Fox: We want House and Bones back

Pasadena - Fox network executives say they want House and Bones beyond this television season, although no deals have been set to keep them.

The network also said on Tuesday its Steven Spielberg adventure show Terra Nova will get a sneak preview for two nights in May before officially joining the schedule in September.

Fox also announced it had ordered a second season of the comedy Raising Hope. Announcements may take a little longer for Bones and House, which Fox says it wants even though its ratings have been sharply down this season.

"We want them both," said Kevin Reilly, Fox entertainment president. "It's really about whether we can make a deal."

Terra Nova, Fringe

The network had announced last May it had ordered Spielberg'sTerra Nova, about a family travelling through a portal to prehistoric Earth. But it conceded the show might not be ready for this season. Fox said it would show the first two episodeson May 23 and 24, and put Terra Nova on the regular schedule starting in September.

The series is being filmed in Australia. The expense of essentially creating a new "world" meant it made more sense financially for Fox to order 13 episodes right away and not go the traditional route of making a pilot.

"It's the most expensive first-year show we've ever had," said Peter Price, Fox entertainment chairman. "It's not the most expensive show we have on our air."

Reilly also begged TV writers "not to write the eulogy prematurely" for Fringe, which is moving to Friday nights, usually a black hole in Fox's schedule. If the show's most dedicated fans make the move from Thursday, the show could be on for years to come, he said.