Among The X-Files' many impressive attributes is that it took a premise that would normally be considered niche and presented it to a mainstream audience. A few years prior to its premiere, David Lynch's mystery horror soap opera Twin Peaks had weirded out and confused a very dedicated cult following. It would be natural to assume that The X-Files would have that same audience — and it did, but it somehow also managed to snag viewers who might not have previously been into science-fiction programming. Upon first airing, Entertainment Weekly dubbed the show "a goner," but only a short five years later came around to admit that it was the "wittiest, creepiest sci-fi show of all time."

The X-Files ran for nine seasons initially, and then produced two revival seasons starting in 2016 to mixed reviews. There were also two big-screen outings, 1998's Fight the Future and 2008's I Want to Believe. What was the appeal here that kept viewers coming back for more? Though it presented strange concepts and ideas, the show wrapped its weirdness in a familiar package. Ostensibly, The X-Files is a cop drama, just with a chupacabra or two sprinkled in for good measure. And Duchovny and Anderson (despite frequent speculation about their ability to get along behind the scenes) had an electric on-screen presence that drew audiences into their orbit every week. Since then, we've seen genre series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and even the rebooted Doctor Who have become hits in their own right for similar reasons.