x-files season season science fiction television series files commenced airing fox network united_states september concluded channel airing episodes season introduced main characters series including fox_mulder dana_scully portrayed david_duchovny gillian_anderson respectively recurring characters walter_skinner season introduced series main concept revolving investigation paranormal supernatural cases known x-files began lay series overarching mythology initially influenced night series creator chris_carter pitched idea series fox twice accepted production season saw series quickly gaining popularity ratings rising steadily run garnered generally positive reviews critics media helped stars lead roles cultural staples concept themes carter initially conceived series based influence twilight zone stated point series overall concept came ufo lore introduced works especially study reported percent americans claimed abducted aliens carter believed found central theme decided series focus fbi order avoid carter seen failing mysterious events continually occur accidentally uncovered character creating fictional fbi unit actively uncovered paranormal cases felt series sustainable week week stretching parameters credibility early planning stages carter envisioned significant proportion episodes deal investigations uncovered cases mistakenly viewed paranormal decision came pass season episode outer space seen idea series revolves main characters defined early conception believer believer fox_mulder created character defining personal motivation involving disappearance younger sister childhood believe result alien abduction creation dana_scully influenced portrayal silence leading crew decide character needed real opposed type character studio pressing thematically series focused heavily alien abduction lore decision early allow plots individual episodes branch different territories order prevent overarching plot running momentum led standalone episodes squeeze developed variety storylines series shown led director note files sort found style doesn confined style adding series fluid approach meant everybody comes attempt little scary movie end episodes feature varying plots alien influenced storylines varying ice paced episode set single location character driven served fill background characters plots focused soul episodes shadows born sharing similar storylines tired plot ghost machine featured artificial intelligence shapes introduced native american themed episodes season introduced number minor characters central figures series lone gunmen seen regular characters beginning second season eventually starring spin series lone gunmen whilst episode introduced walter_skinner portrayed mitch_pileggi billed series star ninth season abduction mulder sister samantha explored episodes pilot miracle man central themes series production development california native chris_carter given opportunity produce new shows fox network early 1990s tired comedies working inspired report million americans abducted aliens recalling memories 1970s horror series night carter came idea x-files wrote pilot episode initially struggled concept executives wanted love interest scully casting network wanted established taller actress scully year old gillian_anderson theater veteran minor film experience carter felt choice auditions carter initial pitch x-files rejected fox executives concept returned weeks later leading commission pilot carter worked producer developing pilot drawing stylistic inspiration documentary thin blue line english television series prime suspect inspiration taken carter memories watching night twilight zone youth recently released film silence impetus framing series agents fbi order provide characters plausible reason involved case carter believed present carter keen keeping relationship lead roles strictly basing interactions characters series early stages production series carter founded began plan filming pilot los_angeles unable find suitable locations scenes decision good forests moved production vancouver series remain seasons production eventually shift los_angeles beginning sixth season soon realized production crew season require filming location sound stages location managers needed usual casting david_duchovny worked los_angeles years prior x-files wanted base acting career films manager gave script pilot episode series green duchovny convinced good script duchovny auditioned lead duchovny auditioning fox_mulder terrific audition spoke slowly chris_carter thought beginning auditioning character good judge character thought duchovny wasn bright went talked duchovny asked imagine fbi agent future week casting director positive according carter duchovny turned best read people knew carter recalls obliged provide fox choice actors role confident duchovny right choice outset getting role duchovny thought wouldn long wouldn impact gillian_anderson cast insistence carter fit role perfectly fox executives wanted glamorous hoping lead series involving romantic element led carter insist want roles mulder scully romantically involved citing relationship lead roles example avoid anderson called early work complete learning experience pilot second time camera series introduced character walter_skinner played mitch_pileggi recurring later main character character conceived playing stereotypical bureaucratic paper instead quietly dynamic auditioned unsuccessfully parts series cast skinner fact asked audition role discovered reason cast previous parts chris_carter unable imagine characters fact actor head attended audition walter_skinner mood allowed small hair grow attitude fit character skinner causing carter assume actor pretending successfully auditioning role thought lucky cast earlier roles believed appeared single episode missed opportunity play recurring role walter_skinner early influence x-files mythology led introduction popular secondary characters continue years episodes written scully family father william mother margaret sister conspiracy buff trio writing initially certainty long series result long term plan beginning guide writers initial impetus based alien abduction lore crew believed series able maintain momentum long branch different plot ideas season featured numerous standalone stories involving monsters diverse alien governmental cover ups apparent connection arctic space worms ice conspiracy genetically engineered twins eve carter wrote space intended bottle episode manifestation alien ghost nasa space shuttle program subject cost expensive season end season carter staff come general concepts mythology seasons season introduced series primary antagonist gave early insight disappearance mulder sister samantha abduction provided main plot threads series mythology solidified carter penned season finale episode written early known series renewed second season featured closure files unit fox_mulder dana_scully new jobs fbi finale episode directed served producer series cast crew main cast david_duchovny special agent fox_mulder episodes gillian_anderson special agent dana_scully episodes recurring cast writers producers series creator chris_carter served executive producer showrunner wrote episodes executive producers writing team wrote episodes supervising producers writing team wrote episodes gordon writing additional script carter producers writing team larry wrote episode wrote freelance script freelance writers included wrote episode producers included line producer producer directors directed episodes season directing pilot supervising producer directed episodes directors directed episodes included episode directors included executive producer directed pilot episode episodes episodes marked double dagger episodes series alien mythology arc reception ratings outset viewing figures series good initial broadcast pilot watched million households constituted percent viewing audience time series broadcast directly episodes saw decline viewing figures series began season series reached low viewed million households episode aired numbers began rise steadily reaching peak season viewed million households percent available audience conclusion television season x-files ranked shows ratings spectacular series attracted fans classified cult hit particularly fox standards subsequently renewed second season reviews reviews season positive series described paranoid subversive writing called fresh self conscious characters involving series kicks drive imagination innovative recent season currently holds rating review aggregator website rotten_tomatoes based reviews metacritic season scored based reviews indicating generally favorable reviews writing ign noted episodes level excellence hasn matched adding series nearly integral pop culture today history gave season stating files different different hunt described cinematography striking noir writing squad called season phenomenal added contains terrific episodes episodes widely praised including squeeze called profoundly creepy paced arctic set ice remarkably chilling scully centered episode sea episodes season received despite costly production space episode derided decidedly little treatment challenger disaster jersey devil described pretty silly whilst plots shadows born panned similar accolades season received primetime emmy award nominations win nominated outstanding individual achievement title designers won outstanding individual achievement dvd release
The X-Files (season 1)