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New York Daily News: Closing The Book On 'Files'

Jan-18-2002
New York Daily News
Closing The Book On ‘Files’
Richard Huff

[Original article here]

The truth about Fox’s “The X-Files” is finally out there: Come May, the series will end, after nine seasons.

Executive producer Chris Carter told Fox programmers on Wednesday that he wants to end the show this season.

The pending departure of original star Gillian Anderson – David Duchovny left after last season – and a decline in audience this season nudged Carter toward the decision.

“All of the things that I come to work for every day are in place, minus David Duchovny,” Carter said. “And those things might not be here next year. So I decided to take these people to wrap this up in style. … It’s better to go out strong.”

The future of “X-Files” has been a topic around Fox for much of the last few seasons, as both Duchovny and Anderson expressed a desire to move on. Duchovny worked half of the episodes last season. And Anderson, who wanted to leave earlier in the show’s run, was contractually forced to work this year.

Like Anderson, viewers may already have had enough. After six episodes this season, the show has averaged 8.6 million viewers. By comparison, the show averaged 13.2 million viewers last season.

Fox executives had been having informal discussions about the show’s future, but Carter pulled the trigger, according to Sandy Grushow, chairman of the Fox TV Entertainment Group.

“Each one of these shows has a life span,” Grushow said. “It was pretty obvious to anyone paying attention that this one was coming to an end.”

Grushow said the network will heavily promote the remaining episodes and the series finale, which will air on May 19.

“It’s meant a great deal,” Grushow said. “Anytime you have a cultural phenomenon on the air, it serves to form your identity. This was the first real quality drama to break out on Fox back in the early ’90s.”

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