‘The X Files’: The show’s return is ‘not a victory lap’

“The X Files,” Fox’s groundbreaking series about the mysterious and the unexplained, is coming back for a new slate of six episodes Jan. 24, with creator Chris Carter and original stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on board.

Although fan fever for the drama hasn’t died since it went off the air 13 years ago, Carter warned that the new shows will not be a trip down memory lane.

“This is an opportunity to make good on the promise” of the show,” Carter told reporters at the Television Critics Assn. press tour. “We’ve got fresh new material. This is not a victory lap. We’re going to show people that there is new life in this show.”

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The six episodes will range from installments rooted in the mythology of the series, which involves the investigations by former FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, and stand-alone installments featuring more humorous elements and strange creatures.

Carter said the variation of tone fits the flavor of the series, which always moved from one perspective to another week by week.

The two stars seemed equally excited to be reunited on the series. Anderson said that although she was determined to move beyond the series by engaging in a range of projects, she called “The X Files” “a gift.”

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