Fans have been anxiously anticipating the return of The X-Files even since it was announced six months ago. While we are preparing ourselves for this new limited series to bring a lot of changes to our favorite FBI pair - it has been a long time, after all - we’ve now learned that that when the first episode begins, it’s going to feel like nothing’s changed, as the opening credits are exactly the same.
The first episode of the new series was recently screened at the MIPCON television trade fair, and according to THR, the audience's loudest applause came as soon as the episode opened and they saw that the original opening credit sequence had remained intact. Series creator Chris Carter says he just couldn’t bring himself to make any revisions.
We thought about doing some changes to the original credits, but then it seemed like sacrilege. Those credits were on 202 episodes. They belong on these next six.
The opening theme music is arguably the single most iconic aspect of the original series. The haunting melody has become such a part of pop culture that even those not intimately familiar with the Cigarette Smoking Man would recognize it. While everybody probably expected the opening to be similar, probably with a new version of the theme music, the fact that the opening is exactly the same is likely a good omen for fans hoping for more of the X-Files they knew and loved. We’d guess that Mulder and Scully’s FBI ID photos have probably been updated though. It has been over 10 years, and Mulder doesn't seem like FBI material these days.
In addition to the same credits, we will be seeing several of the same characters that we remember during the show’s original 1993-2002 run. Mulder and Scully’s relationship status is also being reset to where it was the last time they were on television. Some new actors have been added to the show, but it’s become clear that while the series is being brought into the modern era, the goal is recapture the magic of the past that made the series a hit the first time around. Having said that, the episodes will go in new directions as they are not looking to revisit any of the classic stories. This should not be too big a problem, since the great episodes were new once, too.
We all still have to wait for January to get our look at the new series. But hey, the holidays are coming; you’re going to get busy and it’s going to be the new year before you know it. And now you know exactly what to listen for to know one of your favorite shows is back.
