In an unusual move, Fox announced
Thursday that it would screen the first installment of its six-episode
"X-Files" revival series at New York Comic Con’s main stage on Oct. 10.
That’s more than three months before the revival is scheduled to debut
on television in a two-night event that begins on Jan. 24.
For some fans, the network’s decision to screen the full
premiere episode at a convention so far in advance of the air date has
turned into an X-File-style mystery itself.
“I was surprised, because it’s so early to be doing it. But it tells me that Fox is happy with the finished product and
confident that a discerning audience [at Comic Con] will have a positive
reaction. And if those diehard fans like what they see, they’ll tweet,
Facebook and Instagram it. That’s marketing you can’t buy.”
- Michael Ausiello, editor-in-chief of TVLine.com (and a self-described "X-Files" fanatic)
“It will create two classes of 'X-Files' fans: the haves and the
have-nots. We’ll be inundated with spoilers. I wanted to be excited and share the
experience with millions of people watching it together when it airs.
And those spoilers will be impossible to avoid.”
- Film and TV writer Will McKinley
“They don’t care about spoilers because they just want people to talk
about it. And I doubt the first episode is going to end on some kind of
unbelievable cliffhanger.”
- Marc Berman, editor of TV Media Insights
“If it doesn’t meet the expectations of Fox and its advertisers, then
Fox has to essentially give back free advertising. They want
big ratings -- especially on the second night. That’s what will
determine whether it’s a success. Netflix, for example, will pay a premium for exclusivity. If this
becomes a hit, and there’s a bigger desire to see it in streaming,
Netflix will pay a premium for that. The success of the
mini-series could make it a more valuable property.”
- Brad Adgate, senior vice president of research at Horizon Media
Full story: IBT