I think we might have seen this sort of fall off in XF's ratings last year, except for the fact that CC, Spotnitz and the Fox execs apparently called in *ALL* their favors to promote season eight. Scully and Doggett were on the covers of Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide and I don't even remember what else. However, having somehow convinced (cajoled? bribed?) the media into doing this last year, they couldn't go to the same people and ask them to do the same thing again for season nine.