They announced this week that they're bringing back The X-Files. At first, that seems like typical risk aversion of the entertainment industry: why take a chance on a new idea, when you can recycle an old idea. That might be what inspired it, but I think it could work. I watched the show for a while, but then drifted away when it seemed like the writers were just layering on layer of conspiracies on top of another just for the sake of filling episodes. Since this revival is for a limited time (and creator Chris Carter has had a decade to think about it) it should have a well-thought-out plot.
And it's further evidence of the Britishization of American television. On the other side of the pond, TV seasons are shorter and made at irregular intervals. That way there are fewer filler episodes and less of the out-of-ideas shows blundering along looking for inspiration. And actors aren't committed to doing only that show and no other projects for years on end.
Between the specialty channels and on-demand services, the audience has come to accept more free-form television formats. The original X-Files could have benefited from it, hopefully this new incarnation will succeed because of it.
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