‘X-Files’ Season 11 With David Duchovny And Gillian Anderson Faces Problems With Logistics, Critics And Plot Building
The X-Files Season 11 is highly anticipated among fans, despite the awkward reintroduction Season 10 provided. Though fans were not exactly delighted with the explanation of where Fox Mulder and Dana Scully had been since 2002, there were an estimated 16 million viewers watching each episode, according to the Miami Herald. That number did not decrease throughout the mere six episodes, which tried to fill in the events of the lost years and reintroduce the characters as they are now.
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny made viewers “believe” the fantastic plot line back in the 90s. Mulder and Scully were important and relevant to the lives of millions of viewers. They were two of the most beloved and appreciated characters of that decade.
The X-Files Season 10, however, left fans with that uncomfortable feeling one gets when trying to converse with and old friend for the first time in years. It felt awkward, but it is plain to see 16 million viewers obviously still love these characters. They just don’t like what has happened to Dana and Fox in the 14 years they were not watching them.
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are still very beloved, as Dana and Fox, but fans and critics alike were disappointed in the awkward plot building episodes. Entertainment Weekly gave the reboot a C- for the overall show, and many critics were not so kind. Fans were more cautious because they want the series to continue. They just didn’t like the direction the writers chose to take the story line. Both fans and critics did love the one episode that did not try to explain anything. The third episode received an A from Entertainment Weekly. It also proved to fans the show could be great again.
X-Files Season 11 writers will have their work cut out for them. Critic and audience reactions are probably going to change the way the show was envisioned by Chris Carter and the writing staff, but they haven’t quite figured out how to patch things up. They do know that the X-Files needs to return to more standalone episodes and stop forcing the greater plot so hard. Dana Walden, CEO of FOX Television Group, explained in WetPaint how Season 11 will be different from Season 10 in that way.
“They had the challenge of filling in the mythology and explaining where the characters were and how they got to where. There won’t be the same obligation to reset the series, [in Season 11]”
X-Files Season 11 has been accepted with open arms by the FOX network. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson both want to make more X-Files episodes for Season 11, but time constraints and troubles with logistics are getting in the way of the X-Files filming schedules. It seems both stars are involved in other productions, and will have a lot of scheduling conflicts.
Gillian Anderson is currently among the main cast of the Starz epic, American Gods. Anticipation for this show, too, is of major proportions. This show is also slated to run in 2017. The X-Files Season 11 will also be slated for some time during 2017, though no dates are set, so that is a huge conflict.
X-Files Season 11 will likely not be more than 10 episodes, but producers hope to get at least eight episodes for 2017. The Dean of Geek quotes Dana Walden of FOX.
“We’re in conversations that intentionally we could do more. I don’t imagine it being a full season of The X-Files, but I would be really happy if we were able to get eight to 10 episodes.”
X-Files Season 10 had similar problems according to Dean of Geek. Apparently, Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny were busy even last year with other work. So was Chris Carter. Dana Walden says the reason there were only six episodes wasn’t because of FOX, but because the main characters barely had time.
“We would have liked to have done more [episodes] in the first place. It was really the limitations of David and Gillian and Chris’ schedules. Gillian lives in the UK, David lives in New York and California, and we do the show in Vancouver. Chris lives up north. So it was just trying to coordinate a time where they all carve out a period to be in Vancouver.”
X-Files Season 11 is slated for 2017, but no specific dates have been set due to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s scheduling conflicts.
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
