The X-Files

The X-Files
a kate west favorite





"The X-Files" is my all time favorite show. I own every DVD and can watch any episode over and over. It's just one of those inexplicable cult phenomenon I guess, because the acting is pretty wooden, especially in the early shows, and the writing doesn't always make sense. But something about it - the sincerity of the creator maybe - touches the soul of a true sci-fi nerd. Although each season did get better and better, both in plot lines and acting - except for the final season (ninth) which was pretty much a viewer let down, so let's not even mention it.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are F.B.I. Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (pictured above). Mulder believes in the supernatural, and indeed has first hand knowledge of it in the weird cases he investigates. Initially hired to discredit Mulder, the scientific Scully comes to believe more and more in Mulder's take on things. Extraterrestrials, vampires, ghosts and demons are the norm in the world of the X-Files. Aided by solid Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) and the rebellious Lone Gunmen, Melvin Frohike, John Byers and Ringo Langly (Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood and Dean Haglund), the steadfast duo try to solve the unsolvable.

Some cases remain a mystery and some answers are finally revealed, as the years wore on. There was even a feature film at one point ("X-Files - Fight the Future") that shed some light on certain back-stories. All in all, it was a pretty satisfactory run for X-fanatics and spanned multiple cult followings, not to mention enhancing many a sci-fi convention. I miss it from time to time, but all I have to do is pop in an episode and everything becomes clear.

"The truth is out there." Cue creepy theme music by Mark Snow.

Series Directed by:
Kim Manners (52 episodes, 1995-2002)
Rob Bowman (33 episodes, 1994-2000)
David Nutter (15 episodes, 1993-1995)
Ron Reedy (11 episodes, 1995-1996)
Chris Carter (10 episodes, 1994-2002)
R.W. Goodwin (9 episodes, 1994-1998)
Tony Wharmby (7 episodes, 2000-2002)
Michael W. Watkins (6 episodes, 1998-2000)
Daniel Sackheim (5 episodes, 1993-1999)
Michael Lange (4 episodes, 1994-1997)
Jim Charleston (4 episodes, 1996-1997)
Cliff Bole (4 episodes, 1997-2002)
William A. Graham (3 episodes, 1993-1998)
Peter Markle (3 episodes, 1997-2000)
David Duchovny (3 episodes, 1999-2002)
Thomas J. Wright (3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Rod Hardy (3 episodes, 2000-2001)
Jerrold Freedman (2 episodes, 1993-1994)
Joe Napolitano (2 episodes, 1993-1994)
Larry Shaw (2 episodes, 1993)
Tucker Gates (2 episodes, 1996-1997)
Vince Gilligan (2 episodes, 2000-2002)
Richard Compton (2 episodes, 2000-2001)
Frank Spotnitz (2 episodes, 2001)

Series Writing Credits:
Chris Carter (85 episodes, 1993-2002)
Frank Spotnitz (48 episodes, 1995-2002)
Vince Gilligan (30 episodes, 1995-2002)
John Shiban (24 episodes, 1995-2002)
Howard Gordon (20 episodes, 1993-1997)
Glen Morgan (15 episodes, 1993-1997)
James Wong (15 episodes, 1993-1997)
David Duchovny (8 episodes, 1995-2002)
David Amann (7 episodes, 1999-2002)
Alex Gansa (6 episodes, 1993-1995)
Darin Morgan (5 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jeffrey Bell (5 episodes, 1999-2001)
Steven Maeda (5 episodes, 2000-2002)
Greg Walker (3 episodes, 2000-2001)
Paul Brown (2 episodes, 1994)
Chris Ruppenthal (2 episodes, 1994)
Kim Newton (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Jeff Vlaming (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Sara B. Charno (2 episodes, 1995)
William Gibson (2 episodes, 1998-2000)
Tom Maddox (2 episodes, 1998-2000)
Tim Minear (2 episodes, 1998)
Daniel Arkin (2 episodes, 1999-2000)
Thomas Schnauz (2 episodes, 2001-2002)
Valerie Mayhew (1 episode, 1996)
Vivian Mayhew (1 episode, 1996)


Series Cast:
Gillian Anderson ... Dana Scully / ... (196 episodes, 1993-2002)
David Duchovny ... Fox Mulder (175 episodes, 1993-2002)

Mitch Pileggi ... Walter Skinner / ... (82 episodes, 1994-2002)
Robert Patrick ... John Doggett / ... (40 episodes, 2000-2002)
Tom Braidwood ... Melvin Frohike (39 episodes, 1994-2002)
William B. Davis ... CGB Spender / ... (37 episodes, 1993-2002)
Bruce Harwood ... John Fitzgerald Byers (36 episodes, 1994-2002)
Dean Haglund ... Richard 'Ringo' Langly / ... (35 episodes, 1994-2002)
Nicholas Lea ... Alex Krycek / ... (24 episodes, 1994-2002)
Annabeth Gish ... Monica Reyes / ... (23 episodes, 2001-2002)
James Pickens Jr. ... FBI Deputy Director Alvin Kersh / ... (19 episodes, 1998-2002)
Sheila Larken ... Margaret Scully (16 episodes, 1994-2002)
Don S. Williams ... Elder #1 / ... (14 episodes, 1995-1999)
Steven Williams ... Mr. X (14 episodes, 1994-2002)
Chris Owens ... FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Spender / ... (13 episodes, 1996-2002)
Jerry Hardin ... Deep Throat (11 episodes, 1993-1999)
Rebecca Toolan ... Mrs. Teena Mulder (10 episodes, 1995-2000)
Laurie Holden ... Marita Covarrubias (10 episodes, 1996-2002)
Arlene Warren ... Skinner's Assistant / ... (10 episodes, 1998-2002)
Brendan Beiser ... Agent Pendrell (9 episodes, 1995-1997)
Brian Thompson ... Alien Bounty Hunter (9 episodes, 1995-2000)
John Neville ... The Well-Manicured Man (8 episodes, 1995-1998)
Bill Dow ... Dr. Charles Burks / ... (8 episodes, 1993-2001)
John Moore ... Elder #3 / ... (8 episodes, 1995-1999)
James Riker ... Baby William / ... (8 episodes, 2001-2002)
Travis Riker ... Baby William / ... (8 episodes, 2001-2002)
Mimi Rogers ... Agent Diana Fowley (7 episodes, 1998-1999)
Peter Donat ... William Mulder (6 episodes, 1995-1999)
Morris Panych ... The Grey-Haired Man / ... (6 episodes, 1995-1997)
Cary Elwes ... FBI Assistant Director Brad Follmer (6 episodes, 2001-2002)

Start Now:
The X-Files - The Complete First Season (Slim Set)