Published Feb 1, 2026, 1:00 PM EST
Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyancy).
As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene.
As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator.
Bones may have ended in 2017, but Prime Video’s upcoming thriller Scarpetta could be its perfect replacement. Originally premiering in 2005, Bones is one of the best crime procedurals of all time. For 12 fantastic seasons, the series followed FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) and forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), also known by the eponymous moniker "Bones."
Devoted fans have been content with rewatching Bones for nearly a decade, but Prime Video may finally be bringing a long-awaited spiritual successor to Fox’s unforgettable crime drama. Set to debut on March 11, Scarpetta is already one of 2026’s most highly anticipated new titles— but for Bones fans in particular, the release of Nicole Kidman's procedural may scratch a nine-year itch.
Prime Video's Scarpetta Will Be The Perfect Replacement Show For Bones Fans
What helped Bones stand out in a profusion of crime procedurals — and, ergo, emerge as a cult favorite — was its niche focus on forensic anthropology. Rather than simply collect clues to piece the episodic case together in a police department bullpen, Brennan masterfully examined human remains to help Booth solve complex FBI investigations throughout Bones.
While many shows like Bones have emerged in the years following its series finale, Scarpetta offers something most competitors palpably lack: a clear spotlight on forensic pathology. In the upcoming Prime Video drama, renowned medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta (Nicole Kidman) will use cutting-edge forensic technology to solve a string of murders.
Like Bones, Scarpetta Is Also Based On A Long-Running Book Series
The Literary Series Currently Has 29 Installments
Furthermore, Bones ran far longer than most procedurals, due in part to the lengthy book series it mined for inspiration. Countless TV shows are based on books, but rarely do titles have such extensive source material as Bones. There are currently 25 titles in Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan series, with eight novels published prior to the television adaptation.
Although Temperance Brennan and Kay Scarpetta have different professions, both characters were based on true experts in their given fields — Kathy Reichs and Marcella Farinelli Fierro, respectively.
Comparatively, there have been 29 novels released in Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series. With so many arcs, memorable cases, character introductions, and deaths over the years, Scarpetta has the luxury of being discerning about which plotlines it incorporates from the books. Plus, Cornwell’s dozens of novels mean the upcoming TV adaptation has endless room for growth.
Scarpetta Season 2 Is Already Confirmed
Prime Video Is Investing Early In Scarpetta
Luckily, Prime Video’s Scarpetta already has a future beyond its inaugural season. For modern audiences, procedurals can be risky, as it’s all too easy for a promising series to be unceremoniously dropped and quietly canceled. With Scarpetta season 2 already confirmed, viewers can take comfort knowing their investment in the story, characters, and overarching world won’t be taken for granted.
Whether Scarpetta fizzles out after two seasons or secures an even longer run than Bones, the 2026 crime drama deserves a chance to take up the mantle left behind by Temperance Brennan. Nothing can truly replace Bones, but Scarpetta has its own charm and, at the very least, will prove there’s still high demand for forensic-focused procedurals.
Release Date March 11, 2026
Network Prime Video
Directors David Gordon Green
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Simon Baker
Benton Wesley
English (US) ·