LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: Actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny attend the premiere of Fox's "The X-Files" at California Science Center on January 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
The X-Files star Gillian Anderson has seen quite a few mysteries come and go during 10 seasons on the show. But one mystery that remains unanswered is the lack of female writers and directors employed by the series in all that time.
Earlier this week, The X-Files announced its slate of writers for the upcoming eleventh season, all of which are men. This fits into the show’s track record that has seen just six women (including Anderson) receive a writing credit in 208 episodes. Fans quickly took to social media to voice their displeasure with the show’s male-dominated structure. On Thursday, Anderson joined them by noting that the issue extends beyond the writers room.
https://twitter.com/GillianA/status/880419889634258944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tvguide.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-x-files-gillian-anderson-female-writers-directors%2F
The two directors referenced in her tweet are herself and Michelle MacLaren, who has directed some of the very best episodes of Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. People rightfully have questions when it comes to the hiring practices of Fox and show creator Chris Carter throughout 10-plus seasons and two feature films. I mean, just one single outside female hire? I don’t even understand how that happens based solely on sheer numbers.
Viewers were already skeptical of another season of The X-Files given the revival’s uneven quality. The controversy surrounding the lack of diversity behind the scenes is only adding fuel to the fire. Hopefully, the uproar inspires changes going forward.
For now, season 11 of The X-Files is set to debut in 2018.
