Bone Spin-off May Have Legs

Caught the Bones episode which is a back-door pilot for a spin-off. Basically, it is about a former comrade of Booth who is able to find just about anything. Booth calls it "Finder Power". He helps Booth and Bones on a case in Florida. He goes around with a very British cockney accented bar keep, played by the ever-wonderful Saffron Burrows and his legal adviser played by Michael Clark Duncan.  I am always skeptical about spin-offs. I understand that the producers or the studio is trying to duplicate success. Success built by the original series. But often it feels that they are trying to build a new series without paying their dues. Instead of investing in the creative process needed to create a series, they just want to ride the success the original series. More of the same is not always what people want. If the original series was quirky, doesn't more quirkiness become grating? You can try to recreate the chemistry that made the original series good but repeating the trick may not be as appealing. The first time it was cool but now it will be, "Well, what else have you got?".
Another reason probably why producers try for a spin-off is that they want to build on the existing series fans. If that is the premise, ok. But sometimes, they don't want to answer THE critical question. That question is the one that needs to be answered to make the new series successful. It is probably the same one that was answered the first time around in the first series. The answer or not answering it at all, will determine whether the new series is a Fraiser or a Joey.
Back to the Bones episode. It seemed that they were trying too hard at first but then got better towards the end. Since the setting was in Florida, gratuitous showing of skin was the order of the day. My message to the producers is please do not make this too much like Burn Notice. It has the potential to have the same dynamics but that is not what Bones is about. Be your own series but always have a link to the past to keep the fans there. This could be an opportunity to bring back some some of the characters were memorable and interesting in Bones. My top pick is Peyton Perotta, the FBI agent who stood in for Booth on some episodes in Season 4. She could work as a foil for the Locator, his handler so to speak. Another character I'd like to see is Tim "Sully" Sullivan, another FBI agent who worked with Bones and Booth. He could be carrying around his own baggage and the chance to team up with the Locater would be his only way back in the FBI. There would be also the mystery of what happened after Bones rejected his invite to sail off with him and his failure to come back to Bones after the one year trip.

One thing I have to admit is that the producers didn't skimp on the guest stars. Guest stars for the episode included Danny Trejo and the beautiful Mini Anden (who appeared in several Chuck episodes).  The spin-off deserves a chance if nothing else to give work to the wonderfully talented Saffron Burrows and Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan who I love to see on-screen.