

['Bones' - 'The Pinocchio in the Planter']

After last week's trip to Pilotville, 'Bones' returned to the adventures of Booth, Bones and their trusty Squint sidekicks in an episode where everyone suddenly became as honest as Temperance. And that caused nothing but trouble.

It all stemmed from the week's murder victim: an ad executive who turned to radical honesty to change his life. Needless to say, this caused plenty of problems with his friends, family and co-workers. It also meant a large pool of suspects, including a honest and flatulent clown. And that caused nothing but trouble for Booth!

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' 'Castle,' 'Chuck,' 'Cougar Town,' 'Damages,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Law & Oder: Criminal Intent,' 'Law & Oder: SVU,' 'Modern Family,' 'Parks & Recreation,' 'Psych,' and 'White Collar.'

['Bones' - 'The Finder']

For those of you who follow episode titles, you'll notice the one for this week's 'Bones' was different than normal. Usually, it's something like 'The Blackout in the Blizzard' or 'The Feet on the Beach.' This week, the episode title was 'The Finder.'

Why? Well, instead of primarily focusing on Booth, Bones and the Squints, this particular episode was what Folks in the Industry call a backdoor pilot. Its main focus was Walter Sherman, the main character from 'The Locator' series of novels by Richard Greener, and the episode was meant to introduce us to Walter, his supporting cast and his unique ability to find anyone and anything.

The main question is this: after watching the pilot, would 'The Finder' be a good series? Yes, but with some fine tuning.

On tonight's episode of 'Bones,' Michael Clarke Duncan will guest-star as Leo Knox, a legal adviser/bodyguard described as a "cowboy philosopher." If all goes according to plan, the appearance will jump-start a spin-off Fox series based on 'The Locator' books by Richard Greener.

When Duncan visited 'The Late Late Show' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on CBS), Craig Ferguson couldn't get past the idea of the character reciting poetry. "If you can solve crimes using poetry," he joked, "'Oh, this looks like it was done by a man from Nantucket!'"

['Bones' - 'The Truth in the Myth']

When a guest writer comes along to pen an episode of a long-running series, there are bound to be concerns. Has he or she seen the show before? Do they have a handle on the characters and their interactions? Can they follow the format with their own unique style?

Luckily, viewers of 'Bones' didn't have to worry much since the guest writer was John Francis Daley, known to us as Doctor Lance Sweets. The result was a fast-paced episode with some amusing moments, solid detecting, and a welcome avoidance from the romantic struggles of Booth and Bones.

['Bones' - 'The Feet on the Beach']

It was bound to happen. Hart Hanson, co-creator of 'Bones' probably stepped into the special effects room one day and asked, "Hey, could you provide us with a few of your most disgusting decomposing bodies for a body farm?" After a resounding chorus of "Yes!" the team set forth to produce some of their grossest corpses yet.

The results were on display this week as Booth and Bones tiptoed through the decaying bodies during a murder investigation. Lesson to be learned by their visit: Don't stand near a corpse whose bodily gases and acids come together to make his insides come out in a grand explosion. It doesn't make for a pleasant meal time.