Still no deal in place at Fox to bring back 'Bones'

This is not a spoiler of course, but I think it's rather relevant!

And it's not just bubble shows caught up in a tug-of-war. Just days before Fox was set to hold its Monday afternoon upfront meeting in New York, the net still didn't have a deal in place to bring back "Bones" -- despite the fact that it's from sister 20th Century Fox TV and that the show has helped turn the Thursday night lights back on at the network.

"Bones" is about to enter its fifth season, which usually reps the moment a show's license fee skyrockets as the studio looks to recoup its initial investment. And in this economic climate, the networks are looking to limit those big cost jumps as much as possible.

At issue: Because it's an internal deal between two News Corp. companies, the number shouldn't matter too much -- but with profit participants involved, the conglom has to make sure they're onboard first.

Hence a tough negotiation -- and the first major back-and-forth between the two sides since the Peter Chernin umbrella was removed. Insiders said 20th Century Fox TV made a few exploratory calls to see what the show might fetch elsewhere -- but they stress that ultimately they expect a deal will be done, possibly by this morning.

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