In recent months, the classic Fox series The X-Files has been rumored to be returning after a long hiatus. This had many fans thinking, “I want to believe”. Well, now they can truly believe it, because today Fox has confirmed that The X-Files are indeed returning to television.
This may sound like good enough news, but it gets even better. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will be returning to their iconic roles of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Even series creator Chris Carter will be back in the drivers seat of the series revival, which is getting a limited six episode run.
After being away for so long, Carter said, “I think of it as a 13-year commercial break. The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories.”
Many fans out there are probably bemoaning the fact that the series is only getting a six episode run. This isn’t to say that there won’t be more to come, only that there is an initial order of six. This may be a test run to see how well the show will truly be received after such a long absence. Fox isn’t going to likely roll the dice on the return of The X-Files based solely on fan nostalgia.
If there is anybody the fans should truly be thanking for the show’s return, limited as it may be right now, it would have to be Fox Television Group chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden.
Newman and Walden expressed their elation about the series revival by saying, “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.”
Additionally they stated, “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.”
Variety reported that this new run of X-Files episodes will be produced by Ten Thirteen Productions and 20th Century Fox TV. And while production is slated to begin over the summer, no date has yet been disclosed for when the show will air.