"Bones" rewards its stars for three seasons of reasonable success with an all-expenses-paid vacation to London

("Remind me, again - what carries our show? Our breezy chemistry or my shooting the bejesus out of everything in sight?")

If a show becomes fairly successful, and its producers are adept at negotiating, then occasionally they can wheedle a vacation overseas under the guise of producing an episode or two. So it is with "Bones"' two-hour season-four premiere on Wednesday, in which Temperance (Emily Deschanel) and Booth (David Boreanaz) find themselves in London, delivering lectures at Oxford and Scotland Yard, respectively (alas, the rest of the cast remain back in Washington).

And, of course, they're called upon to help solve a murder, and then, to help prorate their costly time across the pond, yet another murder, extending their time in England over two episodes.

("I deserve better scripting!")

In tonight's first hour, Temperance and Booth are asked to investigate the murder of an heiress with a Paris Hilton bent who had ties to British royalty. Temperance is pursued by her womanizing British counterpart, Ian (Andrew Buchan), who's equally adept at poring through archaeological flotsam as she is, while Booth exchanges glances with Inspector Pritchard (Indira Varma). Their doppelgangers share the same frisson as do our heroes, only it turns out (predictably enough) that they're not so coy about resisting one another, since they don't have a show that has to run a whole bunch of seasons.

("No - I deserve better scripts!")

"Bones" is one of those shows where the scripts are pretty pro forma, but the chemistry among the actors is so inspired that you don't mind the routine plotting and dialogue.

So, Wednesday's installments has all sorts of tired gags about England - Booth cluelessly drives on the wrong side of the road and tries to break the façade of one of the Queen's guards. In the first hour, Booth's railing virulently against England and all things foreign; in the second, he finds it the best thing since spotted dick (oh, grow up; it's a British pudding). Yet, somehow, you're still engaged.

Oh, and Montenegro's (Michaela Corlin) and Hodgins' (T.J. Thyne) relationship takes an unexpected turn. And Pritchard gives Temperance some advice re: Booth that fans have been no doubt shouting for years: Just get it on already.

- "Bones:" 8 p.m. Wednesday, Fox (Channel 11).