The X-Files has already had one revival, and now it’s getting a second, albeit in a surprising form. Fox is reportedly developing an X-Files animated comedy series titled The X-Files: Albuquerque.
The series will will follow an office full of misfit agents who investigate X-Files cases that are deemed too ridiculous to merit the attention of Mulder and Scully.
Neither David Duchovny or Gillian Anderson is currently involved in the show, and it’s only received a script commitment from Fox, not even a series order yet, so it’s very much in its infancy.
Ostensibly it seems somewhat bizarre to take a beloved, serious show like The X-Files and develop an animated spinoff. But Fox, like pretty much all other networks and studios out there, obviously sees money in the X-Files name and believes it’s more likely that audiences will tune in to watch a cartoon if it’s somewhat related to a show they’re already familiar with.
There could be potential here, although it’s hard to know without any other details. Obviously if any show has good writers and a smart showrunner, it can probably be pretty good. It may depend on how it’s run. Will it just be an X-Files reference fest, or will the series try to stand on its own?
The original show ran for nine seasons and became a phenomenon, spawning two movies — one great, one not-so-great – before being revived in 2016 for a six-episode 10th season that led to an 11th and final season in 2018, which didn’t leave much of a mark. Anderson suggested at the time that she wouldn’t play Scully again, so don’t expect to hear her on the new show unless it becomes its own phenomenon.
This project is still in an early form of development, so it’s possible it never even sees the light of day. But because of the name value, it probably will. Is this another step towards a future where practically every show is some sort of revival or spinoff of a previously popular series? Possibly.
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