'X-Files' Returning to Fox Network
Reuters
May 16 2001 6:37PM

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - At least one mystery about "The X-Files" has been solved. The Fox television thriller will definitely be back next season, a network spokesman said on Wednesday.
After a repeat of last year's down-to-the-wire negotiations with "X-Files" creator-producer Chris Carter about the show's future, Fox has locked in the series for a ninth season as part of the network's upcoming fall schedule.

"The X-Files will be on the schedule that we're announcing (Thursday)" at the network's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York, the spokesman said.

He added that "X-Files" star David Duchovny, whose role as the alien-hunting, conspiracy-minded FBI agent Fox Mulder was scaled back this season, will not return, except for the possibility of a cameo appearance here and there.

In addition, "The X-Files" spinoff series "The Lone Gunman," which debuted earlier this year, will not be renewed, the spokesman said.

Media reports earlier Wednesday said 11th-hour discussions with Carter had left the fate of "The X-Files" in doubt. Last year, the network obtained a commitment to bring the show back for an eighth season only after lengthy negotiations with both Carter and Duchovny, who had sought to diminish his involvement with the show.

The X-Files" debuted in 1993, centering on special agents Mulder, a believer in the paranormal, and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a medical doctor and skeptic, as they probed unsolved FBI cases involving UFO sightings, telepaths and mutants while hidden forces seemed to impede their work. This season, actor Robert Patrick joined the cast as Scully's new partner, agent John Doggett.

The season finale, airing Sunday, is expected to reveal details about Scully's mysterious pregnancy as Mulder and Doggett race against time to protect Scully and her unborn child from unknown pursuers.

In other fall schedule changes Fox is expected to announce, "Dark Angel," the sci-fi series from "Titanic" director James Cameron, will move from 10 p.m. Tuesdays to 8 p.m. Fridays to make room for a new drama, "Twenty Four." That show stars Kiefer Sutherland as a CIA agent seeking to thwart a presidential assassination plot in a real-time drama that plays out over 24 episodes.

The network spokesman confirmed additional details of Fox's new fall lineup, as reported by the Web site Electronic Media Online, including:

-- "That '70s Show" will continue to lead off Tuesday nights at 8 p.m., providing a springboard for the new college comedy "Undeclared" at 8:30.

-- "Dark Angel," in its new Friday berth, will serve as a lead-in for a new prime-time soap opera "Pasadena," starring Dana Delaney and executive-produced by Diane Keaton.

-- The dark comedy "Titus" will shift from Tuesdays to Wednesdays to provide a platform for a new sitcom starring stand-up comic Bernie Mac -- featured in "The Original Kings of Comedy" -- as a comedian who finds himself acting as a foster parent to his sister's three children.

-- Twenty-two new episodes of animated comedy "The Family Guy" will pave the way Thursday nights for the new superhero spoof "The Tick," starring Patrick Warburton (best known as Elaine's sometime boyfriend from "Seinfeld").

-- Freshman high school-based drama "Boston Public" will return to Monday's as a lead-in for "Ally McBeal."

Please FOX! Youre beating a f*****g dead horse! I was an X-Files fan from season 1.... but now 8 years have passed! Jesus Christ! Your fans now want X-Files movies!!!! PLEASE OH PLEASE! How the hell can you have the X-Files without Mulder? The damn show IS ABOUT MULDER!

For once I agree with you. Alot of people might not like Fox Mulder but he is the essence of the show and is the reason I still watch the show.

Who is going to fill the void of the "true believer"? John Doggett doesn't believe and Scully doesn't truly believe.

What I want to know is, how are they going to finish the season cliffhanger for The Lone Gunmen now????

Scully and Skinner and now full true believers. They have been since the beginning of this season.

I've been watching since day one as well and I honestly watched expecting to not really like it and was more than pleasantly surprised.

I honestly feel the show should end as well, UNLESS, they get Duchovney to sign on for some shows next year and they continue with the high quality writing. I agree that the show is about his quest, but for me, it changed somewhat as the characters developed. I see it now as more than his quest, but now partly hers but for different reasons. I like seeing how what they learn and what they find affects their relationship and how the characters develop.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Doggett character and I do believe that Scully and Skinner are very much believers, but without Mulder, I just think the magic is gone.

Doggett is like Scully now in the fourth or fifth season, when hit with unexplainable things. Logically can't believe in the obvious, but illogically can't ignore it. Because he is a former cop, he needs hard, concrete evidence before he can believe anything. As he gets more and more of it, it's changing his perspective. I like the relationship between he and Kirsch and that he's getting the impression that he is majorly being played/used and he doesn't like it. I also feel that he's in love with/attracted to Scully and can't or won't admit it. When he walked in on her and Mulder in the hospital, the look on his face was a man who just lost something that he didn't even realize he had.

The interaction between Doggett and Mulder has been pretty cool. I'd like to see more of that as well.

Well I know my opinion is in the minority, but I absolutely loved season 8 and am thrilled that X-Files will return in fall. True, the loss of Duchovny will be a blow but in all honesty this season did just fine without him. Maybe I'm just a die hard fan but I think season 8 was easily the best yet! Thank God X-Files season 9 will be a reality! I do hope that Carter still plans to make another movie and that Duchovny will return for it.

gotdvd? I may stick with it, but it will all depend upon the writing and casting.....

Agent Reyes, played by Annabeth Gish, is a believer. And I think she'll be paired as a partner with the skeptical Doggett.

I really hope Gillian Anderson's role is smaller next year - I think it would be too strange to have Scully continue on the show without Mulder.

Fox Says Duchovny to Leave 'X-Files'
Reuters
May 17 2001 2:05PM

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "The X-Files" star David Duchovny is leaving the show after this season, Fox network's top executive said on Thursday, after confirming that the show would be brought back in the fall for its ninth season.
"I guess he thinks it's time to get on with his life," Sandy Grushow, president of Fox Television Entertainment Group, said of Duchovny, who plays the alien-hunting FBI agent Fox Mulder.

He added that co-star Gillian Anderson is contracted to appear in each episode of the 2001-2002 season. The show's creator, Chris Carter, will also return to the show, but his exact role has not been decided, Grushow said. Carter's second show, "The Lone Gunman," has been canceled.

Grushow made his remarks on Thursday in conjunction with the release of Fox's fall schedule, as advertisers convene here for a week of meetings known as the TV upfront, in which networks promote their new shows to advertisers and try to sell as much as 80 percent of their advertising time.

Fox's hit show "Ally McBeal" will return to the Monday 9 p.m. slot, though Grushow said that Robert Downey Jr., who has been in and out of jail, drug rehabilitation centers and courtrooms, will be written out of the show.

The network, which is a unit of News Corp., also confirmed it is moving its drama "Dark Angel," created by "Titanic" director James Cameron, to Friday at 8 p.m. from Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Fox is adding three new comedies and two new dramas to its schedule.

"Undeclared," a half-hour comedy about a boy's first year in college, is planned for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., following "That '70s Show." It will go up against "Three Sisters" on NBC, "What About Joan" on ABC and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" on UPN.

"The Tick," a offbeat comedy whose title character is an crime-fighting superhero, is slotted for Thursday at 8:30 against CBS' juggernaut "Survivor" and NBC's new comedy "Inside Schwartz."

Fox is planning "The Bernie Mac Show," featuring a standup comedian who grudgingly cares for his sister's three children, for Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m., competing against CBS's new reality show "The Amazing Race" and NBC's "The West Wing."

The two new dramas are a spy thriller, "24," starring Kiefer Sutherland, which will air against NBC's "Frasier" on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., and soap opera "Pasadena," to be directed by Diane Keaton and airing on Fridays at 9 p.m.

Bummed about Duchovney, but because Scully will still be with the show, I'll tune in. Whether or not I'll stay, depends on the writing.

The season finale, for me, will be the series finale.

You keep saying you'll only continue to watch the show if the writing is good. Did you or did you not tell me in an earlier thread about this X-Files season that you thought the writing was above par and say something along the lines of "why couldn't they write like this for Mulder?" At that time you obviously thought the writing was good, do you feel that it went downhill as the season progressed? Personally I thought the interaction between Mulder and Dogget was written very well when Duchovny's character returned in February and throughout the remainder of the episodes. It clearly won't be the same with Mulder when the fall season starts but if the show manages to keep the writers from this season, season nine will likely be well worthwhile.

gotdvd? - Ahhhh, I missed having these stimulating X-Files chats with you! The writing in this season has been phenominal and much better than what I could have hoped for. If it continues, I should state, then I will probably stay with it. They'd have to do some really lame stuff to get me to back out. Scully will still be there, through her we may hear more about Mulder, and if Duchovney decides he needs and extra buck or two, they'd be fools not to write him into a few eps.

I had been somewhat disappointed with the writing and in particular some of the stuff written for Mulder. I happen to think that Duchovney is a fabulous actor and like his work. Won't comment on him personally, because quite simply, I don't know him.

Check my earlier post, I did like the interaction between Mulder and Doggett. The show on the Oil Rig was great and all I could think of was Butch and Sundance when they jumped off. There's some great stories to be done between the two of them. It would be nice if there was some Nth hour announcement in the fall that they snagged Duchovney for a few eps next season, but I won't count on it. It will be interesting to see how his new movie does and if they go on strike in July?.

Anyway, I ramble a bit. I'll be tuning in when the new season starts and if things look good, I'll stay with it.

I personally am dancing on David Duwhiney's grave. I've watched the show since it was the uncool Friday-night show on Fox. Duwhiney should get over himself and realize the show, and fans like me, made him a star. Instead, he's a jerk.

Robert Patrick is oustanding on the show. I'd be pleased as punch if we never ever heard from Fox Mulder again, frankly. The Chris Carter mythology episodes were boring BEFORE the movie even came out. He never reveals ANYTHING without tacking on 15 more questions to bait us along for another season.

It's about The X-Files, stupid. Those WEIRD stories. The episodes that play out like Art Bell's nightly radio broadcast are where the show's strength really lies. Not in endless clone conspiracies that make even the most devoted fan's head spin.

I'll be watching the X-Files season 9.

I'll watch but they shouldn't do a season 9
it got way better when mulder came back, can't imagine no mulder at all

Lets see, i quit regularly watching two and a half seasons ago...they should have quit then and gone out on a high, before everyone got bitter and only in it for the money.

the way the season finale ended would be a great way to end the series. Then just do a few more movies

mike - I agree. What a way to end the season! Mulder and Scully making out with their baby!!!!! Too bad Duchovney won't do a few eps. Fired from the FBI, but somehow continuing his quest, while married to Scully. He might make a good stay-at-home dad, or he could work with the Lone Gunmen.

Hopefully Scully will get a desk job and do little in each episode. Scully without Mulder is awkward, and Scully as a third wheel when trying to establish new blood is awkward as well.

Bingo!

I missed this entire season, so I have no intention of watching season 9. I do plan to buy the set that FOX releases , as I never caught the X-Files on broadcast TV, but now am a fan because of the great full season boxsets.

So if Mulder and Scully get married, Scully will be Mulder and Mulder will have to call her Mulder. They will also have to call the kid Mulder. And he in turn will have to call them both Mulder.

This makes the whole alien conspiracy seem simple.

"Mulder, are you sure this is the work of aliens?"

"Mulder, you have to open your eyes to the truth."

"Mulder, can I watch cartoons?"

"Only after you clean your room, Mulder."

"Mulder, weren't you being a little hard on Mulder?"

I just watched the episode where Scully calls him "Fox" and he replies something like, "Scully, even my parents call me Mulder".

I hate to be called by my last name. It makes me flash back to high school gym class