It was easily one of the most anticipated reboots that 90’s TV show fans were waiting for. ‘The X-Files’ began with a short 6-episode run, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny reprising their iconic roles as Dana Scully and Fox Mulder as FBI paranormal activity investigators, and has since been green-lit for an 11th season, set to air in 2018.
This was a show certainly ahead of its time, most notably in the way it paired a male and female lead character who were equals, without the women being openly or obviously sexualized as we are so used to seeing in mainstream television and in Hollywood (although there is change happening, finally).
Along with anticipation has come some notable criticism, given that fans and industry insiders are more focused on the impact of gender equality in the film and TV industry. With the announcement of the second season reprise also came the news of the writer’s room being entirely staffed by men. Perhaps 20 years ago this would not be “news”, but in an age where numerous reports about percentages of women being hired in key creative and executive positions behind the camera (as director, producer and writer, for instance) it was a dismay to many fans.
“The truth is out there, and it’s a bit imbalanced…in 2017, it’s worth asking: How is there a major network drama that’s so dominated by male voices?” writes Sonia Rao at the Washington Post, noting that most of the writing and directing credits on the reboot are recognizable alumni names from the original series.
What we do know is that with enough noise from press, fans, and even cast and crew members, perhaps this imbalance will change. While there is a bit of a wait until the 11th TV series is released, fans will have the chance to go deep into paranormal investigations of a different kind with Scully and Mulder, in the new audiobook ‘The X-Files: Cold Cases’ released on July 18 through Audible.
Although you can purchase other ‘X-Files’ material on audiobook, ‘Cold Cases’ was produced specifically for Audible which means you can’t get it anywhere else. With Audible’s free 30-day trial, there’s even more of an incentive to sign up and download it now.
Set after the events of ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ and providing additional backstory to the incidents that pulled Mulder and Scully out of reclusion prior to 2016’s miniseries revival, a database breach at FBI headquarters allows an unknown group to access and capitalize on those investigations left unsolved – dubbed cold cases – by the secret department once known as The X-Files. As friends and foes of the agency long thought gone begin to inexplicably reappear, former agents Mulder and Scully come out of anonymity to face a growing conspiracy that involves not only their former department but the US government and forces not of this world.
Aside from lead characters Scully and Mulder who are featured, fans will also hear from series regulars and characters that became fan favorites such as Skinner, the “Cigarette-Smoking Man” and the Lone Gunmen which were also voiced by the original actors. Rollingstone.com’s Kory Grow describes some of the excerpts as “eerie” and “strange”, which gives a whole new perspective on the already captivating series. You can two exclusive excerpts from Rolling Stone and EntertainmentWeekly.com.
‘The X-Files’ brand as a whole allowed a generation of 90’s TV fans to watch not just a male in a lead role where he is known for his abilities and authority, it also did the same for a female lead, especially in a profession typically assigned to men. Which is why the reprisal of the series, as well as the ‘Cold Cases’ audiobook, are important at a time when discussions around the role of women in entertainment are being analyzed in great detail.
Equal pay has been one of the big topics among high-profile actresses such as Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron, Robin Wright and Emmy Rossum, who have recently made headlines for demanding the same paycheck as their male co-stars on their various TV shows and films. You can also add Gillian Anderson to that (hopefully growing) list too, as she told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2016 before the show’s first reboot that she demanded the same pay as David Duchovny, after initially only being offered half. HALF!!
The fact that she spoke up and was able to make this happen makes us hold out hope the writers room, and even the slate of directors for the 11th season, may open up some opportunities of diversity. Variety released figures from the shows scheduled to air during the 2017-18 season which showed a low presence of women both in front of and behind the camera.
Out of the 39 slated new shows on all 5 major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, The CW and Fox – which airs ‘The X-Files’), only 35%of lead actors and 29% of showrunners were female. And of the individual networks, only the CW had a high percentage of female showrunners, at 67%, whereas the other four came in at 33% or less. Fox had 20%.
As an outspoken champion of feminism and equality for women in the film and TV industry, we know Gillian Anderson won’t stay silent on the issue of equity in the TV series.
“Especially in this climate of women talking about the reality of [unequal pay] in this business, I think it’s important that it gets heard and voiced. It was shocking to me, given all the work that I had done in the past to get us to be paid fairly,” she told The Daily Beast in 2016.
In the meantime, while we eagerly await more news from behind the camera in anticipation of the 2018 release of ‘The X-Files’ on Fox, experience the cult series on audiobook with Audible’s ‘The X-Files: Cold Cases’, and take advantage of the 30-day free trial by clicking here.
This is a sponsored conversation written by us on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all ours.
