For more information on the following story, contact Richard Aquila at [email protected] or (765) 285-8728.
PROFESSOR: 'THE X-FILES' WAS BEST ADULT DRAMA ON TELEVISION
MUNCIE, Ind. - At its height of popularity, "The X-Files" was the best adult drama on television, says a Ball State University educator.
The Emmy-winning science fiction drama featured a pair of FBI agents in paranormal situations for nine-seasons on the Fox television network. Series creator Chris Carter recently announced the program will end in May.
"It had all the ingredients for any type of television product to be successful," said Richard Aquila, a history professor and popular culture expert. "It was extremely well written, had terrific story lines and excellent character development.
"It also fit the dark mood of the early to mid-1990s by focusing on government conspiracies," he said. "The show was able to build that mood through camera angels and scenes shot in the Pacific Northwest."
The X-Files premiered in September 1993 with David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Agent Dana Scully. The program quickly grew from cult status into mainstream success, spawning a feature film in 1998.
The success of "The X-Files" radically changed how television networks viewed science fiction, Aquila said.
"Now you have an explosion of television shows that deal with the supernatural and the government," he said. "They are all children of 'The X-Files.' It proves you can do that type of show and make it excellent television."
"The X-Files" began dropping in the ratings when Duchovny phased out his role during the 2000-2001 season. Carter added two new characters to work with the remaining holdovers.
The changes and a sometimes-unbelievable story line this season played a role in the show's demise, Aquila said.
"Mulder was in hiding and Scully became a love sick teen -- things the fans couldn't believe," he said. "It also ran for nine seasons, which is an incredibly long time for a television show."
While the show is relegated to syndication, Carter plans a sequel to the 1998 feature movie.
"I think the X-Files movies will be successful because the fans care," Aquila said. "I think it will be like Star Trek because the fans want to know what happened to Mulder and Scully. There are a lot of questions to be answered."
(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Aquila at [email protected] or (765) 285-8728. For more stories visit the Ball State University News Center at www.bsu.edu/news.)
Marc Ransford 1/24/02
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