The X-Files season 11 will feature female writers (plus directors)
Today at the TCA Summer Press Tour, Fox executives confirmed that there will be female writers for the season to go along with the previous news that there will be female directors for the show as well. Specifically, Fox Chairman and CEO Dana Walden confirmed that creator Chris Carter has assigned two of the upcoming ten episodes of season 11 to women. Per 20th Century Fox TV and TVInsider, “Karen Nielson will write one episode and Kristen Cloke and Shannon Hamblin will be writing another episode based on a story by Glen Morgan.”
Walden said that per her understanding, this plan was in place before star Gillian Anderson criticized the show over the years for a lack of female representation behind the scenes over the years. These three writers should help to give a larger voice to the show, and a much better sense of perspective.
In so many ways, the lack of female writers for this show over the years is baffling given that above all other things, what you should want to see with this show is creativity. You want as many different voices coming up with as many different crazy ideas as possible. That is essential to a show like this, given that without it, you run the risk of being up against the wall or repeating yourself. Obviously, there are plenty of super-talented female writers who could have been there coming up with great episodes. It’s not as though every episode of the show that we’ve seen in ten seasons has been great and irreplaceable. For every gem there’s probably another dud mixed in there.
We could continue to beat the drum over this, but for now, we’re grateful that some progress is being made. Let’s just hope that it continues and it gets to the point with most shows that women are being represented to such an extent behind the scenes that there isn’t even an issue.
New episodes of The X-Files will start airing in around January or February. For the time being, there is no premiere date specified, but we’d be happy to see it start after the NFC Championship again. This is one of the premier franchises on Fox, and after the ratings that it drew the last time that it was on the air, it’d be utterly ridiculous for the show to not try and embrace that in some way once more. Fingers crossed that this is exactly what they end up doing.
What do you think about some of this news, and does it make you more excited for the future of The X-Files? Be sure to share in the comments!
Meanwhile, head over here in the event you do want to get some additional news right now when it comes to the show. (Photo: Fox.)