Shows to Watch if You Like The X-Files

With the 1990’s came a new golden age of genre television rarely seen before. The airwaves were dominated by successes like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the return of Star Trek to TV screens. But in 1993 a show came which perfectly tapped into the zeitgeist of the era as mistrust in the government was commonplace and we all believed the truth was out there. I am of course talking about the X-Files created by Chris Carter. Each week we watched Agents Mulder and Scully investigate the unknown and deal with the undeniably sparkling chemistry between them. While the show pressed on for years giving us plenty of episodes as well as a revival series and spin-offs you may want to see what other shows are out there with that spooky X-Files vibe so here are some shows you can check out if you like the X-Files.

Kolchak the Night Stalker: Known for achieving the popularity and acclaim nowadays that eluded this series when it originally aired, Kolchak was a major inspiration on X-Files creator Chris Carter. Starring Darren McGavin as tenacious Chicago reporter Carl Kolchak who, despite the disapproval of his editor, would rather cover stories of the strange and scary than any normal beat. Armed only with his wits, a camera, tape recorder, and his trusty Ford Mustang, Kolchak has to contend with vampires, zombies, werewolves, and even a resurrected Jack the Ripper. As a tribute to this short-lived but influential horror series, McGavin was given the role of Agent Arthur Dales the “father of the X-Files”.

FreakyLinks: While this underrated series only lasted half a season it was enough to build a bit of a cult following. By the year 2000 the internet had solidified itself as a part of life and Gregg Hale, the producer of the Blair Witch Project, and a young David Goyer sought to take advantage of that to terrify TV viewers. After his twin brother’s death, Derek Barnes alongside his friends Lan, Jason, and his brother’s fiancé Chloe takeover his cyber brainchild FreakyLinks.com. This site is devoted to investigating the paranormal sending the gang around the country to find the truth behind various urban legends and conspiracy theories. Running throughout the series is a mystery revolving around Derek’s brother not being as dead as everyone thought.

Torchwood: Spinning off from another classic sci-fi series, Torchwood definitely carried an X-Files vibe. This Cardiff-based show gave viewers plenty of black-ops extraterrestrial action investigated by an agency charged with sexual chemistry (even if they took things much farther than the traditional “will they, won’t they” of Mulder and Scully). This allows for a darker and more mature look into the Whoinverse than is normally seen, hitting its pinnacle with the incredible third season arc Torchwood: Children of Earth. Following the BBC/Starz co-produced fourth season the Torchwood Institute seems to have been forgotten about, but with creator Russell T Davies back at the helm of the TARDIS could a return in some form be far behind?

The Twilight Zone: Submitted for your approval, a collection of tales from the fifth dimension which serve as the founding television bedrock that all scary and cerebral science fiction has been built on. With each episode Rod Serling introduces viewers to something strange, terrifying, thought-provoking or a combination thereof, but ultimately each episode resonates with a recognizable humanity. In the decades since the Twilight Zone has served as one of the most influential shows ever produced with episodes like Nightmare at 20000 Feet and Time Enough at Last being iconic moments of television.

Fringe: Dr. Walter Bishop may be viewed as a mad scientist by the world but his knowledge of fringe science could be key to saving the world. This is why FBI Agent Olivia Dunham and Dr. Bishop’s resourceful son Peter are joined up with the scientist as the threat from a parallel world only seems to be growing. Fringe did an excellent job taking wild sci-fi concepts and grounding them in a sense of realism.

Friday the 13th: The Series: If you’re looking for machete wielding guys in hockey masks look elsewhere as this deceptively named series focuses on two cousins who have inherited a cursed antique store. It is not longer after Micki and Ryan takeover that they learn from occultist Jack Marshak that the items of this shop are cursed. With each episode the trio has to track down the different objects sold from this store and stop the evil they carry.

Twin Peaks: In the small town of Twin Peaks in the Pacific Northwest, the murder of Laura Palmer draws the attention of eccentric FBI Agent Dale Cooper. While enjoying damn good coffee and carrying on his investigation, Cooper discovers that this is a far more complicated crime than it appears on the surface. The brainchild of David Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks is a town filled with eccentric citizens, many of whom are carrying on secrets, and a supernatural evil based around the ominous Black Lodge. While the original series ended with a dud rather than a bang thanks to network suits, Lynch has been able to carry on his saga thanks to a film and a recent revival.

Gravity Falls: For an entire summer, twin sibling Dipper and Mabel are sent to live with their curmudgeonly grifter Gruncle Stan owner of the Mystery Shack in Gravity Falls. It does not take long before the twins discover there is a host a strangeness in this new town from gnomes to ghostly convivence store owners to lake monsters and more. Guiding them through this is a mysterious book chronicling the paranormal activity in this Pacific Northwest town. As the summer ticks by, Dipper and Mabel have to contend with a demon known as Bill who plans on using Gravity Falls for his staging ground to unleash Hell on Earth during the Weirdmageddon. While it may have aired on the Disney Channel, Gravity Falls is not some cutesie children’s show and will likely surprise newcomers with its blend of smart humor and storylines with dark subject material.