Was 'X-Files' inspired by this old TV movie?

Mayandi · 05-30-01, 12:38 AM

I recently received an E-mail from a friend in Australia who is convinced that Chris Carter's TV blockbuster "The X-Files" has borrowed ideas from a long forgotten TV movie called "THE NORLISS TAPES". This film was supposed to be the Pilot of a TV series in 1973 that never came off. So convinced is my friend about this, that he has preferred to remain anon and seems to be making enquiries into the implications, if any.

Normally, I would have dismissed this as yet another silly comparison, but I HAVE seen 'The Norliss Tapes' a long time ago and there DOES appear to be similarities with 'X-Files'. In it, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) tries to track down modern day Vampires rather than Mulder's Aliens, but a lot of Supernatural quotes that we commonly see in the 'X-files' seem to have originated from references in 'The Norliss Tapes'. Furthermore, the film was made by Dan Curtis and I read in a http://www.scifi.com interview that Chris Carter was a known follower of Dan Curtis' other works like 'The Nightstalker' and 'Dark Shadows'.

Is there anyone out there who knows more about this possibility?

garmonbozia · 05-30-01, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mayandi
Furthermore, the film was made by Dan Curtis and I read in a http://www.scifi.com interview that Chris Carter was a known follower of Dan Curtis' other works like 'The Nightstalker' and 'Dark Shadows'.

Every interview I have heard Chris Carter give in which he talks about his inspiration, he cites NIGHTSTALKER. Where the individual writers get their inspirations from, I have no idea.

renaldow · 05-30-01, 10:36 AM

Carter paid homage to The Nightstalker in 1 episode, and if The Norliss Tapes were made by the same person, I'm sure that has some impact as well, but Nightstalker gets all the credit.

dave955 · 05-30-01, 10:38 PM

I thought it was Quatermass he was ripping off without acknowledgement. Someone on the web has a page about the similarities. They're quite striking. I've heard it conjectured that the reason he won't mention it as an inspiration is that by saying that he might open himself to legal action, because literally whole sections of Quatermass have been 'borrowed' by The X-Files.

Slumbering Fist · 05-31-01, 01:45 PM

Properly its, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. (Calling it 'The Nightstalker' is like calling Batman, 'The Batman', or something like that.) Anyway, Kolchak began as a tv movie and then was a series. Seeing as how Carter was in his late teens in the 70's when it aired, I would say that was when the germ of the idea started- a guy chasing around supernatural and otherworldy things and no one believes him. Further fleshing out the idea to add govt conspiracies and making him an FBI agent, a 'man in black', was probably about the most natural progression one could make creatively. Overall, its most likely Kolchak was the sole starting point and the bulk of his inspirado, and anything else just added little bits here and there.

12thmonkey · 05-31-01, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mayandi
'The Norliss Tapes'
In it, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) tries to track down modern day Vampires rather than Mulder's Aliens,

Roy Thinnes also starred in "The Invaders", an early '70s show about a guy (Thinnes) who took a shortcut home, saw a UFO, and somehow learned they planned to take over the Earth. Of course, no one believed him. If my fading memory serves me correctly, the aliens, which looked human, could be identified because they had no fingerprints.

Thinnes has also appeared on The X-Files, so there is some parallel.

caipirina · 06-03-01, 04:31 AM

great .. now i have to beg for "norlis tapes" on DVD

05-30-01, 10:36 AM	#3
renaldow DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 8,323	Carter paid homage to The Nightstalker in 1 episode, and if The Norliss Tapes were made by the same person, I'm sure that has some impact as well, but Nightstalker gets all the credit. __________________ The ball is round, the game lasts 90 minutes; everything else is theoretical. www.horrortalk.com

06-03-01, 04:31 AM	#7
caipirina DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: May 2000 Location: Friggin Fiji Posts: 1,502	great .. now i have to beg for "norlis tapes" on DVD __________________ My DVD less life in friggin Fiji (yes, Fiji .. as in that ISLAND

05-30-01, 12:38 AM	#1
Mayandi Member Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 92	I recently received an E-mail from a friend in Australia who is convinced that Chris Carter's TV blockbuster "The X-Files" has borrowed ideas from a long forgotten TV movie called "THE NORLISS TAPES". This film was supposed to be the Pilot of a TV series in 1973 that never came off. So convinced is my friend about this, that he has preferred to remain anon and seems to be making enquiries into the implications, if any. Normally, I would have dismissed this as yet another silly comparison, but I HAVE seen 'The Norliss Tapes' a long time ago and there DOES appear to be similarities with 'X-Files'. In it, David Norliss (Roy Thinnes) tries to track down modern day Vampires rather than Mulder's Aliens, but a lot of Supernatural quotes that we commonly see in the 'X-files' seem to have originated from references in 'The Norliss Tapes'. Furthermore, the film was made by Dan Curtis and I read in a http://www.scifi.com interview that Chris Carter was a known follower of Dan Curtis' other works like 'The Nightstalker' and 'Dark Shadows'. Is there anyone out there who knows more about this possibility?

05-30-01, 10:38 PM	#4
dave955 DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,437	I thought it was Quatermass he was ripping off without acknowledgement. Someone on the web has a page about the similarities. They're quite striking. I've heard it conjectured that the reason he won't mention it as an inspiration is that by saying that he might open himself to legal action, because literally whole sections of Quatermass have been 'borrowed' by The X-Files.

05-31-01, 01:45 PM	#5
Slumbering Fist DVD Talk Reviewer Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 3,240	Properly its, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. (Calling it 'The Nightstalker' is like calling Batman, 'The Batman', or something like that.) Anyway, Kolchak began as a tv movie and then was a series. Seeing as how Carter was in his late teens in the 70's when it aired, I would say that was when the germ of the idea started- a guy chasing around supernatural and otherworldy things and no one believes him. Further fleshing out the idea to add govt conspiracies and making him an FBI agent, a 'man in black', was probably about the most natural progression one could make creatively. Overall, its most likely Kolchak was the sole starting point and the bulk of his inspirado, and anything else just added little bits here and there.