123 Fun Facts About The X-Files

Who created the television series The X-Files?

Chris Carter wrote the pilot himself and many episodes after it, steering the show across nine seasons and two revivals.

In what year did The X-Files originally premiere on television?

The X-Files first aired on the Fox network on September 10, 1993, kicking off its nine-season original run.

Fox Mulder's younger sister vanished when he was 12; what was her name?

Samantha Mulder, aged eight, vanished from the family home in November 1973; Fox believes aliens took her, and that loss drives his obsession with the paranormal.

Beyond her role as an FBI Special Agent, what is Dana Scully's primary professional background?

Medical Doctor is the degree Scully brings to the X-Files; as a forensic pathologist she performs the autopsies that put Mulder's theories to the test.

Which actor famously portrayed the enigmatic antagonist known as the Cigarette Smoking Man?

William B. Davis brought the iconic and sinister Cigarette Smoking Man to life, a character who became one of the series' most enduring villains.

Who composed the iconic, eerie theme music for The X-Files?

Mark Snow is responsible for the distinct and memorable instrumental theme that became synonymous with The X-Files.

During its initial five seasons, where was the primary filming location for The X-Files?

The first five seasons of The X-Files were primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, before production moved to Los Angeles.

What are standalone X-Files episodes unrelated to the main conspiracy commonly called?

Monster-of-the-Week episodes began with 'Squeeze', only the third episode ever aired, which proved the show could work outside its alien mythology.

Dana Scully earned a Bachelor of Science degree in what field from the University of Maryland?

Before attending medical school, Scully received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, demonstrating her strong scientific foundation.

Fox Mulder's FBI background before joining the X-Files unit was primarily in what specialized field?

Mulder was a skilled criminal profiler, a background that honed his investigative abilities before he dedicated himself to the X-Files.

In season seven's 'Closure', what finally happened to Mulder's sister?

A psychic named Harold Piller leads Mulder to the truth: she was taken by 'walk-ins', beings of starlight said to spare children doomed to unhappy lives.

What is the phenomenon of women inspired into STEM careers by The X-Files' sceptical FBI doctor called?

The 'Scully Effect' refers to the documented influence of Dana Scully's character on women and girls choosing careers in STEM fields.

How many episodes did the original run of The X-Files comprise?

The two revival seasons in 2016 and 2018 later added another sixteen episodes on top of that.

Which actor plays Special Agent Fox Mulder?

David Duchovny's Mulder is a talented criminal profiler as well as an ardent supernaturalist, convinced the government is hiding the truth about extraterrestrials.

On which television network did The X-Files originally premiere?

Fox was still a young network, and the show became one of its first big hits before returning for two revival seasons in 2016 and 2018.

What does Special Agent Fox Mulder believe lies behind the unsolved cases filed as X-Files?

They involve aliens and the paranormal. Mulder is convinced extraterrestrials are already on Earth and that the government conspires to hide the truth.

What nickname did Fox Mulder earn due to his beliefs in the paranormal?

'Spooky Mulder' was the Bureau's joke at his expense, and the nickname came with a posting to a little-known department of unsolved cases, the X-Files.

What is the number of Fox Mulder's apartment in Alexandria, Virginia?

Apartment 42 at 2630 Hegal Place, Alexandria, is Mulder's home for the original run; the brass 42 on his door appears whenever Scully or an intruder comes calling.

In The X-Files mythology, what have the Syndicate's conspirators secretly developed to survive the aliens' plans?

An alien-human hybrid able to withstand the black oil virus is the Syndicate's escape plan, having cut a deal to be spared when colonisation comes.

What term do fans and staff use for the series' overarching extraterrestrial conspiracy storyline?

Key episodes, known as the 'mytharc', were recognized as the 'mythology' of the series canon; these episodes carried the extraterrestrial/conspiracy storyline that evolved throughout the series.

How many seasons were in the original run of The X-Files television series, before any revivals?

9 seasons and 202 episodes, ending in May 2002; the show later returned for a six-episode tenth season and a ten-episode eleventh.

Which actress won an Emmy in 1997 for playing the sceptical Dr. Dana Scully?

Gillian Anderson also collected a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for Scully, and played her for all eleven seasons.

What is Assistant Director Walter Skinner's role in relation to Mulder and Scully?

Their FBI superior, a former Marine played by Mitch Pileggi, spends years torn between the Bureau and his agents before seeing an alien craft himself in 'Requiem'.

What are the names of the three conspiracy theorists who help Mulder and Scully and later got their own spin-off?

The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard 'Ringo' Langly, Melvin Frohike, and John Fitzgerald Byers, who appeared in recurring roles and starred in their own spin-off.

Which actor portrayed Mulder's first shadowy informant, Deep Throat?

Hardin thought it was a one-off part; after his character was killed in the season-one finale, Chris Carter told him 'no one ever really dies on X-Files' and he kept returning in visions and flashbacks.

For what initial reason was Dana Scully assigned to the X-Files unit?

Scully was sent to debunk her partner's theories scientifically: a medical doctor and sceptic, she was assigned to analyse Mulder's case files.

What is Dana Scully's middle name?

Katherine: the full name Dana Katherine Scully is carved on the headstone her mother chooses while Scully lies near death in the season-two episode 'One Breath'.

Which two main characters were introduced in the eighth season of The X-Files?

In the eighth and ninth seasons, new main characters were introduced: FBI Special Agents John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish).

The actor who plays the Cigarette Smoking Man comes from which country?

Fittingly, the show's first five seasons were shot north of the border, and a younger Chris Owens played the character in flashbacks.

What is the primary goal of the aliens called 'Colonists' in The X-Files mythology?

To take over Earth and wipe out humanity. The Colonists, as the writers called them, work with a group of US officials known as the Syndicate.

Who replaced Deep Throat as Mulder's informant in season two?

X, played by Steven Williams, first contacts Mulder in 'The Host' after Deep Throat's death; colder and more self-interested, he is shot dead in season four's 'Zero Sum'.

In The X-Files mythology, what year did the Maya predict for an alien invasion?

The Smoking Man tells Mulder the ancient Mayans were so terrified they stopped their calendar on the exact date of colonization, 22 December 2012.

What was the title of the first feature film based on The X-Files, released in 1998?

The X-Files: Fight the Future was slotted between seasons five and six, so the 1998 film carried the show's conspiracy plot forward on the big screen.

What was the title of the second X-Files feature film, released in 2008?

The X-Files: I Want to Believe came ten years after the first film and took its title from the UFO poster on Mulder's office wall.

In the 1998 feature film, Mulder and Scully investigate a government conspiracy to hide what?

The film is set between seasons five and six and was shot in the hiatus after season four, which is why some season-five episodes feature only one of the two leads.

Which X-Files creature, able to squeeze through tiny gaps and hibernate for decades, was the first monster of the week?

Tooms, who needs five human livers before each thirty-year hibernation, debuted in 'Squeeze', only the third episode ever aired.

Which season-three episode, with Peter Boyle as a reluctant psychic, won Emmys for both writing and guest actor?

Boyle's world-weary Bruckman can foresee how people will die; the episode is routinely ranked among the finest the series ever produced.

Which X-Files episode was the only one in the series to carry a TV-MA rating for its graphic violence?

'Home', the season-four episode about the inbred Peacock family, was so graphic that Fox reran it only once, on Halloween 1999, three years after it first aired.

Who wrote 'Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose' and 'Jose Chung's From Outer Space', the show's celebrated comic episodes?

Morgan wrote only a handful of episodes but won the writing Emmy for the Bruckman script; his brother Glen was one half of the Morgan and Wong writing team.

In 'Folie à Deux', what does Gary Lambert do to prove his boss is an insect monster?

Lambert takes his whole office hostage at gunpoint, demanding that Mulder witness the monster; after Lambert is shot dead, Mulder begins seeing boss Greg Pincus as the insect too.

Chris Carter's production company, behind The X-Files and its spin-offs, is called what?

Ten Thirteen Productions takes its name from Carter's birthday, 13 October; he used the company to launch Millennium, Harsh Realm and The Lone Gunmen.

Along with Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which classic anthology series inspired The X-Files?

The Twilight Zone, along with Kolchak, a poll claiming 3.7 million Americans believed they had been abducted, and the Watergate scandal all fed into Chris Carter's idea for the show.

Where did production of The X-Files move for seasons 6 through 9?

The move was reportedly made to accommodate the lead actor's schedule; the show later went back to Canada for the 2008 film and the revival seasons.

Which tagline closes The X-Files' opening credits on most episodes, occasionally swapped for 'Trust No One'?

'The Truth Is Out There' ends the credits on most episodes, but it was occasionally swapped for lines like 'Trust No One' and 'Deny Everything'.

What primary genre is The X-Files classified under?

Science fiction drama is the usual label, though Chris Carter's show spent much of its nine seasons closer to horror.

How many Emmy Awards did The X-Files win over its original run?

Its very first Emmy, in 1994, was for the eerie opening title sequence; the show collected 62 nominations in all.

In which X-Files episode did the three members of The Lone Gunmen meet their demise?

All three characters died in the X-Files episode 'Jump the Shark', which aired the year after The Lone Gunmen series was cancelled.

On what date did the original run of The X-Files end?

Nine seasons and 202 episodes had aired since September 10, 1993.

How many episodes did the 2016 tenth-season revival have?

Six episodes made up the 2016 tenth season, which premiered on 24 January 2016; season eleven followed in 2018 with ten.

Roughly what fraction of X-Files episodes belong to the alien-invasion mythology arc?

The rest are 'monster of the week' stories.

Which secret facility does Mulder break into, leading to his tribunal in the finale?

Mount Weather, the real FEMA bunker in Virginia, is where Mulder finds the colonization date in 'The Truth'; sentenced to death by a military tribunal, he escapes and flees with Scully.

Which alien faction works to stop the colonists' invasion?

They destroy the Syndicate in 'Two Fathers' and 'One Son'.

In which two Season 6 episodes is the Syndicate destroyed?

The colonists then unleash the Super Soldiers.

Which university educated Fox Mulder?

Oxford: Mulder read psychology there, graduating in 1983, and the season-one episode 'Fire' brings back his Oxford flame, Scotland Yard inspector Phoebe Green.

Which religion does Scully practise despite her scepticism?

Catholicism: Scully was raised Catholic, wears a gold cross necklace throughout the series, and her faith is tested in episodes like 'Revelations' and 'All Souls'.

Where does Scully go to teach after leaving the X-Files in the ninth season?

Quantico: Scully teaches at the FBI Academy from the season-nine premiere, while Monica Reyes takes her place beside Doggett on the X-Files.

In which police department did John Doggett work before the FBI?

He joined the FBI after his son's death.

Where was Monica Reyes born and raised?

Mexico City: Reyes was born and raised there, which is why she speaks fluent Spanish; before joining the X-Files she worked out of the FBI's New Orleans field office.

Which multiple abductee is Jeffrey Spender's mother?

Chris Owens played Spender, possibly Mulder's half-brother.

Which actor played Assistant Director Alvin Kersh?

James Pickens Jr., later Grey's Anatomy's Richard Webber, played Kersh from season six; the deputy director redeems himself by helping Mulder escape in 'The Truth'.

Which actor played the shifting-loyalty agent Alex Krycek?

Nicholas Lea played Krycek from season two until Skinner shoots him in 'Existence'; Lea had already appeared as a different character in season one's 'Gender Bender'.

Which 1988 documentary influenced the pilot's style?

The Thin Blue Line, Errol Morris's 1988 documentary, shaped the pilot's cool, quasi-documentary look; Britain's Prime Suspect was another stylistic model.

Which film convinced Carter to make his leads FBI agents?

The Silence of the Lambs, then a fresh hit, showed FBI agents as credible protagonists, giving Carter a more plausible reason for their involvement than Kolchak's reporter had.

Which TV duo did Carter model Mulder and Scully's platonic dynamic on?

Emma Peel and John Steed of The Avengers: Carter borrowed their mutual respect and equal footing, and was determined to keep Mulder and Scully strictly platonic.

Which early-1990s series was a major influence on the show's dark, surreal atmosphere?

Twin Peaks, David Lynch's 1990 series, shaped the show's dark, surreal mood, and Duchovny had already played transgender DEA agent Denise Bryson on it.

What did the network want in a Scully actress instead of the 24-year-old Anderson?

Someone 'taller, leggier, blonder and breastier' was the network's wish, in Carter's words; he insisted the 24-year-old Anderson had the integrity the part needed.

Why had Mitch Pileggi failed earlier X-Files auditions before landing Skinner?

He had been shaving his head at his first two auditions and Carter passed; for Skinner his hair had grown back and a grumpy mood fitted the character perfectly.

Roughly how much did Duchovny receive when he settled his 1999 lawsuit against 20th Century Fox?

About $20 million: Duchovny sued in 1999, claiming Fox had undersold the show's rerun rights to its own affiliates, and settled the following year.

Which actors were among the ten seriously considered for John Doggett?

Lou Diamond Phillips, Hart Bochner and Bruce Campbell were among the ten finalists from more than 100 actors who auditioned before Robert Patrick won the part of Doggett.

In which first-season episode were The Lone Gunmen introduced?

'E.B.E.' introduced the Lone Gunmen as a one-off, but the trio proved popular and returned in season two's 'Blood'.

Which two writers created Scully's family characters, including her father William?

Glen Morgan and James Wong wrote 'Beyond the Sea', the season-one episode that introduced Scully's parents, with Don S. Davis as her father William.

Which actress played Scully's mother Margaret?

Larken is married to director-producer R.W. Goodwin.

Which actress's marriage to Duchovny contributed to the move to Los Angeles?

Téa Leoni married Duchovny in 1997, and his wish to live with her in Los Angeles drove the season-six move; Vancouver's persistent rain was the other stated reason.

Which Season 5 finale was the last episode shot in Vancouver?

'The End', the season-five finale, was the last episode shot in Vancouver before production moved to Los Angeles, and many original crew members left the show at that point.

Which season-six Vince Gilligan episode guest-starred Bryan Cranston, later his Breaking Bad lead?

'Drive' sends Mulder racing west across Nevada with Bryan Cranston's hostage-taker, whose inner-ear pressure will kill him if the car stops; Gilligan later cast Cranston as Walter White.

Which Smiths track inspired the whistle effect in the X-Files theme?

'How Soon Is Now?', added to the US edition of the Smiths' 1985 album Meat Is Murder, gave Snow the idea; he built the whistle from a Proteus 2 preset called 'Whistl'n Joe'.

How did Mark Snow create the theme's famous echo effect?

By accident: a frustrated Snow rested his forearm on the keyboard with an echo setting switched on, and Carter loved the resulting sound so much it became the theme's backbone.

In which episode did the theme song first appear?

'Deep Throat', the second episode, was the first to carry the full opening title sequence and theme; the pilot had run without them.

Which act recorded a new version of the theme for the 2008 film's end credits?

UNKLE, James Lavelle's trip-hop project, reworked the theme as 'The X-Files Theme (UNKLE Variation)' for the 2008 film's end credits; Snow scored the film itself.

What did the show's first Emmy win, in 1994, recognise?

Its title sequence and graphic design won the 1994 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences; the sequence ran unchanged through season seven.

Which episode aired after Super Bowl XXXI and became the series' most-watched ever?

'Leonard Betts' drew 29.1 million viewers in the post-Super Bowl slot on 26 January 1997; the best regular-slot episode, season five's opener 'Redux', drew 27.34 million.

Which season was the show's highest-rated, averaging 19.8 million viewers?

The fifth season (1997–98) averaged 19.8 million viewers, the show's peak, ranking eleventh among all network programmes that year.

Which two shows later surpassed The X-Files as the longest-running US sci-fi series?

Stargate SG-1 passed the show's nine-season run in 2007 and Smallville did the same in 2011, both reaching a tenth season.

What did the production crew blame for the ninth season's ratings collapse?

The September 11 attacks were the crew's explanation: audiences, they argued, had lost their appetite for tales of government conspiracy; critics instead cited lacklustre stories.

Which episode became the de facto series finale in 2018?

'My Struggle IV', broadcast on 21 March 2018, closed season eleven with 3.43 million viewers, the smallest audience any X-Files finale drew.

Who directed the 1998 film Fight the Future?

Rob Bowman, who directed more than thirty episodes of the series, helmed Fight the Future; Carter himself directed the 2008 sequel.

Which three big-name actors appeared only in the 1998 film?

Martin Landau, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Blythe Danner played Dr Kurtzweil, Conrad Strughold and Jana Cassidy only in Fight the Future; John Neville made his last appearance as the Well-Manicured Man.

Which blockbuster released a week earlier did the stars blame for the 2008 film's flop?

The 2008 film grossed about $68 million worldwide.

Which company acquired the rights to The X-Files by buying Fox?

Disney took over the X-Files rights when it absorbed 21st Century Fox's film and television studios in 2019, which is why the planned reboot landed at Disney-owned Hulu.

Which 2004 PlayStation 2 survival-horror game let players control both Mulder and Scully?

Resist or Serve, a 2004 PlayStation 2 survival-horror game set during season seven, let players switch between Mulder and Scully; Sega had made an X-Files pinball machine in 1997.

Which British band had a 1998 UK top ten hit called 'Mulder and Scully'?

Catatonia's 'Mulder and Scully' reached number three in the UK in January 1998, taken from the album International Velvet; Bree Sharp's cult song 'David Duchovny' followed in 1999.

Which Simpsons episode had Duchovny and Anderson voice Mulder and Scully?

The Springfield Files' alien turns out to be a glowing Mr. Burns; the episode aired on January 12, 1997.

Which Star Trek series named agents Dulmer and Lucsly as anagrams of Mulder and Scully?

Deep Space Nine's 1996 episode 'Trials and Tribble-ations' introduced Temporal Investigations agents Dulmer and Lucsly, anagrams of Mulder and Scully.

Which fan term for a hoped-for romantic pairing seems to have begun with X-Files fans?

'Shippers' wanted Mulder and Scully together.

Which show did Joss Whedon call 'a cross between The X-Files and My So-Called Life'?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was Whedon's pitch as 'a cross between The X-Files and My So-Called Life'; Russell T Davies likewise cited the show when creating Torchwood.

Which scientist called the show 'insidious' for purveying an anti-rational worldview?

Richard Dawkins attacked the show in his 1998 book Unweaving the Rainbow, calling it insidious because the paranormal explanation wins week after week, nudging viewers toward an anti-rational worldview.

How many Golden Globes did The X-Files win?

Five: Best Drama Series in 1995, 1997 and 1998, plus Best Actor for Duchovny and Best Actress for Anderson, both in 1997.

Which prestigious honour did the show receive in 1996 for being 'thought-provoking'?

A Peabody Award in 1996 honoured the show as 'thought-provoking' television; Anderson also collected two Screen Actors Guild awards for playing Scully.

On which island was Fox Mulder born?

His birthday is October 13, 1961.

Where does Mulder habitually sleep in his apartment?

On his couch, with the TV on; his bedroom is a junk room until a season-six body swap lands him a waterbed.

In which city was Dana Scully born?

Annapolis, Maryland: Scully was born there on February 23, 1964, the daughter of Navy captain William Scully, whose postings moved the family around.

What nicknames did Scully and her father give each other, from Moby-Dick?

Ahab and Starbuck: Captain William Scully called his daughter Starbuck and she called him Ahab, a Moby-Dick bond echoed when she named her dog Queequeg.

Which ex-FBI agent kidnaps Scully in Season 2?

Duane Barry, a former FBI agent and multiple abductee, seizes Scully in 'Duane Barry' and hands her over at Skyland Mountain in 'Ascension'; a microchip later found in her neck, once removed, triggers her cancer.

What is the name of the daughter Scully learns she unknowingly had during her abduction?

Emily dies soon after being found in Season 5.

Which cigarette brand does the Smoking Man chain-smoke?

Morley, a fictional brand with packaging modelled on Marlboro's, is the Smoking Man's constant cigarette; the same prop brand appears in dozens of other television series.

What birth name does the Smoking Man reveal in Season 11?

Carl Gerhard Busch is the birth name he gives in season eleven's 'My Struggle III'; Raul Bloodworth was his pen name and Jack Colquitt the hero of his rejected spy novels.

How many audible words does the Smoking Man speak in the entire first season?

He was written as an extra for the pilot.

Which two assassinations does 'Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man' credit him with?

John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.: in 'Musings' the Smoking Man fires the Dallas shots himself and later kills King in Memphis; he told Oswald to bring the curtain rods.

Which sports team's fate does the Smoking Man claim to control in 'Musings'?

The Buffalo Bills never winning the Super Bowl: in 'Musings' he tells his council the Bills must not win as long as he lives, a joke on their four straight losses.

Where does the Lone Gunmen's name come from?

The Warren Commission's finding on Oswald, the 'lone gunman' theory the trio reject, gives them their ironic name; their newsletter was once called The Magic Bullet.

Which actor, a first assistant director on the series, played Melvin Frohike?

Tom Braidwood, a first assistant director on the show, was cast as Frohike for his look and kept the part through nine seasons and the 2001 spin-off.

Which Lone Gunman is a Ramones fan who plays Dungeons & Dragons as 'Lord Manhammer'?

Dean Haglund played the long-haired hacker.

Which vehicle do the Lone Gunmen drive, as a nod to Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine?

They share a loft where they live and work.

Which Season 2 episode did Vince Gilligan submit as an unsolicited script to get hired?

He went on to write 29 more episodes and co-create The Lone Gunmen.

Which right-wing webcaster reunites Mulder and Scully in the 2016 revival?

Tad O'Malley, a conspiracy-minded web broadcaster played by Joel McHale, brings Mulder and Scully back together in the 2016 opener 'My Struggle'.

Which contagion threatens humanity in the Season 10 finale?

It strips humans of their immune systems.

Under what surname was Scully's son William adopted?

Miles Robbins played Jackson Van De Kamp.

Which actress played conspirator Erika Price in Season 11?

Barbara Hershey played Erika Price, the conspirator plotting to abandon Earth with a chosen elite in season eleven; A.C. Peterson played her partner Mr. Y.

What was Mark Snow's birth name?

Martin Fulterman was the composer's birth name; he formed the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble at Juilliard with Michael Kamen before adopting the name Mark Snow.

Before joining the FBI, John Doggett served in which branch of the US military?

He later became an NYPD detective and joined the Bureau after the death of his son.

Monica Reyes majored in folklore and mythology at which university?

Brown University: Reyes took a degree in folklore and mythology there and a master's in religious studies, which led to her first FBI assignment on ritual crimes.

Which company published the first X-Files comics during the show's third and fourth seasons?

Topps Comics published the first X-Files series from 1995, written by Stefan Petrucha, who found the monster-of-the-week stories the easiest of the three types to write.

Which agent does the player control in the 1998 X-Files PC game while hunting for Mulder and Scully?

Craig Willmore, a Seattle field agent, is the player's character in the 1998 FMV adventure The X-Files Game, which reached the PlayStation a year later.