nothing new under the sun -- more pop culture

Because it stars Jill Hennessey (former -- well, you be the judge -- ADA from seasons 4-6 of Law & Order), I tried to get into NBC's "Crossing Jordan." The show is about a SWF who works in the Boston coroner's office. Her mom was mysteriously murdered when she was young and last I knew her dad is on the run from someone or other. She works with a cop who she's had a relationship with in the past. This past week, she woke up covered in blood, holding a gun next to an off-again-on-again boyfriend who was dead.

A new show on Fox this year is "Bones." She's a forensic anthropoligist (analyzes bones to determine cause of death, etc.) in D.C. who is very un-emotional, highly logical. Her parents disappeared when she was about 15. She works closely with Booth, an FBI agent. They do not have a "relationship," but people are constantly mistaking them for a couple and the writers are always hinting something could happen eventually. Earlier this season, Bones blacked out for a whole day and was the most logical culprit for a gruesome murder.

Others have remarked on very similar episodes between the two. And really, the similarities are endless. Who are the supporting characters in each show? "Crossing Jordan" has the head of the coroner's office, a man who is loosely a mentor to her; two geeky, quirky young men who help in the lab; and Lily, the grief counselor, Jordan's good friend. The cop has various lawyer or cop girlfriends from time to time.

"Bones" supporting cast: the male head of the institute she works at (a mentor-type); two young quirky men who are her lab assistants; and Angela, some sort of forensic artist who is also Bones' best friend.

Yes, clearly this is earth-shattering and worth reading six paragraphs about.

Theoretically, "Bones" is the copycat since it came around a couple of years later. But, to be honest, I like "Bones" more. The characters are a little lighter, you don't want to slap Bones for being so dramatic and wishy-washy, and the fact her relationship with Agent Booth is lightly hinted at is more realistic and believable.

I wish I wasn't saying it -- if it weren't for Claire (Jill Hennessey, the Jordan of "Crossing Jordan"), I'd pick "Bones" hands down.