The X-files (1993-2002) – A cult text

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/12/2009

Category :

Arts & media

Sub category :

Film studies

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Summary :

Introduction.
A cult program.
The Twilight Zone and 'a dimension of mind'.
Building a curiosity about the supernatural.
1. The film Donnie Darko.
The X-Files.
1. Division into 'Mytharc' or ?Mythology' episodes.
2. Long running narratives.
Twin Peaks and The X-Files.
1. A multi-dimensional aspect.
2. Strong play with other cult texts and past influences.
X-files as the inspiration for future shows.
Official merchandise on sale.
The advent of the internet.
Conclusion.

Abstract

The X-files (1993-2002), about two government agents investigating unsolved cases relating to paranormal activities, was a quality drama which became a cult hit with audiences and subsequently an international cultural phenomenon, generating vast amounts of secondary texts including merchandise products, online communities and fan fiction. Some of the questions we can ask relate to the text's cult status and its position as a mainstream success. Indeed, we can focus on the characteristics of the show that made it credible as a cult text and ensured that it gained a much larger audience than what was customary for a television based cult text in its time. The X-files drew on a range of processes commonly applied to cult texts, mainly through a hybridisation of generic forms and intertextual references as well as its mythological features. However, as Johnson (2005: 3) observes, 'Producers may attempt to create a media cult text, but it is only through the activities of audiences that a television programme can become a cult text'. Therefore, a text can only become cult if it is activated as such by its audience.