FOX Renews "House" and "Bones"

In a move that surprised no one, FOX quietly gave early season renewals to drama series House and Bones, giving both series full-season orders for 2007-08.

House, which stars Hugh Laurie as the brilliant and misanthropic Dr. House, has been picked up for a fourth season of mysterious medical maladies. The series is FOX's top drama and ranks as the #3 scripted series in the key adults 18-49 demographic. House currently averages 17.4 million viewers and recently reached its second highest total-viewer numbers (roughly 26 million) this past week, thanks to the support of American Idol.

Meanwhile, Bones, starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as a mismatched crime fighting duo, has been ordered for a third season of anthropology-tinged homicides. The series tied its best-numbers-ever record this past week with 12.6 viewers.

Chances, meanwhile, are not looking so good for a fall return engagement of fellow FOX drama Standoff, starring Ron Livingston and Rosemary DeWitt as hostage negotiators turned lovers. The series is set to return with new episodes on April 6th, but so far all signs point to this being the end for the struggling freshman drama.