The X-Files type TV Show network Fox genre Mystery

Ever since Fox announced that it was bringing back The X-Files, fans have been wondering what would be in store for the show’s return. Would the six-episode season (kicking off Jan. 24) center on the show’s mythology of alien conspiracy and abduction or focus more on the stand-alone monster of the week formula we saw when the drama first hit the air back in 1993?

Well, now the truth about The X-Files reboot is out there thanks to star David Duchovny, or at least what he senses is the truth (these things are always a bit murky). Duchovny stopped by Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105) this week and told Jessica Shaw and yours truly what he knew about what to expect. While he has only read one script so far, he provided a good handle on what fans should expect as a whole.

“I know there are only six [episodes] so there’s going to be a mixture of stand alones—what we always called monster of the week episodes—and the mythology,” said Duchovny. “Which is basically what this series always was, which is a mix of those things, and even in this limited version there’s going to be that mix. How many mythology shows? I don’t know. I imagine two or three, but I’m really just speculating—I don’t know. I think we are going to continue on with the mythology as it was, but obviously this is new and we’re going to try and teach an old dog new tricks too so we’ll see. I’m the old dog.”

So it appears that like with the show in its heyday, we will be getting a mix of both storytelling formats. Duchovny also expanded upon why he agreed to play Fox Mulder again on television. “I think when I left a long time ago I would have said never again because I had had enough, and the nature of network television was you had to do 22 episodes. It was your life. It was your career if you do a show like that. So I would have predicted there is no way I’ll do it on television again like that. And also there was a certain amount of ‘I’ll show that I’m not just this guy’ or whatever—a certain type of fear of being typecast or whatever, or other people’s voices in my head [going] ‘Is this all you can do?’” But now I don’t feel that way anymore. I’m satisfied with what’ve done since. And all I have left is really just love and appreciation and respect for the show and for the people—for Gillian [Anderson] and Chris [Carter].”

Duchovny was also very candid about his feelings regarding his connection to the franchise, including an acceptance of its place in his legacy. “It’s just fun to be able to go back and do it. I don’t have any of those [other] feelings now. I acknowledge I will never ever do anything again that is going to be as big as The X-Files because they just don’t happen. It’s like a thing—it’s a cultural thing. Even if I have a big success, it’s not going to be like that. It just can’t. I don’t think the world is unified enough anymore to have something as big as that happen. There’s like four or five things going on at once. So I’m peace with that. How greedy do I have to be to have another thing like that? I don’t. I’m happy to have been involved in something like that, so I acknowledge that and I know that my obituary will lead with The X-Files. So that’s just the way it geos and that’s fine. If my obit has to lead with something, I’m fine with that.”

You can hear this portion of the Duchovny’s interview for yourself by clicking on the SoundCloud clip below.