The X-Files debuted 30 years ago this week
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The X-Files
Nathanred — 2 years ago(September 12, 2023 11:21 AM)
The pilot episode originally aired on Sept. 10, 1993 at 9pm.
https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/entertainment/pilot-rewind-the-x-files-30-years-ago-gillian-anderson-david-duchovny-215018907.html
The X-Files inauspiciously premiered on a Friday night — the evening where the major networks historically programmed shows they didn't expect to stick around very long or dropped in repeats to fill time. That was ABC's approach, which programmed repeats of its TGIF sitcom lineup, including Family Matters and Step by Step. NBC went even further back in its archives, airing a two-hour repeat of the 1978 miniseries The Awakening Land starring Bewitched's Elizabeth Montgomery as a 18th century frontier settler. Only CBS tried to tempt viewers with new content, premiering the half-hour sitcoms The Building, created by and starring Bonnie Hunt, and The Boys — no, not that one. This Boys starred a pre-Stabler Christopher Meloni as a Stephen King-like horror writer who moves into a new house and befriends the pals of the person that used to own it, a crew that included Ned Beatty and Richard Venture.
Early critical word on The X-Files was mixed-to-positive, with most reviewers agreeing with Entertainment Weekly's brutal assessment of its future: "This show's a goner."
The X-Files wasn't a goner after the first episode — but the Nielsen charts weren't exactly burning up either. The pilot attracted 12 million eyeballs, just enough for Fox to leave it in the Friday night death slot for a few more weeks. And that was exactly the stay of execution the series needed to catch fire. By the end of Season 1, The X-Files had attained "cult status" phenomenon and a decades-spanning franchise was born. -
mechajutaro — 2 years ago(September 13, 2023 06:49 AM)
Early critical word on The X-Files was mixed-to-positive, with most reviewers agreeing with Entertainment Weekly's brutal assessment of its future: "This show's a goner."
Creator Chris Carter may have not been particularly bullish on the shows future either. Thus he got Gillian Anderson to strip down to her lingerie in the very first episode, while he still had a shot a getting a look at the merchandise -
NZer — 2 years ago(September 13, 2023 08:31 AM)
I think the pilot was fine and it picked up steam from then on until about the fifth season where something happened and it disappeared up its own importance. The episode 'Home' from the fourth season was spectacularly dark and probably the best episode ever.
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/. — 2 years ago(September 14, 2023 07:43 AM)
I remember it being near last place in the ratings week after week in the first season and nearly getting cancelled. If I recall correctly, it was between keeping Brisco County Jr. or The X-Files, and Fox chose X-Files. It was the right decision.
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