The X-Files franchise
Encyclopedia
The X-Files is a science fiction
-thriller franchise
, initially conceived by Chris Carter
. The franchise generally focused on paranormal
or unexplained happenings. The first franchise release, simply titled The X-Files
, first aired in September 1993 and ended in May 2002. The show was a hit for the Fox
network, and its characters and slogans (e.g., "The Truth Is Out There", "Trust No One", "I Want to Believe") became pop culture touchstones in the 1990s. 1996 saw the release of the franchise's first television spin off, entitled Millennium
. In 1998, the first X-Files feature film
was released, eventually grossing over 180 million United States dollar
s. A third series spinoff, The Lone Gunmen
, was released in 2001 and abruptly cancelled. In 2002, Fox cancelled the franchise's first and last series, The X-Files. After a six-year break, the second film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe
, was released. It grossed roughly 60 million United States dollar
s worldwide. The franchise currently remains on hiatus.
In addition to film and television, The X-Files franchise has expanded into other media, including books, video games, and comic books
. These supplements to the film and television series have resulted in significant development of the show's fictional universe and mythology.
Due to multiple developers working separately and independently on the franchise over the years, the various X-Files productions are not entirely consistent with each other; and while no set of works forms an official canon
, the largest following exists for the three live-action series. Through the work of various authors and developers, at least six separate story cycles can be discerned, some of which are continuations of the other ones (either endorsed or unendorsed by their ancestor).
happenings, including but not limited to alien abductions, genetic mutations, and psychic abilities. The X-Files
originally followed Special Agents Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) and their work in the FBI office dedicated to the X-Files. Their investigations generally concentrate on cases which are declared unsolvable by normal procedures. The X-Files was generally divided into two classes of episodes, most of them being monster-of-the-week, or "stand-alone" episodes. Other episodes focused on the X-Files mytharc
, which followed a government conspiracy
to hide the truth about the existence of extraterrestrial life
.
Millennium
followed former Special Agent
Frank Black
, a skilled criminal psychologist who could predict the actions of murder
ers and serial killer
s. This often led Black to investigate the most brutal and horrific crimes
. Black eventually became a consultant
for the Millennium Group
, which believed that the world as we know it would come to an end at the beginning of the new millennium. In the third season
, Black turns on the group and rejoins the FBI as a special agent
.
The Lone Gunmen
followed the characters Richard Langly
, Melvin Frohike
, John Fitzgerald Byers
(all of whom were recurring characters in the X-Files), and new character Jimmy Bond
, in their attempts to compile a conspiracy-theorist magazine.
was released in 1998 in between the fifth
and sixth season
. It was intended to be a continuation of the season five finale "The End
", but also be able to stand on its own. Season six opener "The Beginning
" picked up where the film left off. The majority of the film was shot in the break between the show's fourth and fifth seasons. The film follows the actions of Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) after their dismissal from the X-Files
division.
Unlike the first film, the plot of The X-Files: I Want to Believe
does not focus on the series' ongoing extraterrestrial-based "mytharc" and instead works as a standalone thriller-horror
story. The film details ex-agents Mulder and Scully's search for a missing FBI agent. While Walter Skinner
(Mitch Pileggi
) makes a notable appearance, John Doggett
(Robert Patrick
) and Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish
) are absent from the film.
Since 2009, there has been an ongoing fan-based "Believe in the Future" campaign to allow for a third feature film to be green-lighted.
, many books based on it were written and released, including novels based on episodes, a series of comic books
from Topps Comics
, and many "official" and "unauthorized" non-fiction books. Some of the novels, which were published in both hardcover
and trade paperback editions, were adapted into audio books read by two of the series' stars, Gillian Anderson
and Mitch Pileggi
. Three X-Files books rose to the top-selling list over Europe
and North America
. These books were The Official Guide to the X Files, The Unofficial X Files Companion and The X Files Book of the Unexplained. In 2004, The US-based Topps Comics
and, most recently, DC Comics
imprint Wildstorm
launched a new series of licensed tie-in comics based on The X-Files. The Fox Broadcasting Network
publishes the official The X-Files Magazine. In total, five novel
s have been based on Millennium
, the first being a novelization of the pilot episode. Some novels were also released as audiobooks read by actor Bill Smitrovitch.
spawned a large number of spin-off products. The X-Files Collectible Card Game
was released in 1996, and an expansion pack was released in 1997. The X-Files has inspired three video games. In 1998, The X-Files: The Game
was released for the PC
and Macintosh and a year later for the PlayStation
. This game is set within the timeline of the second or third season and follows Agent Craig Willmore in his search for the missing Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully
. In 2000, Fox Interactive
released The X-Files: Unrestricted Access
, a game-style database for Windows and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file. Then, in 2004, The X-Files: Resist or Serve
was released for the PlayStation 2
. This game is an original story set in the seventh season
and allows the player control of both Mulder and Scully. Both games feature acting and voice work from members of the series' cast. A 12-inch Frank Black
figurine was issued by Sideshow in the same mold as The X-Files Special agents Fox Mulder
and Dana Scully
earlier.
and Gillian Anderson
, became international sex symbol
s. Shows such as Bones
, Fringe
and Lost
have cited The X-Files as a major influence. The show has also topped ranking polls worldwide, but most notably in the English speaking world
.
The two television spin off
s have, on the other hand, made less impact. Millennium
, while well-received by many critics, garnered criticism for the episodes being similar to each other in content and themes. Variety magazine
reviewer Jeremy Gerard, although his review was mostly favorable, criticized it for giving him the "nagging feeling" that it wanted to hurt him. Many reviewers noted the dark story lines of the series, which were constantly mentioned as a reason why the show never became widely popular. The second spin off, entitled The Lone Gunmen
, lasted only one season due to declining viewership, although it too earned largely positive reviews.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-thriller franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, initially conceived by Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
. The franchise generally focused on paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
or unexplained happenings. The first franchise release, simply titled The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, first aired in September 1993 and ended in May 2002. The show was a hit for the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network, and its characters and slogans (e.g., "The Truth Is Out There", "Trust No One", "I Want to Believe") became pop culture touchstones in the 1990s. 1996 saw the release of the franchise's first television spin off, entitled Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
. In 1998, the first X-Files feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
was released, eventually grossing over 180 million United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s. A third series spinoff, The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen (TV series)
The Lone Gunmen is a television show created by Chris Carter and broadcast on FOX. It was a spin-off of Carter's popular long-running television series The X-Files and a part of The X-Files franchise, starring several of the show's characters. The Lone Gunmen was first broadcast in March 2001 and,...
, was released in 2001 and abruptly cancelled. In 2002, Fox cancelled the franchise's first and last series, The X-Files. After a six-year break, the second film, The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
, was released. It grossed roughly 60 million United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s worldwide. The franchise currently remains on hiatus.
In addition to film and television, The X-Files franchise has expanded into other media, including books, video games, and comic books
The X-Files (comics)
The X-Files comics was a spin-off from the television series of the same name, originally published by Topps Comics and, most recently, DC Comics imprint Wildstorm.-Publication history:...
. These supplements to the film and television series have resulted in significant development of the show's fictional universe and mythology.
Due to multiple developers working separately and independently on the franchise over the years, the various X-Files productions are not entirely consistent with each other; and while no set of works forms an official canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
, the largest following exists for the three live-action series. Through the work of various authors and developers, at least six separate story cycles can be discerned, some of which are continuations of the other ones (either endorsed or unendorsed by their ancestor).
Television series
The most common topics in the franchise were paranormalParanormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
happenings, including but not limited to alien abductions, genetic mutations, and psychic abilities. The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
originally followed Special Agents Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) and their work in the FBI office dedicated to the X-Files. Their investigations generally concentrate on cases which are declared unsolvable by normal procedures. The X-Files was generally divided into two classes of episodes, most of them being monster-of-the-week, or "stand-alone" episodes. Other episodes focused on the X-Files mytharc
Mythology of The X-Files
The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its mytharc by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder , a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully , his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner was also often...
, which followed a government conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to hide the truth about the existence of extraterrestrial life
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television show, The X-Files, as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is revealed across the course of the series...
.
Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
followed former Special Agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Frank Black
Frank Black (Millennium)
Frank Black is a fictional character in the American Fox television shows Millennium and The X-Files, two series concerned with crime, conspiracies, and supernatural phenomena. Black was a renowned, highly skilled criminal investigator with the FBI who had the gift to put himself into the killer's...
, a skilled criminal psychologist who could predict the actions of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ers and serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
s. This often led Black to investigate the most brutal and horrific crimes
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. Black eventually became a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for the Millennium Group
Millennium Group
The Millennium Group is a fictional secret society and "criminal investigative consulting firm" featured in the television series Millennium...
, which believed that the world as we know it would come to an end at the beginning of the new millennium. In the third season
Millennium (season 3)
The third season of the American supernatural thriller series, Millennium aired between 1998-1999, the Fox network decided not to renew the series after the third season because of a declining viewership level.-Recurring:*Terry O'Quinn as Peter Watts...
, Black turns on the group and rejoins the FBI as a special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
.
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen (TV series)
The Lone Gunmen is a television show created by Chris Carter and broadcast on FOX. It was a spin-off of Carter's popular long-running television series The X-Files and a part of The X-Files franchise, starring several of the show's characters. The Lone Gunmen was first broadcast in March 2001 and,...
followed the characters Richard Langly
Richard Langly
Richard “Ringo” Langly is a fictional character in the television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen. He was played by Dean Haglund. Langly was born circa 1968/1969 and grew up on a farm in Saltville, Nebraska...
, Melvin Frohike
Melvin Frohike
Melvin Frohike is a fictional character in the television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, played by Tom Braidwood.Frohike was born circa 1953 in Pontiac, Michigan. Prior to joining The Lone Gunmen, he was an acclaimed tango dancer in Miami...
, John Fitzgerald Byers
John Fitzgerald Byers
John Fitzgerald Byers is a fictional character in the television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, played by Bruce Harwood.John Fitzgerald Byers was born on November 22, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, in Sterling, Virginia, and was named after the fallen president – his...
(all of whom were recurring characters in the X-Files), and new character Jimmy Bond
Jimmy Bond
Jimmy Bond is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The Lone Gunmen and The X-Files, two science fiction shows about government conspiracies to hide or deny the truth from the people...
, in their attempts to compile a conspiracy-theorist magazine.
Feature films
The first feature film, The X-FilesThe X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
was released in 1998 in between the fifth
The X-Files (season 5)
-Episodes:Episodes marked with an asterisk are part of the series' mytharc. Episodes with a double asterisk are part of the series' Alien Mythology....
and sixth season
The X-Files (season 6)
The sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox Broadcasting Network in the United States on November 8, 1998, concluding on the same channel on May 16, 1999, and contained 22 episodes. The series was developed by Chris Carter, who also serves as...
. It was intended to be a continuation of the season five finale "The End
The End (The X-Files)
"The End" is the 20th episode of the fifth season, and 117th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 17, 1998. "The End" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast...
", but also be able to stand on its own. Season six opener "The Beginning
The Beginning (The X-Files)
"The Beginning" is the first episode of the sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "The Beginning", which was the first episode of the series to be filmed in Los Angeles, features an alien loose in the Phoenix, Arizona area....
" picked up where the film left off. The majority of the film was shot in the break between the show's fourth and fifth seasons. The film follows the actions of Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) after their dismissal from the X-Files
X-file
On the television series The X-Files, an X-File is a fictional case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The files constitute an unassigned project outside the Bureau mainstream that is more or less concerned with unexplained phenomena. -First X-Files:The very...
division.
Unlike the first film, the plot of The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film...
does not focus on the series' ongoing extraterrestrial-based "mytharc" and instead works as a standalone thriller-horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
story. The film details ex-agents Mulder and Scully's search for a missing FBI agent. While Walter Skinner
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
) makes a notable appearance, John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
(Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) and Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
) are absent from the film.
Since 2009, there has been an ongoing fan-based "Believe in the Future" campaign to allow for a third feature film to be green-lighted.
Media releases
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Director | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Total | |||
| The X-Files The X-Files (film) The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files... |
June 19, 1998 | $83,898,313 | $105,278,110 | $189,176,423 | Rob Bowman |
| The X-Files: I Want to Believe The X-Files: I Want to Believe The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film... |
July 25, 2008 | $20,982,478 | $47,386,956 | $68,369,434 | Chris Carter Chris Carter (screenwriter) Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :... |
| Series | Creator(s) | Original Run | Episodes | Seasons | |
| Debut | End | ||||
| The X-Files The X-Files The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s... |
Chris Carter | September 10, 1993 | May 19, 2002 | 202 | 9 |
| Millennium Millennium (TV series) Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington... |
Chris Carter | October 25, 1996 | May 21, 1999 | 61 | 3 |
| The Lone Gunmen The Lone Gunmen (TV series) The Lone Gunmen is a television show created by Chris Carter and broadcast on FOX. It was a spin-off of Carter's popular long-running television series The X-Files and a part of The X-Files franchise, starring several of the show's characters. The Lone Gunmen was first broadcast in March 2001 and,... |
Chris Carter | March 2, 2001 | June 1, 2001 | 13 | 1 |
Literature
There are three series of novels based on The X-Files franchise, one based on each of the three shows. During the run of the television series The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, many books based on it were written and released, including novels based on episodes, a series of comic books
The X-Files (comics)
The X-Files comics was a spin-off from the television series of the same name, originally published by Topps Comics and, most recently, DC Comics imprint Wildstorm.-Publication history:...
from Topps Comics
Topps Comics
Topps Comics is a division of the American trading card publisher and gum/candy distributor the Topps Company, Inc. that published comic books from 1993–1998, beginning its existence during a short comics-industry boom that attracted many investors and new companies...
, and many "official" and "unauthorized" non-fiction books. Some of the novels, which were published in both hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
and trade paperback editions, were adapted into audio books read by two of the series' stars, Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
and Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
. Three X-Files books rose to the top-selling list over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. These books were The Official Guide to the X Files, The Unofficial X Files Companion and The X Files Book of the Unexplained. In 2004, The US-based Topps Comics
Topps Comics
Topps Comics is a division of the American trading card publisher and gum/candy distributor the Topps Company, Inc. that published comic books from 1993–1998, beginning its existence during a short comics-industry boom that attracted many investors and new companies...
and, most recently, DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
imprint Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
launched a new series of licensed tie-in comics based on The X-Files. The Fox Broadcasting Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
publishes the official The X-Files Magazine. In total, five novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s have been based on Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
, the first being a novelization of the pilot episode. Some novels were also released as audiobooks read by actor Bill Smitrovitch.
Toys and games
The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
spawned a large number of spin-off products. The X-Files Collectible Card Game
The X-Files Collectible Card Game
The X-Files Collectible Card Game is a collectible card game based on the X-Files fictional universe. It was created by the US Playing Card Company .-History:...
was released in 1996, and an expansion pack was released in 1997. The X-Files has inspired three video games. In 1998, The X-Files: The Game
The X-Files: The Game
Reviews of the game were mixed, with many critics complaining about the large number of discs required to load the game...
was released for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and Macintosh and a year later for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. This game is set within the timeline of the second or third season and follows Agent Craig Willmore in his search for the missing Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
. In 2000, Fox Interactive
Fox Interactive
20th Century Fox Games is a video game publisher and developer mainly concerned with titles based on 20th Century Fox properties, such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, the Alien and Predator film franchises, Independence Day, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Avatar, 24, the...
released The X-Files: Unrestricted Access
The X-Files: Unrestricted Access
The X-Files: Unrestricted Access was a PC game developed by Fox Interactive to tie in with the show.-Gameplay:It was a game-style database that purported to give users 'unrestricted access' to the X-Files cases....
, a game-style database for Windows and Mac, which allowed users access to every case file. Then, in 2004, The X-Files: Resist or Serve
The X-Files: Resist or Serve
The X-Files: Resist or Serve is a survival horror game for the PlayStation 2 video game console, based on the television series The X-Files using the Resident Evil video game engine. This is the second game based on the series, after The X-Files Game...
was released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. This game is an original story set in the seventh season
The X-Files (season 7)
The seventh season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 7, 1999, concluded on May 21, 2000, and consists of twenty-two episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season seven took place after the destruction of the...
and allows the player control of both Mulder and Scully. Both games feature acting and voice work from members of the series' cast. A 12-inch Frank Black
Frank Black (Millennium)
Frank Black is a fictional character in the American Fox television shows Millennium and The X-Files, two series concerned with crime, conspiracies, and supernatural phenomena. Black was a renowned, highly skilled criminal investigator with the FBI who had the gift to put himself into the killer's...
figurine was issued by Sideshow in the same mold as The X-Files Special agents Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
earlier.
Legacy
The X-Files franchise has influenced many shows over the years and became a television touchstone of the 90s. The first show, The X-Files, became an international hit and its two main actors, David DuchovnyDavid Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
and Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
, became international sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
s. Shows such as Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
and Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
have cited The X-Files as a major influence. The show has also topped ranking polls worldwide, but most notably in the English speaking world
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
The two television spin off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
s have, on the other hand, made less impact. Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
, while well-received by many critics, garnered criticism for the episodes being similar to each other in content and themes. Variety magazine
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reviewer Jeremy Gerard, although his review was mostly favorable, criticized it for giving him the "nagging feeling" that it wanted to hurt him. Many reviewers noted the dark story lines of the series, which were constantly mentioned as a reason why the show never became widely popular. The second spin off, entitled The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen (TV series)
The Lone Gunmen is a television show created by Chris Carter and broadcast on FOX. It was a spin-off of Carter's popular long-running television series The X-Files and a part of The X-Files franchise, starring several of the show's characters. The Lone Gunmen was first broadcast in March 2001 and,...
, lasted only one season due to declining viewership, although it too earned largely positive reviews.