The two-part premiere of The X-Files revival proved that fans still care about Mulder and Scully. Airing on both Sunday and Monday night, the rebirth of the ’90s sci-fi series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson pulled in strong ratings, according to recently released numbers.
Sunday’s episode had the benefit of a massive lead-in given that it aired directly after the NFC championship game. (Some 45.7 million viewers watched the Carolina Panthers defeat the Arizona Cardinals, reports Deadline.) Of course, The X-Files wasn’t able to retain the whole audience, but it did make an impression; time-adjusted Live + same day ratings show that the Sunday episode garnered 16.2 million viewers. Among adults 18-49, The X-Files earned an impressive 6.1 rating.
A boost from the NFL post-season matchup wasn’t the only reason The X-Files fared so well, though. Monday night’s data shows that a lead-in wasn’t necessary to attract viewers, with 9.7 million people tuning in for the second part of the premiere, according to Entertainment Weekly. That episode gained a 3.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, easily topping CBS’ Supergirl and ABC’s The Bachelor, which scored ratings of 1.8 and 2.3, respectively.
The X-Files was Monday night’s highest-rated broadcast program and served as an ideal lead-in for Lucifer, a new supernatural drama on Fox. The latter was the second-highest rated show of the night, pulling in a 2.4 rating and 7.1 million viewers. Clearly, Fox execs played their cards right.
Robbie Amell, who plays Agent Miller, celebrated the premiere’s ratings on Twitter Tuesday, thanking those who watched and promising that what’s to come in the next four episodes will be equally good.
Wooo! #TheXFiles ratings have been massive. Thank you to everyone who has watched! The remaining 4 episodes will not disappoint.
— Robbie Amell (@RobbieAmell) January 26, 2016
Fortunately for fans, these X-Files ratings could mean more episodes of that series down the road. Creator Chris Carter revealed at the recent Television Critics Association’s press tour in Pasadena that he expected the studio to want more episodes if the event series performed well, according to an EW report at the time.
It sounds like we’ll need them, too, because Carter also shared that the current six-episode order ends on a massive cliffhanger.
The X-Files airs on Mondays at 8:00 pm ET.