"The X-Files" received positive reviews from television critics, with many calling it one of the best series that aired on American television in the 1990s. Ian Burrell from the British newspaper "The Independent" called the show "one of the greatest cult shows in modern television". Richard Corliss from "Time" magazine called the show the "cultural touchstone of" the 1990s. Hal Boedeker from the "Orlando Sentinel" said in 1996 that the series had grown from a cult favorite to a television "classic". The "Evening Herald" said the show had "overwhelming influence" on television, in front of such shows as "The Simpsons". In 2012, "Entertainment Weekly" listed the show at #4 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years", describing it as "a paean to oddballs, sci-fi fans, conspiracy theorists and Area 51 pilgrims everywhere. Ratings improved every year for the first five seasons, while Mulder and Scully's believer-versus-skeptic dynamic created a TV template that's still in heavy use today."