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Library/Series/The X-Files
Grade B21 sourcesHIS-01469

The X-Files

Series · 1993 · Notable

48Editable slideCertificate

The X-Files grew an online fandom and a film that opened to $30.1 million.

Clip · WIRED on YouTube
The X-Files: poster
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Watch The X-Files | Full episodes | Disney+
Fox / Ten Thirteen Productions; creator Chris Carter
The X Files - Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo
David Duchovny photographed in 2011 by David Shankbone; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
David Shankbone
They're out there! The X-Files becomes Channel 5's highest rating drama ever
What to Watch
Inside 'The X-Files' Revival's 201-Day Marketing Plan
TheWrap
The Reboot Is Out There
Broadcasting & Cable / Next TV

Spread Score

How it works
Reach40Contagion45Breadth60Velocity0Longevity10048

Numbers

Revival earned Facebook impressions, Jul–Dec 2015
210M
As of Dec 31, 2015 · Facebook · Self-reported · Fox Broadcasting Company / Shorty Awards
Seed to milestone
3.4 years
Sep 10 ’93 to Jan 26 ’97
Platforms
6
Started on TV
Origin
Mixed
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Fandom mobilisationPrimary
  • Identity badge
  • Mystery & lore
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

The X-Files debuted on Fox, then fans discussed it on Usenet and archived their own fiction. A theatrical film opened at No. 1. Years later, Fox organized a social rewatch and used paid media to recruit viewers for a TV revival.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

US viewers per original episode broadcast1993-09-10: 12,000,0001993-09-17: 11,100,0001993-09-24: 11,100,0001993-10-01: 9,200,0001993-10-08: 10,400,0001993-10-22: 8,800,0001993-10-29: 9,500,0001993-11-05: 10,000,0001993-11-12: 10,700,0001993-11-19: 8,800,0001993-12-10: 10,400,0001993-12-17: 11,100,0001994-01-07: 10,800,0001994-01-21: 11,100,0001994-02-04: 12,100,0001994-02-11: 11,500,0001994-02-18: 9,200,0001994-03-18: 11,600,0001994-04-01: 11,500,0001994-04-15: 12,500,0001994-04-22: 13,400,0001994-04-29: 13,700,0001994-05-06: 12,500,0001994-05-13: 14,000,0001994-09-16: 16,100,0001994-09-23: 15,900,0001994-09-30: 14,800,0001994-10-07: 13,400,0001994-10-14: 13,900,0001994-10-21: 15,500,0001994-11-04: 15,000,0001994-11-11: 15,300,0001994-11-18: 15,200,0001994-12-09: 16,100,0001994-12-16: 14,200,0001995-01-06: 16,200,0001995-01-13: 14,700,0001995-01-27: 17,700,0001995-02-03: 17,800,0001995-02-10: 15,900,0001995-02-17: 17,500,0001995-02-24: 16,500,0001995-03-10: 17,100,0001995-03-31: 15,700,0001995-04-14: 12,900,0001995-04-28: 14,000,0001995-05-05: 12,900,0001995-05-12: 14,500,0001995-05-19: 16,600,0001995-09-22: 19,940,0001995-09-29: 17,200,0001995-10-06: 15,570,0001995-10-13: 15,380,0001995-10-20: 16,720,0001995-11-03: 14,830,0001995-11-10: 15,910,0001995-11-17: 15,900,0001995-11-24: 16,360,0001995-12-01: 17,680,0001995-12-15: 15,250,0001996-01-05: 16,320,0001996-01-26: 16,040,0001996-02-02: 18,320,0001996-02-09: 16,440,0001996-02-16: 16,710,0001996-02-23: 16,200,0001996-03-08: 17,380,0001996-03-29: 14,860,0001996-04-12: 16,080,0001996-04-26: 14,620,0001996-05-03: 16,000,0001996-05-10: 14,480,0001996-05-17: 17,860,0001996-10-04: 21,110,0001996-10-11: 18,850,0001996-10-18: 18,010,0001996-10-27: 19,100,0001996-11-03: 19,850,0001996-11-10: 18,850,0001996-11-17: 17,090,0001996-11-24: 18,850,0001996-12-01: 17,340,0001996-12-15: 16,590,0001997-01-12: 22,370,0001997-01-26: 29,150,0001997-02-02: 21,360,0001997-02-09: 19,100,0001997-02-16: 16,560,0001997-02-23: 16,560,0001997-03-16: 18,850,0001997-03-23: 18,340,0001997-04-13: 18,090,0001997-04-20: 20,860,0001997-04-27: 18,600,0001997-05-04: 17,100,0001997-05-11: 19,100,0001997-05-18: 19,850,0001997-11-02: 27,340,0001997-11-09: 24,840,0001997-11-16: 21,720,0001997-11-23: 22,880,0001997-11-30: 18,680,0001997-12-07: 20,910,0001997-12-14: 20,940,0001998-01-04: 19,750,0001998-01-11: 21,370,0001998-02-08: 21,330,0001998-02-15: 18,040,0001998-02-22: 19,250,0001998-03-01: 20,210,0001998-03-08: 19,980,0001998-03-29: 15,060,0001998-04-19: 16,530,0001998-04-26: 13,440,0001998-05-03: 18,240,0001998-05-10: 17,630,0001998-05-17: 18,760,0001998-11-08: 20,340,0001998-11-15: 18,480,0001998-11-22: 18,200,0001998-11-29: 17,480,0001998-12-06: 17,010,0001998-12-13: 17,310,0001999-01-03: 18,690,0001999-01-10: 21,240,0001999-01-17: 15,650,0001999-01-24: 15,830,0001999-02-07: 18,810,0001999-02-14: 16,570,0001999-02-21: 16,910,0001999-02-28: 16,740,0001999-03-07: 17,910,0001999-03-28: 17,670,0001999-04-11: 17,650,0001999-04-18: 15,200,0001999-04-25: 16,880,0001999-05-02: 12,940,0001999-05-09: 15,380,0001999-05-16: 15,860,0001999-11-07: 17,820,0001999-11-14: 16,150,0001999-11-21: 16,170,0001999-11-28: 15,090,0001999-12-05: 12,710,0001999-12-12: 14,490,0002000-01-09: 15,630,0002000-01-16: 16,180,0002000-01-23: 13,860,0002000-02-06: 13,950,0002000-02-13: 15,350,0002000-02-20: 16,560,0002000-02-27: 15,310,0002000-03-12: 11,910,0002000-03-19: 11,990,0002000-04-02: 12,890,0002000-04-09: 12,180,0002000-04-16: 10,810,0002000-04-30: 12,880,0002000-05-07: 11,700,0002000-05-14: 12,790,0002000-05-21: 15,260,0002000-11-05: 15,870,0002000-11-12: 15,150,0002000-11-19: 13,340,0002000-11-26: 13,600,0002000-12-03: 13,890,0002000-12-10: 13,210,0002000-12-17: 12,370,0002001-01-07: 13,330,0002001-01-14: 11,690,0002001-01-21: 11,870,0002001-02-04: 14,580,0002001-02-11: 13,750,0002001-02-18: 16,100,0002001-02-25: 16,870,0002001-04-01: 12,570,0002001-04-08: 10,460,0002001-04-22: 12,460,0002001-04-29: 11,810,0002001-05-06: 12,710,0002001-05-13: 12,750,0002001-05-20: 14,010,0002001-11-11: 10,600,0002001-11-18: 9,410,0002001-12-02: 8,670,0002001-12-09: 8,740,0002001-12-16: 9,940,0002002-01-06: 8,350,0002002-01-13: 8,670,0002002-01-27: 7,780,0002002-03-03: 9,720,0002002-03-10: 8,440,0002002-03-17: 7,990,0002002-03-31: 7,290,0002002-04-07: 8,620,0002002-04-14: 8,240,0002002-04-21: 8,590,0002002-04-28: 9,680,0002002-05-05: 7,780,0002002-05-12: 10,330,0002002-05-19: 13,250,000Nov ’92Dec ’93Jun ’95Aug ’96Dec ’97Feb ’99Jan ’03Dec ’06Sep ’10Jun ’14Oct ’15MilestoneTVPressOpen webRetailAudioBox office
TVPressOpen webRetailAudioBox office

13 more events on this chart

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US viewers per original episode broadcast: 201 dated figures from Wikipedia, each checked against the source. Measured at the time, not estimated.

Timeline (16)

  1. September 1993

    Fox / Chris Carter seed · Sep 10 ’93

    Fox premiered The X-Files, pairing FBI agents Mulder and Scully.[1][2]

    Watch The X-Files | Full episodes | Disney+
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Variety / Tony Scott press · Sep 10 ’93

    Variety reviewed the pilot and praised its writing, direction and lead actors.[3]

  3. December 1993

    X-Philes on Usenet platform jump · Dec 1993

    Fans created a Usenet discussion group in December, according to a later Wired history.[4]

  1. afterlife · May 4 ’95

  2. platform jump · Jun 1995

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Why it worked

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Pro opens the playbook, all 14 sourced numbers and 21 sources. Start with a free account.

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Revival earned Facebook impressions, Jul–Dec 2015
210M
As of Dec 31, 2015 · Facebook · Self-reported · Fox Broadcasting Company / Shorty Awards
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

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