Good Idea or Bad? A Reboot of The X-Files

Good Idea or Bad? Looking at various sci fi and fantasy television projects currently in the works and pondering whether they will fly or crash.

What Is It?

A reboot/revival of The X-Files is in the works from Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Sinners), and while not many details are available at this point, it appears this will be a continuation of the series with a new cast.  Danielle Deadwyler (Station Eleven, Parallel) is currently in talks to play the lead female investigator, and she will be paired with a male agent. Coogler has also talked with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson about joining the project, but neither is officially onboard at this time. Robert Patrick, who played Agent John Doggett, has also expressed interest in returning to the show.  Original series creator Chris Carter will not be directly involved, but he has given it his blessing, and he will be a “cheerleader” on the sidelines.  This will be a Disney production since that company acquired the property when it bought Fox Entertainment, so it would likely stream on Disney+ or Hulu.  It has shown up in the Production Weekly listings, so work has begun on the reboot.

Good Idea or Bad?

After the meandering and mostly uninspired revival seasons of The X-Files that aired on Fox from 2016 to 2018, I’m sure many fans hoped the franchise would be put to rest. But there have continued to be rumors of its return, and now Ryan Coogler has picked up the ball and is running with it. And the fact is that even though the original show ran out of steam in its later seasons and the revival did little to bring it back to life, there is still plenty of potential in this property. When at its best, The X-Files delivered creepy stories and intriguing mysteries, and it’s possible that a reboot/revival could bring some of that magic back to the franchise.

It appears Coogler is approaching this as a revival, and that’s the best way to handle it, in my opinion. Bringing in a new set of investigators can energize the property and set it on a new path while still keeping a link to the original lore. The fact is that The X-Files never fully resolved all of its mysteries, leaving quite a few loose threads throughout its long run. Plus, there are any of a number of episodes—especially some of the monster-of-the-week entries—that they could revisit and mine for new story ideas. In addition, the revival can introduce its own mysteries, some perhaps linked to existing lore and others exploring entirely new paths.

But it all comes down to the talent involved and how they approach the revival. The wrong creative team could quickly derail the property, but I believe Ryan Coogler is a good choice to bring this show back. He did an excellent job with the two Black Panther movies (which stand among the best entries in the MCU franchise), and if you wonder how well he can handle spooky, just check out his latest film Sinners. Having members of the original cast involved would also be a good thing as they can pass the torch while also stopping by for occasional appearances (it’s probably best to use them judiciously).

I was one of the people who was done with The X-Files after the misguided Fox revival, which appeared to be milking the franchise’s name recognition for a ratings boost. But I acknowledged at the time that an X-Files: The New Generation wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea. It seems that’s the direction Coogler is taking, and I think he’s a good person to have at the helm. So I count this as a good idea.  But on the flip side, is Disney just looking at this as another MCU-style franchise to pound out countless shows and movies?  Hopefully not, but don’t rule it out.

Notable Facts

The X-Files premiered in the Fall of 1993 at a time when Fox was still trying to establish itself as a major broadcast network that could compete with ABC, CBS, and NBC. The ratings were not very strong during its first year, but the show started to build up some buzz among critics and fans, and the network gave it the greenlight for a second season (though, sadly, they canceled its Friday night lead-in The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., more on that at this link). The show slowly built an audience, and by its fourth season, it became a Top 20 entry, helping to revitalize sci-fi TV on the broadcast networks for a while (more on that at this link).

Chris Carter originally wanted to wrap the show around its fifth or sixth season, and the 1998 big-screen movie resolved several of the show’s story arcs. But it was at the height of its popularity at that time, and Fox wanted to keep it going. David Duchovny wanted to move on to other projects, and his status changed from lead to recurring character starting with the eighth season. Two new agents were brought in at that time—John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish)—but they were never as popular as the show’s original leads.

Fox decided to end the show with its ninth season, announcing in advance that it would be the last. But fans were unhappy with the conclusion, believing it left far too many questions unanswered. The Lone Gunmen spin-off appeared on the schedule while the eighth season of The X-Files was airing, but Fox was not as patient with that one and canceled it after thirteen episodes.

The network decided to revive the main series in 2016, claiming it would provide a better resolution than the Season 9 finale. But the revival did no such thing, and instead it confused and convoluted the many mysteries that had been established during the show’s run. It scored high in the ratings during its first season, which was supposed to be a limited run, though it ended on a cliffhanger. The network brought the show back for an eleventh season, but the ratings fell off dramatically, and it was canceled at that point, leaving the franchise with even more unanswered questions than its original run.

Where Can You Watch It?

The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, though those sets are rather pricey. All eleven seasons are available for streaming with a subscription to Hulu, and you can buy the series VOD from sellers like Amazon.com. The two movies are not streaming on Hulu, but you can purchase them VOD. The series also airs nightly on Comet TV from 9 PM EST to 1 PM EST.

Do you consider a reboot/revival of The X-Files to be a good idea, or has that franchise been run into the ground? Chime in with your comments below.

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