AVC: Lost, a show that's obviously been influenced by
The
X-Files, made a big deal about announcing a definitive end point. Was that ever
considered for
The X-Files?
CC: No, the reason… We went to season five and we did the
movie. Actually, at the end of season four, I could have left, and I might have
opted to. My contract was up, and I could have left, and it would have been a
successful show. But it was clear that Fox was going to—because it was a
powerhouse for their schedule and for their network—the show was going to go
on, and it would have gone on without me. And I had made a pledge to the actors
that I would stay with the show as long as they did. And that kept me going, so
there was not an end point imagined, which was a result of the fact that Fox
was not going to end that show anytime without a reason to end it. And I think
that it's a luxury for the creators of
Lost to be able to have an end point,
and to have a network that supports it. I'm sure the network is not happy about
it, because it is a business first, and entertainment second. And they get to
put one before the other, which is a luxury that I didn't actually have or
imagine.