As reported by TVLine, the extra four episodes will not air back-to-back with any of the previously planned offerings. The season, as it was conceived, consisted of 13 episodes: six episodes airing this fall (starting in November) and seven more episodes finishing up the season in the spring of 2012. The extra four episodes would most likely air at some point in the summer of 2012.

The plan, as it stands right now, is to have all four of the additional episodes work as stand-alone procedural stories that could fit almost anywhere in the Bones timeline. That way, the episodes could air after the normal 7th season or even concurrently with the show on a different night of the week.

Bones executive producer Stephen Nathan was quoted as saying that the unusual scheduling was the result of "a very odd situation." He also pointed out that the people at FOX "want as many episodes as we can produce."

The odd situation at Bones is primarily due to star Emily Deschanel's pregnancy. The first six episodes of the season are set to be filmed before the actress gives birth (no specific due date has been announced), while the later episodes will wait until after the baby's birth.

Conveniently, Deschanel's character of Temperance Brennan is also expecting a baby, thus allowing the pregnancy to fit into the storyline.

There is no word yet on when these extra Bones episodes would be filmed or if producers expect Emily Deschanel to be fully present for them.

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Do you want additional, possibly unconnected episodes of Bones in season 7, or would you prefer the old number? Do you think the production can work around Emily Deschanel's pregnancy effectively? Leave your thoughts and opinions below!

(Image courtesy of FOX)