The X-Files is celebrating 30 years and is regarded as one of the most influential sci-fi TV shows of all time. It was in September 1993 that audiences were introduced to now-iconic FBI investigators Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Mulder was obsessed with finding out what happened to his sister who was abducted by aliens when he was just a boy. This passion launched his lifetime pursuit of investigating the UFO phenomenon and other paranormal events. His bosses at the FBI were wary of his quest and partnered him with sceptical FBI agent Scully, who always tried to reign in Mulder’s forays into the unknown. Their evolving relationship and investigations into weird events, such as alien bounty hunters and cryptid creatures, endeared them to fans worldwide and made Mulder and Scully household names.

The plots of the episodes over the original 9 seasons consisted of either the conspiracy storyline that featured sinister govt. agents and alien forces conspiring to take over the world, or “monsters of the week”, where the duo investigated other strange events having to do with unexplained phenomena, such as psychic powers in the episode “Beyond the Sea” or sea serpents in the episode “Quagmire”, among other bizarre events. The conspiracy episodes became increasingly convoluted as the series progressed with the storyline involving an alien plan to colonize the Earth, and the aliens were assisted by covert government forces led by the villain of the series, the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis), the nemesis of both Mulder and Scully, who always attempted to untangle to web of lies they faced with each case. They’re helped by various allies during the show, such as their boss Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) who shielded them from attempts to have the X-Files section of the bureau shut down at great risk to himself, as well as the Lone Gunmen (Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, and Bruce Harwood), fellow conspiracy buffs who assisted Mulder from time to time in solving cases.

The influence of The X-files can’t be overstated as it led to many other shows involving alien conspiracies or other kinds of surreal mysteries that would have a complex story unfold over several seasons. Such shows that followed quickly after The X-Files debuted were Dark Skies, and spinoffs Millennium and The Lone Gunmen.  Even well after The X-files aired, in the 2000s, other shows appeared that followed in the footsteps of characters dealing with weird circumstances or events like Lost, Fringe and Supernatural, all of which are regarded as offspring of The X-Files, the first show that had mass appeal showcasing bizarre and unexplained phenomenon.

As for what inspired The X-Files itself, this would have to be the great but short-lived Kolchak: The Night Stalker starring Darrin McGavin, which aired in 1974-75 and is credited by X-Files creator Chris Carter as a huge influence on The X-Files. That show had a bumbling investigative reporter Karl Kolchak seeking answers to unexplained phenomenon very similar to what Mulder and Scully would take on 20 years later. McGavin even guest starred in two episodes of The X-Files portraying a character seen as the father of the FBI’s X-Files division, a tribute to Kolchak’s influence on the show.

The X-Files returned for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018 after a long hiatus and two theatrical films, which again showcased Mulder and Scully trying to unravel more alien and government plots, and finding the whereabouts of their child William. Overall, the show has become an icon in the TV and cultural landscape and has legions of devoted followers. It arrived at a time when the idea of UFOs and aliens were emerging in the mainstream as a serious topic and the show further pushed these conversations into the mainstream. The X-Files is still highly regarded 30 years later and will still be seen and imitated for many years to come.

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