X-Files: A tribute
by Jonathan Donald

The truth is finally out there after months of speculation - it's the end of the road for The X-Files:

• As ratings tumble, creator Chris Carter has decided that the ninth season, currently airing in the US, will be its last.

• Devoted fans will be donning black armbands in tribute to this formidable series that must rank alongside Star Trek as one of the all-time great sci-fi shows.

The X-Files sprang from the fertile mind of creator Chris Carter:

• Born on October 13, 1965, he grew up in California where he developed a major passion for surfing.

• He once edited Surfing magazine but in 1985 moved from riding waves to a screenwriting job at Disney.

• Some far from memorable credits followed but in 1992 he began developing The X-Files.

Chris Carter faced an uphill battle to get The X-Files on the airwaves:

• Bosses at his employers, Fox, took some convincing that a show obsessed with conspiracy, depicting the establishment as profoundly corrupt would work.

• Carter, who's acknowledged the impact of Nixon's Watergate Scandal on his thinking, failed with his first pitch. But he persevered and it began Stateside in '93 and on BBC2 in '94.

A major ingredient in the success of The X-Files was the chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson:

• His laconic, alien-obsessed Mulder set against sceptical Scully is among TV's top couplings. There was a prospect of a romance that simmered on and one.

• "Mulder and Scully represent equal and competing parts of my nature," said Carter, who had to fight to get the two actors cast.

With it's complex plots of alien invasion, cover-ups and scary paranormal phenomena, The X-Files became the top sci-fi show of the 1990's:

• It put US network Fox in the big league and became a global hit. But the departure of David Duchovny last year was the beginning of the end.

• New stars such as Annabeth Gish were introduced but ratings for series nine in the US have slumped to 8.7m, while episode costs top £3m a time.

Chris Carter is ploughing his creative juices into dreaming up The X-Files finale - to star David Duchovny:

• Carter claims the actor has broken his vow not to return and will grace the last episode in May in the US.

• "David was open to it and now the complication of trying to get it done comes," said Carter. "I just have to make the show as interesting as possible - not just for David but for the fans."

 
The X-Files is ending in May after its ninth series, but is it the best ever? Which show is your sci-fi favourite? 

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Source: Teletext, thanks June! (you can link to or archive this article)