Just nine episodes were ordered for the first season of “The X-Files”. Safety came first, even though series creator Chris Carter shot the lavishly produced mystery series with the then little-known faces David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in Canada, where the costs for outside filming were minimal.
But then the series quickly developed into one with its sometimes spectacularly constructed plots, a conspiracy narrative that was difficult to understand after five seasons at the latest, originally staged “Monster Of The Week” episodes and a unique chemistry between two actors that was rewarded with a shower of awards Hit. The nerd and fan culture, which today dissects every little detail of favorite series online, began with the so-called X-Philes – the stubborn, over-curious fans of the series.
ROLLING STONE reveals 10 “X-Files” secrets that were barely declassified by the FBI
Who believes, who doubts?
The intellectual-erotic tension between agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) in the first years of the series was based primarily on the basis that Mulder firmly believes in aliens and Scully is extremely skeptical (and him was basically assumed to control him). In real life, however, it is exactly the opposite: David Duchovny is the skeptic and Gillian Anderson is the believer.
Gillian Anderson was almost replaced
No, it wasn’t Gillian Anderson’s British accent that bothered The X-Files producers, even though the actress had to work hard to hide it. However, Anderson became pregnant while filming the first season and several executive producers considered writing her out of the series. But showrunner Chris Carter advocated vehemently for her; Her pregnancy was initially cleverly hidden and then even became an important part of her series character’s history.
The film was supposed to be the end of the series
Chris Carter originally wanted to end The X-Files after the fifth season. He couldn’t imagine being able to maintain the standard for a long period of time and imagined that after his contract and the contracts of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny expired, the story would be continued in a series of feature films, starting with The X-Files: The Film” (1998). However, the FOX network felt that demand for the series was too great to cancel the series and instead commissioned the film, which would fit between the fifth and sixth seasons of the series, and additional seasons. This dichotomy became a real balancing act for Carter and the crew. Not only did the strain on everyone involved give him a headache, but also the difficulty of appealing to a cinema audience that might not have followed the complex story of the series at all.
Golden Globes and a tantrum
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson got along quite well after filming, although there was often friction on set. In 1997, they attended the Golden Globes together and held hands throughout the night. Both won the award for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Drama Series that night. However, something interesting happened backstage: Anderson was seen cursing backstage as she accepted her award, while Duchovny thanked her as he received his award. She realized she had forgotten to thank him and couldn’t forgive herself.
That special chemistry between Fox and Dana
David Duchovny found the special connection between Scully and Mulder to be a godsend for television. When the actor later also scored a hit with “Californication” (and basically relished the gentle, introspective new ideal of masculinity that he coined in “The X-Files” in the opposite direction), there were countless requests for a guest role from Gillian Anderson . The actress even announced that she would do it for free. But Duchovny said no. He didn’t want to use such a special effect to erase the energy that the two FBI agents had created on the screen. However, there were often tensions between the two actors during filming, which only resolved with the conclusion of the series and led to a long-lasting friendship.
Favorite episodes
When asked about their favorite episodes of “The X-Files,” the two actors gave different answers. Gillian Anderson said that the vampire episode “Bad Blood” was her favorite, while David Duchovny often raved about the end of the fan-favorite episode “The Postmodern Prometheus” when Mulder and Scully dance together. However, both agree that “The Curse” (Teso Dos Bichos) from the third season is the worst episode of all. Keyword: Indians and killer cats. Incidentally, “Bad Blood” is also seen by many fans and critics as one of the best episodes in the mystery series. Other acclaimed episodes include “Incest” (considered by many to be one of the scariest stories in a mainstream series), “The Psychic” and “Other Truths.”
Fake ID
During the opening credits, Mulder and Scully’s FBI badges read “Federal Bureau of Justice, United States Department of Investigation.” This change was necessary because producing a fake FBI trademark, even for a television series, is illegal in the United States. The real badge, however, says “Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice.”
Role model Starling
“The Silence of the Lambs” is often seen as a secret model for the production of “The X-Files” due to its staging and similar themes (although showrunner Chris Carter was quick to point out that it was inspired by the conspiracy-solving classic “The Untouchables”). Additionally, there is another parallel. Gillian Anderson has made it clear several times that she based her interpretation of her role as Dana Scully on Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Clarice Starling. Sometimes the irony of life resonates: At the turn of the millennium, Anderson was offered to play Starling in the new version of the horror classic, “Hannibal”. But contractual obligations for “The X-Files” prevented it. More than a decade later, the actress fulfilled her wish in a different form and appeared as Bedelia Du Maurier in the series version of “Hannibal”.
Too young
When Gillian Anderson appeared in the first season of “The X-Files,” she was just 25 years old. Far too young for her character. When she auditioned, the actress simply made herself look four years older.
How a famous theme song is created
The famous echoing chord from the title music, which will still give many viewers of the series goosebumps, came about by chance. Composer Mark Snow accidentally rested his elbow on the keyboard while the echo function was on, and he liked the resulting sound so much that he wrote the theme around that sound effect.