AP
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny made us want to believe on ‘The X-files,’ which debuted twenty years ago.
It could have been called “Spooky and the Smoking Man.”
It could have been called “The Show of Many Acronyms” (SOMA).
Instead, they just called it “The X Files,” and from its modest launch 20 years ago Tuesday, it carved itself a memorable niche in TV and pop culture history.
In the same way you could say “Titanic” was a movie about a boat ride, “The X Files” was a show about the investigation of potentially paranormal phenomena by two main characters: Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), an FBI agent who was convinced that weird stuff was out there and out to get us, and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a doctor who initially considered Mulder’s convictions to be demented ravings.
As seasons passed, Scully came more and more to believe Mulder might be onto something.
By season seven, Mulder had been abducted by aliens, which provided pretty strong proof that at least in the universe of this show, they existed.
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Through the final two TV seasons and the 2008 movie “X Files: I Want To Believe,” the storyline shifted toward a battle to save humanity.
DAVID GRAY/FOX
Though the show didn’t stick the landing, ‘The X-Files’ proved a pioneering show for genre television.
It sounds noble and action-packed. Trouble was, many of the show’s most devoted fans also thought it turned the show into an incoherent mess.
Undeterred, producers and performers as recently as this summer were making noises about a third movie.
Depending on which fans are talking, that could either be a welcome delight or would simply reffirm that “X Files” somehow will be given infinite do-overs until it finally gets it right.
But if “X Files” became one of the first shows whose ending sparked debate and some disappointment – an ancestor of “The Sopranos” – the show’s legacy is much greater.
Originally viewed by many people in the TV biz as a niche or cult show, “X Files” proved that sci-fi could reach a mainstream audience if it had compelling characters and didn’t cater only to the sci-fi hardcore.
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Mulder and Scully were relatable characters who did relatable things, which eventually included falling in love.
They were both smart and sharp-tongued, and neither won every argument. By design or accident, the show let their characters and relationship develop slowly, letting viewers nod knowingly at each step.
via Great Local News: New York http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info/?p=13553 http://newyork.greatlocalnews.info
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