It’s official. “The X-Files” have officially been re-opened; Mulder and Scully are no longer living under the same roof and the Lone Gunmen are back.
Three months before its January premiere, an advanced screening of the premiere episode of the hotly anticipated Fox revival series made its nationwide debut on Saturday at New York Comic-Con.
Titled “My Struggle,” the first episode of the 10th season introduced texting to the series, as well as Joel McHale as conservative conspiracy theorist Tad O’Malley, and hit on several current hot-button political issues, which creator Chris Carter said was intentional.
Carter, along with series stars David Duchovny and Mitch Pileggi, was at the East Coast version of Comic-Con to discuss the upcoming six-episode limited series set to premiere Jan. 24.
“It’s a perfect time to be telling ‘X-Files’ stories,” Carter said. “That’s why I was excited about doing it (again). We knew we needed to make a statement and be bold.”
Carter said the show is back because of Duchovny.
“David was interested in doing the show,” Carter said. “I said, ‘If David is interested, I am too.’”
Carter also discussed Mulder and Scully’s status.
“I was going under a bridge and on the bridge above us it said, ‘Life has many bumps in the road,’” Carter said. “I think Mulder and Scully hit one of those.”
As for returning after a 13-year commercial break, Duchovny said that “it just felt right” to come back to the show about FBI sleuths investigating instances of paranormal activity. In the years since the show bowed out, Duchovny had a seven-season run on Showtime in the dark comedy “Californication,” and at present is toplining the NBC period drama “Aquarius.”
While the panelists wouldn’t comment on the possibility of an 11th season, Duchovny told Carter: “You’ve got my number.”
Carter did disclose that the reboot would consist of two mythology episodes and four standalones.
While Gillian Anderson was not in attendance, she made a quick cameo before the episode screened.
“I hope you love it!” thesp said.
“X-Files” had a nine-season run on Fox from 1993-2002. It spawned two feature films, 1998’s “The X-Files: Fight the Future” and 2008’s “The X-Files: I Want to Believe.”
The revival of the influential Fox franchise follows the return of “24” as a 13-episode limited series and NBC’s “Heroes Reborn” miniseries that preemed in September, as well as Showtime’s plans for a “Twin Peaks” sequel.
Season 10 of the series debuts in a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Jan. 24, following Fox’s telecast of football’s NFC Championship Game, which is sure to provide a highly rated lead-in to the return of Scully and Mulder. The series settles into its regular Monday 8 p.m. time slot on the following night.
