Television series were very different in the 90s, considered a “secondary” product compared to movies. The X-Files changed this view of television broadcasts forever.
On September 10, 1993 it was released in the United States X-Files (X-Files), a revolutionary science fiction series that, 30 years after its premiere, is considered one of the first series on modern television.
FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate strange cases involving he UFO phenomenonconspiracies, paranormal events, monsters and other mysteries. “The truth is out there,” was the mantra that hooked an entire generation.
Created by Chris Carter, X-Files It remained on the air for nine seasons, although it later released two films. In 2016 it returned with the original actors, for seasons 10 and 11.
X-Files It is one of the most awarded series in history. She has accumulated 141 awards, including dozens of the most prestigious on television: Emmys, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, etc.
The influence of The X-Files
In the early 90s, television series were a product despised by film directors and actors. Those who did not succeed in the cinema went to work on TV..
Television series were, for the most part, low-budget products with simple scripts, low-quality special effects, and homely sets.
All this began to change with series like Twin Peaks by David Lynch (1990) and her own X-Files (1993). Series that brought cinematic language, more elaborate scripts, quality special effects, and a more aesthetic staging to television.. The distance between series and movies was beginning to close.
Chris Carter, its creator, was inspired by a somewhat credible report that shocked him: 3.7 million Americans could have been abducted by aliens.
Following in the wake of classic science fiction series such as At the limits of reality (The Twilight Zone), and influenced by political scandals such as Watergate, Carter devised a series where government conspiracies can be as dangerous as those of foreign agents.
X-Files It was also a pioneer in many other aspects. A good example is the character of Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson. Until then, on television, strong female roles were almost always accompanied by a sexual charge. The protagonists usually wore short skirts and provocative necklines, to attract male viewers.
X-Files broke this rule by presenting a Dana Scully who, in addition to being an FBI agent, was a doctor, and was always dressed in a very sober manner.with muted colors, pants, and closed jackets.
Scully was a strong, intelligent woman who did not use her charms, despite her beauty. A canon that was not common in the 90s. The character generated what has been called the Scully Effect: girls and teenagers who became doctors, engineers, or law enforcement officers, inspired by the series’ protagonist.
Another milestone of X-Files is that it became the first series to be released on DVD, in 2000. It was quite a revolution, because until then you could only watch series on the four or five television channels that existed, or in editions of individual episodes on VHS.
Today it seems normal to us, but at that time, having the possibility of buying series for complete seasons, with the original voices, subtitles, and extras, was something never seen before. It can currently be seen streaming on Disney+.
30 years have passed since the premiere of X-Files, one of the first series of what we could call the modern era of television. Without groundbreaking bets like her, possibly current successes like Stranger Things, Foundation either Game of Thrones they would not exist, or they would be very different.