Season Eight News

Official: 'X-Files' Season 8

It has been officially announced that Chris Carter has signed a deal late Monday with 20th Century Fox Television to produce one more season of The X-Files for the Fox TV network. According to the Hollywood Reporter, besides Carter, Gillian Anderson will be on board for one more season as per her contract. In addition, the trade is confirming recent rumors about David Duchovny's participation on the show. As previously suggested by the actor himself, Fox is currently said to be negotiating with Duchovny to return to the series for far fewer episodes, possible 6-9 for the whole season, in a deal which the trade says will involve "big bucks."

In addition, for what is likely to be its final season, The X-Files production is likely to move back to Vancouver.

'X-Files' to return for one more season

"X-Files" creator Chris Carter closed a deal late Monday with 20th Century Fox TV to return as executive producer of the Fox mainstay drama for one more season. "My preference is to shoot the show in Los Angeles, and I am currently working with the studio on that arrangement," said Carter. With Carter now on board for an eighth season, contract renewal and lawsuit settlement negotiations with star David Duchovny are expected to go down to the wire, prior to Fox's Thursday fall schedule unveiling in New York. In addition to settling his profit participation lawsuit against the studio, sources said Duchovny is negotiating for a big-bucks deal that would allow him to appear in six to nine episodes over the season. Co-star Gillian Anderson will return for a full season.

'X-Files' to return for one more season "X-Files" creator Chris Carter closed a deal late Monday with 20th Century Fox TV to return as executive producer of the Fox mainstay drama for one more season, sources said. As contract renewal and lawsuit settlement negotiations with star David Duchovny continue, Carter's renewal, which comes two days before Fox presents its fall 2000 schedule to advertisers in New York, seems to ensure that "The X-Files" will return for an eighth season this fall. Co-star Gillian Anderson is on board for the upcoming season, and sources said Duchovny is negotiating for a big-bucks deal that would allow him to appear in 6-9 episodes over the season. Sources also said the production of the show is likely to return to Vancouver next season, after it was relocated to Los Angeles this year at Duchovny's request.

"X-Files" Back...with Duchovny

That collective shriek you just heard was millions of X-Philes rejoicing.

After slipping dangerously toward that other dimension known as cancellation, Fox announced today its quirky sci-fi staple The X-Files will indeed return for an eighth season on the network. And Fox Mulder with it, E! Online has learned.

Although Fox has refused to comment on the biggest remaining X-File--whether the show's paranoid lead G-Man, David Duchovny, would also be back--sources say he will reprise his role as FBI Agent Fox Mulder for a handful of episodes next fall. (The typical season runs 22 episodes.)

Duchovny's X-Files future remained especially dicey following his $25 million legal run-in with Fox last year over claims they cheated him out of lucrative syndication profits. Negotiations with the actor have gone down to the wire, with the 39-year-old Duchovny also asking for more cash and a less taxing work week if he were to return to the series.

A Fox rep says only that negotiations with Duchovny are ongoing. Fox is set to unveil its fall lineup in New York Thursday.

Still, the show's return was enough to draw cheers from its devoted followers, who once again will see Gillian Anderson reprise her role as agent Dana Scully (she's signed on through next season), and X-Files executive producer Carter back at the helm.

Though filming was hauled from Vancouver to Los Angeles at Duchovny's request, Carter says shooting will continue in Los Angeles. Carter adds that he would have figured out a way to write around Duchovny's disappearance, but he would have preferred not to.

"My contract connects me to the show for another season," Carter says. "I've agreed to do it either way," with or without Duchovny.

As part of the deal, Carter also will have the anticipated X-Files spinoff, The Lone Gunmen, ready for Fox's midseason schedule next year.

Meanwhile, the show remains a critical and commercial success. It has drawn an average of 12.9 million viewers this season, remaining a strong presence in Fox's Sunday night lineup in spite of being one of the network's most costly series to produce.

By returning for the fall, Fox will be able to send off The X-Files with the proper hype, and resolution. Until today, there seemed a good chance the show might just disappear after the season-ending cliffhanger next Sunday, leaving loyal fans in the lurch.

Despite today's announcement, there's still no official word on whether the show will, as has often been rumored, be spun off into a movie franchise à la Star Trek, or whether Duchovny would star in future big-screen X-Files.

Ditching David?
The X-Files to Return - With or Without Duchovny

Los Angeles - The Fox Broadcasting Co. said today it will bring its hit series The X-Files back in this fall for an eighth season, but whether series star David Duchovny will return remains in question. Co-star Gillian Anderson already has signed for another year on the show, but Fox said negotiations were continuing with Duchovny, who reportedly has been interested in more money and less time on the show.

The drama centers on the investigations of special agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny), a believer in the paranormal, and Dana Scully (Anderson), a medical doctor and skeptic, as they probe unsolved FBI cases involving UFO sightings, telepaths and mutants while hidden forces seem to impede their work.

Until today, the future of the hourlong thriller had been in doubt, as negotiations with Duchovny and series creator Chris Carter dragged on.

A Fox spokeswoman said today that a deal had been struck with Carter, and that the network has decided to bring the program back with or without Duchovny.

"The X-Files will return to Fox in the fall for an eighth season with Gillian Anderson," Fox said in a statement. "Negotiations with co-star David Duchovny continue regarding his return for an additional season with the hit series."

Different Endings for Finale

Fox insiders have said one scenario would be for Duchovny to return next season on a part-time basis.

[Spoiler removed for Australian fans]

Since it debuted in 1993, the show has garnered 12 Emmys, including the award for best actress in a drama series for Anderson, plus three Golden Globes for best dramatic series and a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Anderson and Duchovny also starred in a 1998 movie version of the show.

Carter puts his 'X' on Fox sked

By Cynthia Littleton

With or without David Duchovny, "The X-Files" return for an eighth season in the fall was clinched Tuesday when creator Chris Carter confirmed that he has signed on to shepherd another season of Fox's signature drama series.

As late as last week, Carter was said to have been undecided about whether to return to the 20th Century Fox TV drama. News of his re-upping, which came two days before Fox unveils its fall schedule in New York, was first reported Tuesday morning on The Hollywood Reporter's Web site.

"There are still so many more stories to tell in 'The X-Files,' and I'm pleased that the show will be returning next season to give us that opportunity," Carter said. Added Fox Television Entertainment Group chairman Sandy Grushow: "The show is back, and the real key is that Chris is completely re-energized."

With Carter on board, Fox brass are focused on complex negotiations with series star David Duchovny regarding a renewal of his contract and a settlement of the profit-participation lawsuit Duchovny filed against the studio in August. Co-star Gillian Anderson was contractually bound to return for the eighth year.

Duchovny "is still hopeful that an agreement can be reached, but it has to be one that is fair and equitable to both sides," a spokesman for the actor said.

Duchovny's suit claims that he was short-changed on his profit-participation stake in the show because the studio sold the rerun rights to "X-Files" to the Fox-owned cable network FX rather than seeking competitive bids for the show on the open market. The issue of "self-dealing" among vertically integrated media companies has recently fueled a slew of similar lawsuits filed against Fox, Disney and other media giants.

Sources said the two sides in the negotiations have been far apart on the size of the eight-figure lump-sum payment that Duchovny's reps are seeking to settle the suit and the significant increase in his per-episode salary on the show, said to have been in the low-six figures this season. Duchovny also reportedly is seeking a limited commitment of appearing in six to nine episodes during the 2000-01 season.

[Spoilers removed for Australian fans]

Carter's "X-Files" spinoff "The Lone Gunmen" is expected to be slated to premiere shortly after the first of the year.

Duchovny Signs On for Season 8

Both Variety and the Associated Press are reporting that an agreement has been struck between David Duchovny and FOX to allow him to reprise his role of Fox Mulder in the previously announced eighth season of The X-Files. The deal comes just in time for the announcement of the FOX fall schedule on Thursday in New York City.

"I am pleased we were able to come to an agreement that enables me to remain part of The X-Files,'' Duchovny said in a statement Wednesday. "Now that all the business issues have been settled, I'm looking forward to going back to work.''

The AP reports that the announcement "was greeted with enthusiasm by [series creator Chris] Carter, who had arrived at his own deal to continue the series just one day before. He had said previously he could produce the show without Duchovny but preferred not to.

"'I'm very pleased and I think with the season finale cliffhanger it creates great possibilities to take the show in new directions,' Carter said Wednesday."

According to Variety, Duchovny will appear in approximately half of next season's 22 episodes at a salary of US$350,000 - $400,000 per episode. While this represents a significant raise from his current rate of pay, it pales in comparison to the US$750,000 per half-hour episode recently commanded by the cast of the popular NBC comedy Friends.

In addition, Duchovny has settled his lawsuit against the FOX syndication unit which he accused of selling repeats of The X-Files to FOX-owned stations at less than market value. Industry sources indicate that the settlement may be worth more than US$20 million.

Duchovny ends suspense - will return to "X-Files"

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES, May 17 (Reuters) - "The X-Files" star David Duchovny said on Wednesday that he will return to the Fox-TV thriller for an eighth season, ending protracted negotiations with the network that clouded the future of the hit series.

Duchovny, 39, did not detail the terms of his new contract, but Hollywood trade newspaper Daily Variety reported in Thursday's editions that he will earn $350,000 to $400,000 per show for an 11 episodes. A full season usually consists of 22 episodes.

Variety also reported that Duchovny had settled his 1999 lawsuit against Fox over millions of dollars in profits from the hourlong paranormal drama. Duchovny and the network could not be reached for comment on that report.

Duchovny's negotiations with Fox, which dragged on after co-star Gillian Anderson had already agreed to return, had led to speculation that "The X-Files" -- which has seen its ratings slip in the past two seasons despite a strong cult following -- might not return for its eighth season.

But a Fox spokesman said Tuesday that series creator Chris Carter was prepared for the show to go on with or without Duchovny, though he preferred to have both of his stars back. A spokesman for the network could not be reached for comment on Duchovny's signing late Wednesday.

Duchovny, in a statement released by his publicist, said he had "agreed to terms" with Fox.

"I am pleased that we were able to come to an agreement that enables me to remain a part of 'The X-Files,"' Duchovny said. "Now that all the business issues have been settled, I'm looking forward to getting back to work," he added.

"The X-Files" centres on the investigations of special agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny), a believer in the paranormal, and Dana Scully (Anderson), a medical doctor and sceptic, as they probe unsolved FBI cases involving UFO sightings, telepaths and mutants while hidden forces seem to impede their work.

[Spoiler removed for Australian fans]

Since it debuted in 1993, the show has garnered 12 Emmys, including the award for best actress in a drama series for Anderson, plus three Golden Globes for best dramatic series and a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Anderson and Duchovny also starred in a 1998 movie version of the show.

Duchovny sued Rupert Murdoch's 20th Century Fox in 1999, claiming that the company sold "X-Files" rights to associated companies -- such as the Fox broadcast network and FX cable channel -- at below-market prices, reducing the series' profitability.

This affected the actor because he shares in the show's profits, he claimed.

20th Century Fox Film Corp. is a unit of New York City-based FOX Entertainment Group Inc, which was spun off last year by the Murdoch-controlled News Corp.

David Duchovny signs deal for another The X-Files season

By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- FBI agent Fox Mulder will continue his quest for the truth and alien invaders next season on The X-Files.

Series star David Duchovny, who was wrangling over his contract and a lawsuit he filed in connection with the show, has agreed to return for an eighth year.

"I am pleased we were able to come to an agreement that enables me to remain part of The X-Files," Duchovny said in a statement Wednesday. "Now that all the business issues have been settled, I'm looking forward to going back to work."

Gillian Anderson, his co-star in the Fox series about FBI agents on the trail of supernatural forces and space aliens, already was under contract. Chris Carter, the series creator and executive producer, struck a deal for another year earlier this week.

Duchovny's announcement, which came the day before Fox Broadcasting Co. was to announce its fall schedule in New York, was greeted with enthusiasm by Carter. He had said previously he could produce the show without Duchovny but preferred not to.

"I'm very pleased and I think with the season finale cliffhanger it creates great possibilities to take the show in new directions," Carter said Wednesday.

The show wraps up this season on Sunday.

Duchovny, who had been seeking a less grueling work schedule as well as more money, will not be in every episode for the 2000-01 season, Carter said.

He said it would be jumping the gun to speculate whether the show, a mainstay of Fox's schedule, will be back for a ninth year.

The negotiations with Duchovny had been complicated by his lawsuit against 20th Century Fox Film Corp. The suit claimed Fox gave its own stations sweetheart deals on The X-Files reruns when the program should have been sold to the highest bidder.

The result, the suit alleged, was that Duchovny was underpaid on the series profits. The actor had said he wouldnt return to the show unless the suit was settled.

A spokesman for the actor said he could not expand on Duchovny's statement.

Carter said he expected the legal dispute to be a non-issue when filming resumes.

"I work with real professionals and the work has always come before any personal feelings," he said.

The series, which made stars and magazine cover favorites out of Duchovny and Anderson, led to a successful X-Files movie that Fox and Carter expect to be part of a continuing franchise.

"The Fox network has renewed the show for its eighth season in its Sunday 9:00 p.m. timeslot. David Duchovny reprises his role of Special Agent Fox Mulder and will appear in 18 of the 22 episodes. Gillian Anderson returns as Special Agent Dana Scully."

"The Fox network has renewed the show for its eighth season in its Sunday 9:00 pm timeslot. David Duchovny reprises his role of Special Agent Fox Mulder and will appear in about half of the season's episodes. Gillian Anderson returns as Special Agent Dana Scully."

www.empireonline.co.uk/

Less Mulder For Your Money

David Duchovny, star of the X Files, told Empire Online at a press conference for his new film Return to Me that his return to the cult TV series, would be briefer than fans were expecting. Previously reported episode counts were as high as eleven, but Duchovny said that "it would be far less." So what was all the fuss about? "It was all about money. When they agreed with me, my legal problems with them were over," explained Duchovny.

How will the plot get along without Fox "Spooky" Mulder? "That's not my problem - it's theirs," said Duchovny.

Duchovny had previously been reported as saying that working in Hollywood is like the life of a prostitute, but he wanted to clear to air this afternoon. "I should have said it was like being like a kept woman. The powers that be don't want to fulfill your contract. Instead they throw baubles at you. 'Hey, we won't pay you your full fee, but here's a week in Hawaii!' I can afford to take myself to Hawaii. What I want is what we agreed on."

Return to Me, also starring Minnie Driver, Joely Richardson and first time director/screenwriter Bonnie Hunt, had its European premiere in Edinburgh last night in support of the Prince's Trust, Scotland. But that's not the only link that the cast have to the north - Duchovny's mother, May is from just outside of Banff, Aberdeenshire.

When asked if he would be wearing a kilt to the Royal command performance, Duchnovny smiled, and said he would wear it "in true Scottish fashion." One more note from the Return to Me cast - Minnie Driver may be coming back from the sunny shores of California to stay in Britain for a while. According to a BBC source, Driver has confirmed that she will be involved in a project of her own company, Two Drivers, with Mel Smith signed on as director. There's no word on the plot yet - but we'll keep you posted.

Empire Online correspondent: Suzie Jack

salon.com

The Incredible Shrinking Mulder
He's bored with "X-Files" and, frankly, so are we.

By Joyce Millman

Last week, Fox, along with the other broadcast networks, unveiled its schedule for fall 2000. The good news The X-Files lives! The bad news There's, um, one teensy problem ...

"The X-Files" had been in danger of cancellation, due to falling ratings and costar David Duchovny's protracted legal battle with 20th Century Fox. Late last summer, Duchovny filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, accusing the company of short-changing him on his share of syndication profits. (He charged that Fox sold rerun rights to associated companies FX cable and Fox TV, instead of shopping them around for a better price.) In exchange for his participation in an eighth season of "The X-Files," Duchovny reportedly wanted his suit resolved, a considerable raise from the $200,000 per episode he was making last year and a greatly reduced workload.

Last Tuesday, Fox signed up "X-Files" creator/producer Chris Carter for another season, and announced that the show would return with or without Duchovny. (Co-star Gillian Anderson was already contractually bound to come back.) Duchovny and Fox finally struck a deal late Wednesday night -- the eve of Fox's scheduled fall-season announcement. Duchovny gets a raise (reportedly to as much as $400,000 an episode) and a settlement worth millions more. And, he only has to appear in half of next season's 22 episodes. Good for you, David! Bad for "X-Files" fans.

Duchovny seems to be suffering from an advanced case of Rob Morrow syndrome. Remember him? He sat out a season of "Northern Exposure" demanding more money, certain that his movie career was about to take off. The show fell apart without him. His movie career never took off. Sure, we can understand that an actor gets bored playing the same character for years, feeling imprisoned by the rigid schedule of network TV, enviously eyeing friends with the time and clout to make movies and take risks. In a recent cover profile in Entertainment Weekly, Duchovny saluted David Caruso for walking away from "NYPD Blue" to follow his heart to Hollywood "So he stars in a few movies that don't do well -- that doesn't make him stupid or a bad actor. He and Julianna Margulies are heroes for turning down TV money."

The irony is that, in Fox Mulder, Duchovny has given life to one of those rare TV characters whose influence extends beyond TV; spook-chaser Mulder and skeptic Dana Scully infiltrated every corner of pop culture in the '90s, and seeped out into the mass consciousness. "The X-Files" gave a name to the confluence of paranoia, distrust of authority, conspiracy theories and spiritual hunger that characterized the last decade, and Duchovny's Mulder put a face on this longing to believe. How many movie stars of late have had this kind of real, sweeping impact?

Duchovny has made a handful of movies (most recently the well-reviewed box office disappointment "Return to Me"), but he's done his best work on TV. And I'm not just talking about "The X-Files," I'm talking about his piquant, off-kilter sweetness as cross-dressing FBI agent Dennis/Denise Bryson on "Twin Peaks," his deadpan homoerotic flirtations with Garry Shandling on "The Larry Sanders Show" and his sneaky, droll impersonations of Richard Gere and Jeff Goldblum on "Saturday Night Live." Duchovny is a miniaturist, a guy who works best in subtle, intimate brushstrokes. Why have fans followed Mulder this far? Because Duchovny is not afraid to let us in on the self-deprecating joke at the center of Mulder's being. He may look incredible in that red Speedo, but he's still an obsessive, lonely, socially inhibited geek who'd rather spend an evening watching the skies for validation of his quest (or watching porn in his unkempt hovel) than seriously making a play for Scully, the unconsummated love of his life.

But, listen, it's not like we can't sympathize with Duchovny's desire for a change; most of us were as bored with "The X-Files" this season as he was. The show is in a rut, maybe because of Carter's stinginess with plot-advancing mythology episodes, maybe because the writers were boxed in by Mulder's uncertain future. [Spoilers removed for Australian fans] If "The X-Files" had packed it in at the end of this season, with true bang-up revelations and closure, few fans would have felt cheated.

But a minimally engaged Mulder -- now that's a cheat. Mulder and Scully are a pair, soul mates forever linked in their past, present and future, as we've been shown innumerable times. By forcing the writers to alter Mulder and Scully's destiny to accommodate his needs, Duchovny is screwing with the show's balance and, even sadder, its legacy. He's spurning the loyalty of the show's -- and his -- original fans. And he's doing it with the sort of "I'm not like the other actors, I have a master's degree" arrogance he displayed a few weeks ago on the celebrity "Millionaire" episode -- when he gambled with charity money to guess at an answer instead of walking away with a nice fat check for disadvantaged kids. He almost blew it all.

The X-Factors
[Spoilers removed for Australian fans]
What does it all mean for The X-Files?

by Dan Snierson

Jesus finally had his Second Coming. Chandler at long last popped the question. Yes, the TV season had officially drawn to a close, meaning everyone can toss their remotes and bask in the frivolous joys of summer. Well, everyone except those poor fans of The X Files, who are blinking blankly in front of their 27 inch Trinitrons, still reeling from a recent rash of paranormal activity.

On May 16, after a frenzy of speculation, Fox announced it would bring back the spooky seven year old drama for another season with or without holdout David Duchovny (Mulder). Then, less than two days later, on the eve of the network's fall schedule announcement, Duchovny agreed to return for 11 episodes - about half of a full season - for a reported $20 million. ("The last two weeks have been quite a roller coaster," understates exec producer Frank Spotnitz. "Every day I thought it could fall apart at any minute.")

Finally came Sunday's surprise-packed season finale [Spoilers removed for Australian fans] leaving viewers, in typical Files fashion, with more queries than a U.S. Census long form. This time, however,we graciously did the work for you, providing answers to your burning questions.

How will The X Files deal with Duchovny's part time schedule?

A likely scenario, according to X-Files sources, will have the Duchovny episodes sprinkled throughout the year, though that's still being decided. To fill the Mulder void, they're looking to cast a new buddy for Scully (Gillian Anderson), a character that definitely won't be in the mold of the conspiracy-obsessed Mulder. Says X-Files creator Chris Carter: "Certainly Scully's character has evolved to this point now where she is a believer of sorts... I think that the partner would probably be a skeptic. And more likely than not it will be a man." (See below). The producers will also bulk up the roles of supporting characters like Skinner and Krycek (but not the Lone Gunmen, who will be starring in their own series). "We've got a lot of great players on the bench," says Spotnitz. "It makes sense to use those assets more heavily than we have in the past." Will we, perhaps, see more high-profile guest stars? "We've always hesitated to do that because we've felt it would take away from the show,"says Carter. "But this may be an opportunity to do that."

Is next season the final one?

Don't bet the crop-circled farm on it. Carter hints the franchise could continue - even if both Duchovny and Anderson call it quits. "If we plan carefully, there could be [more seasons], but I'm not telling you that there will be," he says elusively. Which is why, he adds, choosing a new partner for Scully is"very important for not just this year but perhaps the future.... I still think there are a lot of stories to tell. If the characters worked, and we liked to write for them, I could say yes to another season."

[Spoilers removed for Australian fans]

Did the producers shoot an alternative ending, as reported?

That's just crazy talk, insists Carter: "I would have played it the same way whether [Duchovny] came back or not." [Spoiler removed for Australian fans] Perhaps the alternative-ending rumors stem from the producers' clandestine high jinks: [Spoiler removed for Australian fans] "The last page of the script was never published," says Spotnitz. "That was a secret we were trying to hold as long as possible."

[Spoilers removed for Australian fans]

Men in Black

Who will fill Mulder's flat-footed shoes? Exec producer Chris Carter will only say he wants a "very, very good actor," famous or not. Carter chuckled at our first suggestion - Martial Law's Sammo Hung.

Here, some other deputy Duchovnys to ponder:

ERIC CLOSE

UPSIDE The foxy star of the now-canceled Now and Again has the brawny charm to lighten Scully up.
DOWNSIDE We might not care if Mulder ever came back.

NICHOLAS LEA

UPSIDE The man behind Krycek- Cancer Man's former henchman - is a fan favorite to replace Duchovny.
DOWNSIDE He's *much* more fun as a villain.

RALPH FIENNES

UPSIDE Britain's smoldering Shakespearean is certainly a "very very good actor."
DOWNSIDE Probably doesn't need the work.

KYLE MACLACHLAN

UPSIDE Carter says he's actually talked to the Twin Peaks G-man over the years and would "like to find a way to work him in."
DOWNSIDE Remember Showgirls?

GARRY SHANDLING

UPSIDE [Spoiler removed for Australian fans]
DOWNSIDE Teamwork isn't his thing (see Hank Kingsley from The Larry Sanders Show).

CARTMAN

UPSIDE The foul-mouthed South Park tot has experience with alien anal probes.
DOWNSIDE Way too animated for The X-Files.

CARTER REVEALS NEW IDEAS FOR "X-FILES" NEXT SEASON

By Ian Spelling

After weeks of intense intrigue and even fading hopes, Fox finally announced that "The X-Files" will return for an eighth season in the fall. And so, too, will series creator Chris Carter and stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. However, Duchovny signed on for only 11 episodes, or half a season.

"I know "The X-Files' is a show that still has plenty of mileage left on it," Carter says by telephone from his production office in Los Angeles. "There are lots of stories to tell.

"What you don't want to do is go forward with people who are uninterested in doing the work. I wanted to make sure that, if we went forward, everybody was excited about continuing to do good work, that it wasn't just a payday and a trip to the bank.''

Carter and company were prepared, albeit reluctantly, to carry on without Duchovny. The actor's compromise deal - which also settles his acrimonious lawsuit with Fox over syndication revenues - creates both challenges and opportunities.

"I think it will certainly throw an emphasis on Scully," Carter says, referring to Anderson's character. "I think we'll get to explore the paranormal in a way we haven't before. [Spoiler removed for Australian fans]

"I think we're going to look at mythological and perhaps fantasy and magic realism in ways we hadn't really explored before. There are other areas I think the show can expand into beautifully.''

Even as he was fighting for the future of "The X-Files," Carter was looking to its past - literally. Carter spent a great deal of time readying all 24 first-season episodes of "The X-Files" for release on DVD.

Just now in stores (in the US) from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, "The X-Files" Season One DVD Gift Pack sells for $149.98 and features seven disks that serve up the series pilot and all subsequent freshman year episodes, as well as Carter interviews, episode teasers, "Behind the Truth" segments, deleted footage and an 11-minute documentary dubbed "The Truth About Season One.''

"We've been such sticklers for quality and the thing I'm happy about is that the effort and the attention to detail are now rewarded because we've got a format that lets us really showcase all that hard work," Carter says. "Our philosophy was, "We're making a little movie each week.'''

Carter describes screening the old episodes again as a "walk down Memory Lane." As for the best stops along the way, he picks "Beyond the Sea," "Deep Throat," "The Erlenmeyer Flask," "Squeeze," "Darkness Falls" and "Miracle Man.''

Two other top-notch episodes from the first season are "Tooms," a classic creepfest that introduced Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), and "E.B.E.," a conspiracy episode that marked the arrival of that intrepid trio of paranoids, the Lone Gunmen (Tom Braidwood, Bruce Hardwood and Dean Haglund). Come the fall, Carter and Fox will unleash the boys in their very own spin-off series entitled - what else? - "The Lone Gunmen," with the pilot directed by "X-Files" veteran Rob Bowman.

"We had done episodes devoted to them and they were all successful," Carter says. "They were fun to do. This was a chance to take our enthusiasm and turn it into another storytelling vehicle.

"I think it's going to be very different from "The X-Files.' It will be kooky and fun. It's a chance to develop (the characters of) three completely unlikely heroes who are kind of postmodern nerds. Something I think people are very familiar with now, in this age of technology.''

Carter intends to be "super-involved" in the day-to-day production of "The Lone Gunmen," which will film in Vancouver, British Columbia, while also overseeing "The X-Files" in Los Angeles and prepping the script for "The World of Ted Serios," a film he'll direct. Sometimes, admits Carter - who also pulled double and triple duty in recent years by guiding "The X-Files" feature and the quickly axed series "Harsh Realm" - he wishes there were two of him. "I tease people that I'm like a chicken," he says, laughing. "There's no part of me they don't use.''

Provided by Margaret.