Official Discussion: X-Files returning to Fox for 6 episodes Update: Season 2!!!

[playahaitian]

X-Files returning to Fox for 6 episodes

The truth is right here, and it’s amazing: After 13 years off the air, The X-Files is officially returning to Fox as a limited series.

Stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back on board, along with creator Chris Carter.

“I think of it as a 13-year commercial break,” Carter said. “The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.”

The only part of this huge news you might not like: There are only six episodes planned.

“We had the privilege of working with Chris on all nine seasons of The X-Files – one of the most rewarding creative experiences of our careers – and we couldn’t be more excited to explore that incredible world with him again,” said Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group. “The X-Files was not only a seminal show for both the studio and the network, it was a worldwide phenomenon that shaped pop culture – yet remained a true gem for the legions of fans who embraced it from the beginning. Few shows on television have drawn such dedicated fans as The X-Files, and we’re ecstatic to give them the next thrilling chapter of Mulder and Scully they’ve been waiting for.”

The sci-fi procedural classic first premiered in 1993. It became one of Fox’s first major breakout hits and a pop-culture sensation that went on to last nine seasons and spawn two feature films. The show also earned 16 Emmys and helped pave the way for other prime-time sci-fi shows like ABC’s Lost and Fox’s Fringe. Once again, the series will follow FBI special agents Scully (Anderson) and Mulder (Duchovny) as they investigate unexplained cases.

Carter’s “six stories” comment seems to suggest the series will embrace the show’s original format of focusing on stand-alone mysteries rather than delving into the serialized alien conspiracy mythology that dominated some of the show’s episodes and its first feature film (at least, that’s what I want to believe).

The move follows Fox reviving another one of its hits, 24, for a shortened run last year. The X-Files deal has been in the works since at least January when executives told reporters at the network’s press tour presentation that they were trying to revive the show.

The X-Files will start production this summer. There’s no premiere date yet, and no word if other cast members from the original series will return.

 

[playahaitian]

The X-Files revival: 7 things we hope to see

So The X-Files is finally coming back. But what kind of X-Files will we get? There was the originally series, which increasingly got tangled in its alien conspiracy mythology and then pretty much everybody agrees went a couple seasons too long. There were two movies. It’s been 13 years. There’s no details yet on what to expect other than Fox has ordered six episodes with original stars original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson signed on to revive their iconic roles as paranormal investigating FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

But here is our seven hopes for the revival:

1. Stand-alone episodes: Fans are very divided between those who prefer the mythology episodes vs. the stand-alone hours. I usually go the other direction on this issue, wanting shows to be more serialized. But The X-Files often (not always, but often) worked best when telling singular stories – like “Ice,” “Die Hand Die Verletzt,” “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” and the infamous “Home.” This would also make it easier for the show to attract new viewers. Creator Chris Carter may have hinted in his statement about the series order today that stand-alone episodes could be the plan: ”The world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.” Or maybe not. Count this as the first of many bits of cryptic information we’re likely receive.

2. Focus on Mulder and Scully: Sort of a no-brainer, but let’s hope there isn’t an effort made to introduce new agents to potentially continue the franchise (no John Doggett and Monica Reyes, in other words).



3. Return to Vancouver: X-Files will start production this summer, but Fox won’t say where. With so many shows on TV filming in budget-conscious Vancouver nowadays – from ABC’s Once Upon a Time to The CW’s Arrow – there’s a temptation to want a fresh environment for the revival (like we saw in the globe-trotting first The X-Files feature film in 1998). And yet, it would be hard for X-Files to feel like X-Files if shot anywhere else.

4. Ditch Mulder and Scully’s romance: Mulder and Scully were awesome as investigative partners with some romantic chemistry. As actual romantic partners … not so much. Some will disagree, but if we’re picking up this story years later and we learn their relationship hadn’t worked out, it would add some playful tension and be more interesting if they’re back to being professional again. And you know, there was something that felt even more like kissing-your-sister than anything on Game of Thrones whenever this happened:

5. Bring back the great writers: X-Files is known for having launched the careers of some incredible TV writers, such as Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), James Wong (American Horror Story), Howard Gordon (24), Darin Morgan (Fringe) and Alex Gansa (Homeland). It’s can be tricky to get certain names while they’re attached to existing projects, but hopefully Carter will be able to tap some of his original dream team to contribute an episode (who wouldn’t want to see a post-Walter White episode of X-Files by Gilligan?). On the other hand, ideally the show would seek out fresh names for other positions, such as a…

6. New supporting cast: I know most will disagree on this – as will the producers, I suspect – but hear me out: Is it better for Mulder and Scully to have a new boss they have to prove themselves to, or to be partnered once again with the supportive clench-jawed Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) who’s seen it all? Would it be better to have new villains, or to go back to Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis)? (Surely he’s died of lung cancer by now?). Nostalgia makes us want to keep things the same, but it just wouldn’t make much sense to have all the same secondary characters still hanging around and they would make it tougher to leave behind the show’s cumbersome backstory and move forward.

7. Know when to stop: The X-Files became a cautionary tale for dragging out a series too long. With an order of only six episodes, there’s almost zero chance of that this time around. But could there be more episodes beyond this initial order? If the show does really well, it’s hard to imagine Fox wouldn’t make it happen. This is broadcast TV – success means more. But hopefully if the show does begin to feel exhausted again, Carter will know when to wrap things up.

 

[largebillsonlyplease]

By the end it was a story arc so Im wondering how they're going to do it.

The random episodes were the shit. I still remember being little and hurrying up and turning the TV as soon as the fucking intro to the x-files came on cause it scared the shit out of me.

My favorite episode is the one where it was a full moon and they shot it cops style and people were getting killed by what they feared.

 

[ThaBurgerPimp]

http://www.bgol.us/board/showthread.php?t=841506

i just better see this at the end

 

[Multi - Personality]

Sent from my TouchPad using Tapatalk

 

[godofwine]

unfortunately for me, I never got into the x-files - which is weird because I typically like sci-fi. Hollywood is so out of ideas that they resurrect did shit like weekend at Bernies 2. I don't know what you fans of the show expect to see, but expect to be disappointed... Based on Hollywood's track record

 

[knightmelodic]

Cerulean blue.

 

[playahaitian]

unfortunately for me, I never got into the x-files - which is weird because I typically like sci-fi. Hollywood is so out of ideas that they resurrect did shit like weekend at Bernies 2. I don't know what you fans of the show expect to see, but expect to be disappointed... Based on Hollywood's track record

Fam you would really appreciate the writing on here some episodes were the BEST ever in not only sci-fi but tv.
I'll post some later in the week.
I slept on it initially and became a serious fan during syndication.

 

[blackras9]

This was my Sunday night staple during my teens

 

[playahaitian]

This was my Sunday night staple during my teens

I caught on late but man I remember watching a few episodes and I think it was the fluke man that made that a no go in my house

 

[tical]

Probably my #2 favorite SyFy show #1 being StarTrek!

 

[avantastic]

Shit never works smh. Just like they tried to bring 24 back. Either make a movie or let a show die.

 

[kwazdog]

Most frustrating series ever. It was like an endless Titty fuck or hand job, the ultimate tease.


I liked but hated that show. It was like having blue balls.


If it were mine I would have scully whisked off into the alien home world IN FULL DETAIL!!!!! waking up in juice in old ass hating as Plebs brothel of intergalactic delights as a sex worker.


Every other episode the illest shit would be going down. Mindfucks galore not that ambiguous, misty smoke, what the fuck is really going on BULLshit. My shit would be like "Ninja, This is what the fuck is going on!! BAM!!!!".

Here's a good compilation of sci fi mind fucks..

 

[futureshock]

I caught on late but man I remember watching a few episodes and I think it was the fluke man that made that a no go in my house

they had some really wild and bugged out episodes...especially for that time.

they only showed the crazy incest family episode 1 time on fox.

 

[yaBoi]

unfortunately for me, I never got into the x-files - which is weird because I typically like sci-fi. Hollywood is so out of ideas that they resurrect did shit like weekend at Bernies 2. I don't know what you fans of the show expect to see, but expect to be disappointed... Based on Hollywood's track record

same here never got into x-files


but fox brought back 24 and it was awesome

 

[Mastermind2002]

I would like to see a continuation of the Alien colonization storyline that we never got with the "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" movie. If this is just gonna be six stand alone, monster of the week episodes with no connection to the Alien colonization storyline then don't bother bringing it back. Chris Carter did X-files fans dirty by never tying up those loose ends.

 

[Texas Catdaddy]

heard this referenced on a show last night..... but that home shit.....

Cerulean blue.

 

[Bboynocturnal]

I would like to see a continuation of the Alien colonization storyline that we never got with the "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" movie. If this is just gonna be six stand alone, monster of the week episodes with no connection to the Alien colonization storyline then don't bother bringing it back. Chris Carter did X-files fans dirty by never tying up those loose ends.

^^^^^^^^^ this. ... I wanted to see more and they left us hangin

 

[thundercat]

Looking forward to it

 

[gene cisco]

Good. I hope they leave that bullshit alien shit alone. Damn. The show was so much better with the standalone episodes.

 

[Damian Stone]

The Devil "Nice working with you" had me shook

 

[futureshock]

yeah, I would like to see some sort of resolution or closure with the mythology storyline. The first movie went there...but like some have said there was NO ultimate resolution from the TV show series.

On the flip side...I did not realize the stable of writers that this show pumped out.

The Writing Room
The X-Files' writing staff over the years became a launching pad for a stream of writers and showrunners who continue to produce high-impact, quality TV shows and films to this day. Vince Gilligan went on to create Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, while Darin Morgan – who penned what many consider the finest X-Files episode ever, "Jose Chung's ‘From Outer Space' – moved on to Fringe. Co-producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa later created Homeland, with the former also involved with 24 and Tyrant, while David Amann became an executive producer on Without a Trace and Castle. The show's roster of writers also included genre giants Stephen King and William Gibson, who each penned an episode.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/x-files-mini-series-monsters-784298



You can thank Netflix for the return of The X-Files

The truth is online
By Ross Miller on March 25, 2015

The X-Files was a huge hit, even if the later seasons got a bit iffy in terms of quality or even logic. The show won 16 Emmy Awards and was nominated 62 times over nine seasons. It spawned two films, two spinoff TV shows (The Lone Gunmen and Millennium, sort of — there was a crossover episode), various comic book series, and countless fan fiction. Fun fact: the term "shipper" is attributed to X-Files fans who really wanted to see Mulder and Scully hook up, and is now use to describe fan-craved relationships from Harry and Louis to Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.


Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. As a species, we tend to remember things more fondly than they ever could have been. For a network, that means reviving old properties will have a built-in audience. It's a safer bet, financially speaking, and the success of last year's 24: Live Another Day miniseries proved it. In some ways, you can thank Jack Bauer for Mulder and Scully's return.

Above all else, however, you can thank Netflix for The X-Files. Back when "Kevin Spacey's bad Southern accent" meant Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Big Red was primarily a haven for people to binge-watch old favorites or discover shows they missed the first time around. (It arguably still is; even if Netflix's marketing push is aimed at its original content, the company spends millions to secure syndication rights of shows like Friends and The Blacklist.) Binge-watching saved Family Guy. It saved Futurama — twice. The X-Files remains a known quantity, and that makes it viable.


So yes, The X-Files is coming back, and it really doesn't matter to Fox if it's good or bad because there's already a whole internet's worth of a fans eager for something new. And if it isn't The X-Files, it's Twin Peaks. Or it's Boy Girl Meets World. It's even Heroes, even though that show had maybe five good episodes and three and a half seasons worth of bad ones.

Do you ever wonder what the Gilmore Girls are up to right now? Keep binge-watching old seasons, and you just might find out.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/25/8285185/fox-x-files-reboot-thanks-netflix


The 'X-Files' Revival Isn't About Fans Or Closure, It's About Netflix


The X-Files is returning to Fox as a limited-series event with a six-episode order that’s set to begin production later this year. Of course the news met yesterday with massive excitement among fans – particularly on social media. However, while it’s exciting, the truth of the matter is this revival has nothing to do with making those fans happy. It also has nothing to do with bringing closure to the show’s loose plot threads. In fact, it doesn’t even have anything to do with Fox trying to land a giant Nielsen score upon the revival’s premiere. No, all the X-Files reboot has to do with is a deal for the show’s exclusive streaming rights.

Back in November 2013, we discussed the reason why Nikita, The CW’s painfully low-rated action series, was given a final six-episode season that wouldn’t ultimately bring its total to the 88-episode minimum required for traditional syndication. The conclusion was rather simple: a series that concludes with a six-episode wrap-up would be more viable to outlets like Netflix NFLX -3.83% and Amazon since a show that has ended properly is more likely to be watched by customers on the service than one that didn’t. Similarly, this is what The X-Files revival is really about.

Just prior to its return last May, Fox struck a lucrative streaming deal with Amazon for the entire canon of 24. Previously, the show had been available on both Amazon and Netflix. The fact that Live Another Day was to follow only a short few weeks later made what was a dead property a hot commodity. Essentially, 24 became found money. The mistake, however, was in the money Fox spent to bring Jack Bauer back to life, and this is a mistake it isn’t about to make again – the explaining the short-order 6 episode season.

A revival of *The X-Files means all of the show’s previous work is valuable again. Old fans are going to start re-watching it, and newcomers are going to start seeking it out in order to get caught up before the premiere. The reason this matters is because Fox can use that leverage to strike yet another highly valuable streaming deal with one of the big three (Netflix, Amazon and Hulu) to make some serious money off the currently dead series. Just as Transformers movies are about selling toys more than movie tickets, a new X-Files is all about selling Netflix subscriptions more than it is about Nielsen ratings. Fox doesn’t actually care that people want a new season of The X-Files, but they do care that Netflix would pay big money to stream the show exclusively in order to allow people the chance to catch-up beforehand. Like 24, X-Files is now nothing more than found money for 20th Century Fox Television.

It’s actually this logic that will be the reason why shows like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Reaper will never be revived. A network revives an old, cult show to make the original investment viable. Fox network won’t benefit from the airing of new X-Files episodes, but its sister studio will – which ends up benefiting Fox network in the long run. Fox would never air more Sarah Connor Chronicles because it’s a Warner Bros. show, so the only entity that benefits from a streaming deal that would happen because of such an announcement would be Warner Bros.

24: Live Another Day was the show’s lowest rated season, but it didn’t matter because Amazon paid big money for it anyway based on expectation. The same will be true for Heroes Reborn later this year, and it will be true again for The X-Files. Don’t kid yourself into thinking Fox cares about your desire to see Mulder and Scully’s journey come to a proper conclusion. To them, you’re nothing more than leverage for the likes of Amazon, Netflix and anyone else who would pay for the right to steam exclusively.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/merrillbarr/2015/03/24/x-files-reboot/

 

[OutlawR.O.C.]

Still haven't seen an episode I'll break down and watch one day.

 

[Mastermind2002]

Good. I hope they leave that bullshit alien shit alone. Damn. The show was so much better with the standalone episodes.

Highly disagree. Some of the best X-Files episodes centered around the Alien mythology storyline. Cigarette Smoking Man's whole purpose on the show is his connection to the Alien mythology storyline. Whenever they would break away from the Alien mythology storyline to do those stand alone episodes I hated it. Sure, there were some good stand alone episodes here and there but for the most part the meat and potatoes of the show was the Alien mythology storyline.

 

[Mastermind2002]

Still haven't seen an episode I'll break down and watch one day.

Just watch seasons 1-6. Don't waste your time on seasons 7-9.

 

[OutlawR.O.C.]

Just watch seasons 1-6. Don't waste your time on seasons 7-9.

 

[tical]

Just watch seasons 1-6. Don't waste your time on seasons 7-9.

Worst advice ever! Regardless of the reception you have to start from the beginning and stay till the end.

Watch the "entire series." Don't let others opinions dictate your course..

 

[playahaitian]

Just watch seasons 1-6. Don't waste your time on seasons 7-9.

^^^this

 

[Count23]

Worst advice ever! Regardless of the reception you have to start from the beginning and stay till they end.

Watch the "entire series." Dont let others opinions dictate your course..

^this

 

[simonmarcel]

They cancelled The After to do six episodes?

 

[Mastermind2002]

Worst advice ever! Regardless of the reception you have to start from the beginning and stay till they end.

Watch the "entire series." Dont let others opinions dictate your course..

He'll regret it later when he realizes how bad seasons 7-9 were. I'm trying to save the man from pain. It's like when people say watch The Godfather 1&2 but don't waste your time on 3. People are not just saying that to be saying it; there is a great level of truth in that advice. We don't want you going through the pain that is Part 3 and that same advice applies here with the X-Files seaons 7-9. They were a waste of time. Even show creator Chris Carter said he wanted to end the show after season 6 but it was Fox that wanted to keep it going.

 

[playahaitian]

Worst advice ever! Regardless of the reception you have to start from the beginning and stay till they end.

Watch the "entire series." Dont let others opinions dictate your course..

I understand why he saying that but can't really discuss without spoilers. Trust if he watches the first 5 he will want to complete the saga.

 

[playahaitian]

Mitch Pileggi to reprise role as Walter Skinner in X-Files revival

Fox Mulder said it best: “Come here, you big, bald, beautiful man.”

Mitch Pileggi is set to reprise his role as FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner in Fox’s upcoming revival of The X-Files, EW has confirmed. David Duchovny hinted at Pileggi’s return last month when he appeared on Late Show with David Letterman. Skinner became a fan favorite over the series’ nine-season run, moving from uptight boss to one of Mulder and Scully’s main allies, and was last seen in a brief appearance in 2008’s feature film I Want to Believe.

Pileggi expressed his enthusiasm about the revival on Twitter.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Very happy to announce that Walter Skinner will once again be getting all grumpy and bitchy with his two wayward kids. Very happy.</p>&mdash; Mitch Pileggi (@MitchPileggi1) <a href="https://twitter.com/MitchPileggi1/status/590231927648423936">April 20, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[playahaitian]

X-Files revival plans return of Walter Skinner, Cigarette Smoking Man

Fox’s X-Files revival will likely have more original cast members than first announced.

Star David Duchovny told CBS Late Show host David Letterman on Tuesday that the sci-fi hit’s Fox reboot will include supportive clench-jawed FBI assistant director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and the villainous Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis).

This cast is not yet official. We’re told the only deals in place right now are for Duchovny, co-star Gillian Anderson and creator Chris Carter. But you have to figure that Duchovny is pretty good source of intel, right?

Here’s a question: Will CSM still actually smoke? The X-Files has been off the air so long (13 years) that you can’t even show smoking anymore – typically – on broadcast TV. That’s the problem NBC’s Constantine ran into, when the show’s producers unsuccessfully tried to get network permission to show John Constantine as a regular smoker like in the comics.

Duchovny joked to Letterman: “When they developed Spanx, I knew I had a shot at coming back.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-WWoxdGKLI

Not bringing back the supporting cast was one suggestions from my list of seven hopes for The X-Files revival. See that shipper-enraging post here.

 

[playahaitian]

Meanwhile, it’ll be a long wait for the highly-anticipated X-Files revival, which is slated to debut with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Jan. 24 at 10 p.m. The six-episode event series reunites David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Mulder and Scully.​