Well, during the last months I rewatched all 9 seasons and the two movies of The X-Files, and I don't know for sure if anything was planned from the very beginning. But it sure as hell does look like it. There are lots and lots of little hints and moments throughout all seasons.
The main difference I would see however is the fact that with TXF we are talking about a show that ran for nine seasons. We had lots and lots of episodes and the writers had a lot of time to play around with the idea of Scully and Mulder ending up as a romantic couple. They took steps forward and then took steps back again, and I think it's very difficult to do something like this with a show that gives the audience three episodes every 57 years or so. You have to be far more careful with what you're doing, and I think that you simply have to plan the general story with far more care. With a show like TXF you can try out things, and if something doesn't really work in episode 3 of season 2, you have 21 episodes left in season 2 to do something else and change things around again.

As for a long-term plan there is this quote: 

 “We love this, we think everybody’s been getting wrong, and we think we can get it right. Unless you think you’re correcting everyone else, you shouldn’t be doing something. You should be saying, “Now this is the way it should be done.” 

Steven Moffat said this in October 2010 (!). What I find interesting is not just the fact that he is talking about an overall concept but also the thing everybody's been getting wrong. It cannot be the modernisation since everybody knows that the original stories are set in the late 1800s and early 1900s. So there has to be something else everybody got wrong and they have been thinking they can get right since … forever. 

Susie yes and it would only make sense that the short term and long term plan were the same.
I can't remember where , but I read the writers said something like they did TRF too soon because they didn't know how long they would have (series wise ) or if there would even be a S03 ,and they didn't want to ever be in that position again.
So it might have been in their mind that S01 or 02 was the last and they were writing the actual end..Thats what was in my mind when thinking about how they wrote the finales.

Vhanja . It sounds fun and interesting  however back when Xfiles was produced , it was the aim of a successful series to go on and on and on and on etc like Star Trek or Who . Planning definitive long term series that actually have an ending ( hopefully on a high before getting canned ) is fairly new . So likely they wanted to keep things open and interesting.I think a lot has changed since then and producers and writers are more cynical now and prefer doing an actual end , with maybe the option to do specials . Like maybe The Office.

Last edited by Mothonthemantel (February 15, 2016 1:46 pm)

As I'm always harping on that people should be allowed to post how, what, when and where they want...this is by no means to be taken as criticism:
I suppose there are a million shows we could compare to BBC Sherlock( possibly just a slight exaggeration there!!). Even on the Johnlock level, as long as they have 2 leads who have a close relationship of some sort.
As I said, I haven't seen TXF(tho am aware of the will-they won't they debate).
But for me, I've never really understood why Sherlock should be like any other show or in fact stick to any kind of pattern.
I wouldn't claim it was unique, but for me, the very fact that it is different to other TV, is the thing that attracts me to it.
I just think it's so much more intelligent than other shows.
I think the characters are fuller, less stereotypical and some how seem real.
I think the writers have their priorities right and keep a good balance.

I obviously have no idea with TXF...but I could give you an answer for Sherlock now!

Well I think I know how it won't end, if you know what I mean!

I'm fairly certain Mark and Steven already know how it will end.

Last edited by besleybean (February 15, 2016 7:26 pm)

Sorry, I was a bit slow on the edit!
I think Mark and Steven have made it clear how it won't end...but apparently others disagree with me on that.

I can't recall an interview where they've said Johnlock will happen, but I know of ones where they say it won't.

It would be interesting for me, if the team ever came out and said Johnlock would happen...that people would still believe that they always lie.
I don't think they do lie at all.
They obviously don't want to give away major plot issues like people coming back from the dead, or in fact dying, or being secret assassins etc...but other than that, relationships seem to have been fairly consistent.

The whole subject of what people believe and why is absolutely fascinating to me and always has been: be it in politics, religion, or life in general actually.
How people reinforce their beliefs is even more fascinating...