Fox Wants Another 'X-Files' Series

When Fox announced that it would air a mini series revival of The X-Files last season, fans of the original series were ecstatic. The new series debuted to huge ratings, and the buzz surrounding it was enormous. Critics were less impressed with the new episodes, however, and over the course of the mini series' six-episode run, its ratings dropped significantly. That uneven reaction makes it somewhat surprising that this week Fox executives said, in no uncertain terms, that they'd love to have the series back for a revival, part two.

"We'd love to do another season," said Dave Madden, Fox entertainment president, to the Television Critics Association on Monday. "There are active talks with all three principals. We're working hard, and we'd love to get another season out soon."

The principals in question are series creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. The trio's complex schedules and reluctance to devote too much time to the series were obstacles to the production of the first revival, and presumably those factors would make a second revival even more challenging to produce.

Fan reaction to Madden's comments are mixed. Some are excited about the possibility that new, better episodes would make up for the disappointing first revival. Others, having been burned the first time, are considerably less enthusiastic about the prospect of yet more painful rehashing of their beloved former series.