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Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan says testing an episode of his X-Files spin-off made him swear he would "never freaking do that again," and he still doesn't know how Breaking Bad tested
One of the most humbling experiences as a filmmaker has to be screening a movie or TV shows to an audience, and no one knows that better than Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan, who was put off test-screenings for life after his '00s X-Files spin-off.
"We had a spin-off show of The X-Files called The Lone Gunmen, which I was very proud of, and I still have a soft spot for it," said Gilligan to Sony. "I had to sit through audience testing on the first episode of that show, and I swore on the graves of my forefathers, I will never freaking do that again."
The showrunner explained that the audience had a device where they would turn the knob to the right if they liked a particular scene, and to the left if they didn't like it. "There's a scene where one of the characters gets sick and throws up in a golf bag, and all the needles went [to the left]," said Gilligan. But the worst part was that afterwards the audience was asked if they found it funny, and one viewer turned to the two-way mirror, which Gilligan was sitting behind, and said, "Well, it's no Will and Grace." Ouch.
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Released in 2001, The Lone Gunmen was set in the same world as the highly popular X-Files series, but rather than dealing with aliens and paranormal events, Gilligan's comedy show looked at other secret activities like government-sponsored terrorism and corporate crime. However, despite being met with positive reviews, the show was canceled after thirteen episodes.
The screening experience would haunt Gilligan for years to come. Before his 2008 crime show, Breaking Bad, hit screens, the writer couldn't even face sending it to test-screen audiences. "When Breaking Bad came along, I said, 'If you guys are going to test this, don't tell me about it. I want the tree that fell in the forest. I don't want to know anything about it,'" said Gilligan. "Apparently, they did test it. They never even told me the results."
Gilligan really had nothing to worry about, though, as Breaking Bad went on to release eight seasons, win multiple awards, and is often regarded as one of the best series ever made. Now, Gilligan is seeing similar success with his new Apple TV show Pluribus, which is already winning over fans. The mind-bending sci-fi series debuted to rave reviews and a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.
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