X-Files in limbo, but Lone Gunmen slain

Emerging from the spooky mists of uncertainty which have been shrouding its possible ninth season, the walking zombie which is the X-Files looks like it is finally getting some life breathed into it.

Fox is now looking good to re-sign the entire show, although its creative genius and founder, Chris Carter, is still lost in the alien ego swap.

Will he come back? If so, in what capacity? Will massive wedges of dosh be involved? Is he so bored by the whole X-thang that losing him would be a favour to both Chris and the series?

This is much the same question that David Duchovny, alias Fox Mulder, has been facing. In or out, old chap? It now looks - save for a large infusion of the folding green stuff suddenly appearing - like the answer is the latter, apart from the odd cameo role for our Fox.

What with Cigarette-Smoking Man's (possible) death at the end of season eight, there sure seems to be a lot of character write-offs going on at the moment.

At least for Duchovny, a film career is beckoning, and he is probably canny enough to know that the salad days of the series must surely be waning, as it creative juices flag.

Plot arcs aside, here at the 'Nest we are definitely asking ourselves how many more obscure Tibetan demons, human mutants and supernatural scum bags can be pushed through the paranoid doors of the FBI before tedium sets in?

Don't get us wrong. We caught the original episode of the X-File on the first day it screened in the USA and became instant, slavering OTT fans.

It was obvious then that this was something fresh, original and headed for truly big things. Now, many years later, it just seems to be headed for a severe case of the same old same old.

Robert Patrick, alias FBI Agent John Doggett, seems rather satisfied with this state of affairs (e.g. him as lead male), although he has been overhead muttering that he would like to drive his character a little more down the path of, shall we say, a volatile and violent temperament.

He's obviously slipping back into the hard ass role he played in the movie Copland opposite tubby Sylvester Stallone.

Whatever the fate of the X-Files, it has fared infinitely better than The Lone Gunmen, which has entered ratings hell and is now strongly tipped to be on Fox's shit list to be canned.

This seems rather unfair to us, as despite it's lack of popular applause, Lone Gunmen seems quite an amusing laugh, and IOHO is now finding its feet with some of the later episodes.

We'd rather have the three wise men back, than have our heart broken by the X-Files getting stretched on the rack beyond the longevity limits of any TV series ability - nay, right - to survive.

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Peter Ullman. 01.06.01
I think the X-Files has been picking up since Mulder was dropped for that guy from The Terminator. Another season won't do any harm.

Sean Blank. 01.06.01
Just can the whole series, guys. It stopped being interesting around the fourth series. Now it really is the walking dead.