How to watch and stream The X-Files
The truth is in here
Back in 2002, everyone thought we had seen the last of The X-Files when it drew to a close after nine years.
But since then we have had a movie and two more seasons and while it now is almost certain that the franchise as we know it is done, it does mean there is a lot of it to get through - so what better time to have all the episodes, and the movies, ready to watch at the click of a button.
Here is everything you need to know about streaming The X-Files and remember: the truth is out there.
Where to watch The X-Files?
The X-Files, along with the two movies, are available to stream via Star on Disney+. Seasons 10-11 are not confirmed but we imagine they will be added before too long. The franchise joins a ton of other shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost and 24 that are all part of the first wave of Disney+ Star content. You can sign up to Disney+ for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.
You can also sign up to Amazon Prime for a 30 day free trial to watch The X-Files. Amazon Prime usually costs £7.99 a month.
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If you want The X-Files box set it's available to buy on Amazon.
What is The X-Files about?
The show follows the career and personal lives of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, two FBI special agents who solve unsolvable cases involving supernatural activity: the titular 'X-Files'. While the majority of the show is made up of standalone ‘monster of the week’ episodes, there is also an overarching conspiracy storyline told through so-called 'mythology' episodes sprinkled through the series.
As for the setup, we have the believer in Mulder and the sceptic in Scully - although both find their beliefs tested as the series goes on.
Who is in the cast of The X-Files?
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are the leads in The X-Files. Respectively playing Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, they are FBI special agents working in the X-Files office, solving cases that are presumed unsolvable and involve supernatural circumstances.
They also work with Walter Skinner (played by Mitch Pileggi), John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish).
The main antagonists throughout the show are the Cigarette Smoking Man, portrayed by William B. Davis and his high powered friends, and his son Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea).
How many seasons of The X-Files are there?
The X-Files first ran for nine series and between 1993 and 2002.
A shorter tenth season aired in 2016 and following the enormous success of that, the show returned with its eleventh, and seemingly final, series in 2018.
How many episodes are there in a season?
The original show was made up of 202 episodes each with a runtime of 45 minutes. The revival seasons are shorter, with six episodes for series 10 and ten episodes in series 11.
What order should you watch The X-Files?
This is pretty straight forward despite the amount of it there is. Watch through seasons 1-5 first and then it's time to watch the first movie, I Want to Believe. Then its seasons 6-9, the second movie, I Want to Believe, follows that and then finally, the recent seasons 10 and 11.
There is also a spin-off show called The Lone Gunmen which was short-lived but if you want to see this too, in between seasons 8 and 9 is a good place to watch it as key things from this come into play during season 9.
Who created The X-Files?
The original show was created by Chris Carter. The high viewership he brought to Fox with the show earned him negotiating power for future series. Carter was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmy Awards four years in a row with The X-Files but never won.
Where was The X-Files filmed?
The X-Files was filmed in Vancouver for its first five seasons but moved to Los Angeles to accommodate Duchovny. The show returned to its original location for the 2008 film and the revival seasons.
Where is The X-Files set?
The X-Files unit is based at the FBI in Washington DC but through their cases, Scully and Mulder travel across North America and the world in their quest for the truth.
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Why was The X-Files cancelled?
During its original run, The X-Files was cancelled after a reboot of sorts led to the falling ratings declining even further. When it comes to the recent revival show, Fox said they have no plans for a series 12 for now after Gillian Anderson departed from her role as Dana Scully - ratings were not great too, truth be told.
An animated series has been mentioned but it remains to be seen whether that will ever see the light of day, or if fans will take to the comedy route it is expected to head in.
See what else you can watch with our full list of Disney Plus content. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide to see what's on tonight or take a look at our best Netflix series guide.
