The series airs its series finale at 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, on FOX.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - "Bones," airs its series finale at 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, on FOX.


After 12 seasons and 246 episodes for "Bones," which introduced us to author and forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) on Sept. 13, 2005, the series ends a great run.


Loyal fans, known as Boneheads, fell in love with Bones and Booth, and, of course, Bones and Booth fell in love with each other, getting married in the ninth season.


Loosely based on the life and books of novelist Kathy Reichs, "Bones" always showcased the latest forensic techniques and technology by employing super-slick visual effects. But the real secret of its success was character.


Separating itself from other forensic procedurals on the air, the Fox series never stopped developing its characters and exploring their relationships to each other. It also never stopped indulging in a dark and antic sense of humor.


It was a mix that proved incredibly durable for Bones, Booth, forensic artist Angela Montenegro (Michaela Conlin), entomologist and spores expert Jack Hodgins (T.J. Thyne), Jeffersonian Institute pathologist Camile Saroyan (Tamara Taylor) and the rest of the team, past and present.


The final episode, directed by Boreanaz, is appropriately titled "The Final Chapter: The End in the End."


That's not to say "Bones" didn't take the occasional wrong turn. I still think it was a dreadful mistake to coldly kill off the aptly named FBI psychologist Lance Sweets (John Francis Daley).


But, then again, it's inevitable that there will be a misstep or two over the course of 246 episodes. The numbers generally work in the show's favor, making an overwhelming and convincing case.


Numbers don't tell the whole story, of course, yet they do provide some perspective on how much went into such a long run. Here, then, is "Bones" by the numbers:


13 million: Fox's estimated number of Boneheads on social media.


76,000: The number of bones on the show's Jeffersonian Institute set.


3,000: The number of actors who have appeared n "Bones."


400: The number of feet of intestines used by the show's makeup effects artists.


370: The number of corpses seen during the series' 12 seasons.


304: The number of bone boxes in the bone room.


250: The number of skeletons used by makeup effects artists.


150: The number of confessions from killers.


62: The number of gallons of blood used by makeup effects artists.


6.8: The number of days it would take to watch all 246 episodes without a break.