More ‘X-Files’? Fox CEO Says What Has to Happen First

TCA 2016: Gary Newman breaks down his network’s biggest scheduling issue

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Fox

It seems that everyone wants more “X-Files”: Fans, the talent, and certainly, Fox.

So what’s the hold up? The broadcaster’s big day at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour has come and (almost, at the time of this writing) gone without an order for more episodes of its out-of-this-world intellectual property. We know the problem is scheduling, but TheWrap asked network and studio co-chairman/CEO Gary Newman what exactly needs to happen for the fans to get their fix — and for Fox to nab its big TV ratings.

“We need to get Chris, David and Gillian to agree to do it, and to identify a period of three to four months of production that’s far enough out in the future to give [Carter] time to hire writers and develop the scripts,” he told TheWrap. “So you’re asking people to commit eight to ten months out into the future in terms of availability.”

On Duchovny and Anderson, Newman added: “They’re both in-demand actors, so it’s not easy — it’s a little bit of a jigsaw puzzle putting it all together, but we’re working on it.”

When asked if it’s the on-screen talent or showrunner who’s been more difficult to nail down at this point, Dana Walden’s co-head honcho answered perfectly.

“Each one has its unique challenges, but one doesn’t work without the other,” Newman replied.

Read more from our interview with Newman here.

And here’s what Walden and Fox Entertainment President David Madden had to say about the recently revived X-Files” mini-run, which wasn’t quite beloved by many critics.

Fox will close its TCA day with a combined “Gotham”-“Lucifer” panel, followed by headliner “Empire.”

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