The X-Files Premiere Pulls In Strong Ratings

FOX's revival of The X-Files started strong last night, following the NFC Championship Game with a time-shifted episode that aired live at 10:24 p.m. ET/7:24 p.m. PT.

The episode scored a 5.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, more than double the 2.0 that Heroes Reborn scored when it brought back another long-gone sci-fi favorite earlier this TV season on NBC.

Heroes Reborn eventually failed to score a renewal, with NBC playing up the fact that it was designed as a miniseries even as creator Tim Kring has said he has more Heroes stories to tell.

The X-Files is a miniseries as well, but as with Heroes, many ardent fans hope that it will perform well enough to come back for more. In the decade-plus since The X-Files went off the air, series creator Chris Carter and stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have never stopped answering the "when will it be back?" questions.

The 5.1 rating is expected to hold, in spite of coming out of the "Fast Nationals" estimates necessitated by its live airing and odd timeslot, per Deadline. The second episode airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

Three years ago, when FOX launched The Following after an NFL Championship game, the series scored a 4.4 and launched a show that would run for three seasons, ending last May.