More than two decades after it premiered on Fox, with a strange tale of a young medical doctor who went work for the FBI and found herself assigned by shadowy figures to ‘debunk’ the work of the infamous ‘Spooky Mulder,’ The X-Files remains a solid part of the television firmament. In 200 episodes over nine seasons, the award-winning drama became a significant part of a group of shows that changed television for the better, and its influence as such has continued far beyond its own production – with Breaking Bad and Fringe, in particular.
While it did lead to a movie franchise, the show itself has continued to find an audience among a new generation of viewers, 12 years after its final episode. It seems that Fox is keen to cash-in on that enduring popularity, as Fox CEO Gary Newman addressed the subject during the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
“It’s true that we’ve had some conversations on The X-Files and we are hopeful of being able to bring it back at some point.”
His colleague, Dana Walden, expanded on the all-important details of casting.
“Gary and I both worked through the entire run of The X-Files, and we’ve maintained good relationships with Chris [Carter], David [Duchovny] and Gillian [Anderson]. We’re very hopeful, but it’s hard. The actors are very busy, so it’s just trying to carve out time.”
Creatively, it seems there have been no official discussions, as yet, but it is certainly encouraging that the network is aiming to get the two legendary leads locked in first. Such a commitment would make it less of a reboot and more of a triumphant return – which is surely something we can all get behind.
In the same conversation, the idea of limited television ‘events’ for other past titles, including Prison Break and 24 were mentioned, but it was The X-Files that seemed to be most solid of the three prospects. While many cite the prospective return to an old series as proof of a lack of originality on the part of those commissioning television shows, The X-Files could easily be the exception. The premise is timeless, the characters are complex and beloved and the quality of writing was always phenomenal. There are endless possibilities in the world of Scully and Mulder, and hopefully the creative team behind them will give us the opportunity to explore some more.