TV lovers had no idea how lucky they were in 1993. As Y2K crept closer, the television landscape began changing with the times, and ’93 ushered in one of the industry’s most important shows of all time: The X-Files. Starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, The X-Files locked in audiences with episode one with its thrilling sci-fi cases. But despite the show’s cult status, no other TV show has managed to capture the spark lit by The X-Files.
Of course, that isn’t due to a lack of effort. The X-Files kickstarted a sci-fi craze in the late ’90s, and the wave is still rippling through Hollywood’s top studios. A number of popular TV series managed to come close to The X-Files during their run, and we’re breaking down the seven best series that everyone thought would be the next X-Files.
Evil
David and Kristen in Evil TV show
In 2019, creators Robert and Michelle King moved from The Good Wife to another ball field with Evil. The supernatural drama earned plenty of buzz with its foreboding thrills as netizens were quick to describe the show as a “spiritual successor” to The X-Files. Evil takes TV’s procedural formula and twists it with a chilling religious angle. After all, it follows three wildly different investigators who’re brought together by the Catholic Church to investigate supernatural complaints across the nation.
Similar to The X-Files’ infamous duo, Evil focuses heavily on its dynamic protagonists. Scully’s skepticism is reflected in Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a logical forensic psychologist, while David Acosta channels Mulder’s belief in the occult. Evil takes things a step further with the addition of Ben Shakir, the center of comedic relief who grounds Evil’s clashing leads. From its exploration of demons to apocalyptic conspiracies, Evil is a show after The X-Files’ heart, so it is no wonder the series has a cult following.
Supernatural
Sam and Dean in Supernatural season 14Everett collection
The X-Files is good at many things, but its monster-of-the-week format is one of its best qualities. The procedural thriller follows agents Mulder and Scully as they track down paranormal threats each week, leaving audiences unsure of what’s to come. This episodic pacing is mirrored perfectly by Supernatural, and there’s a lot of drama to binge.
Coined the blue-collar successor to The X-Files, Supernatural takes audiences on a road trip across America to slay monsters and investigate the occult. Brothers Sam and Dean Winchester are on the hunt as part of the family business, determined to save an unaware humanity from its paranormal foes. Early seasons of Supernatural lean into The X-Files’ episodic pacing, but as the show continues, the Winchesters are ensnared in a complex plot to save the world itself. But rather than dealing with aliens, Supernatural is more concerned with the war brewing between angels and demons.
LOST
The main characters of Lost.
There is no denying The X-Files loves a good mystery. The sci-fi classic thrives on the unknown, making it the definitive mystery drama of the ’90s. In the ’00s, that lofty title was given to LOST, and the nail-biting TV show took a few pages from The X-Files as it moved forward.
Released in 2004, LOST is a high-concept drama that follows a group of survivors who land on a mysterious island following a plane crash. The group, stuck in the South Pacific Ocean, is forced to reckon with their own secrets (and sins) as a disturbing conspiracy about the island itself comes to light. Flashing between the past and future, LOST is an absolutely wild trip to watch, and its grand mythology unfolds similar to the one in The X-Files. The show’s shadowy organizations and unexplained phenomena are a clear nod to The X-Files, and LOST makes no apologies for its inspiration.
Gravity Falls
Stan hugging Mabel and Dipper in Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls may be a Disney Original, but don’t let its animated origins fool you for a second. The adventure drama brings all things supernatural and cryptic to life, after all. Set in the odd town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, the show follows siblings Mabel and Dipper as they spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan. Their summer is turned on its head when the twins realize the town is inundated with supernatural creatures, and they make it their mission to investigate.
The overall stakes in Gravity Falls are lower than what you find in The X-Files, but its drama is just as compelling. Both shows are top-notch procedurals filled with conspiracies. Enamored with the Pacific Northwest, Gravity Falls is a more colorful tribute to The X-Files with some surreal comedy thrown in. And rather than The Smoking Man, Disney gets to deal with Uncle Stan instead.
Millennium
Fox Television
If there was ever a show set to succeed The X-Files, it would be Millennium. In 1996, creator Chris Carter brought the crime drama to television as part of the canon X-Files Universe. While Scully and Mulder carry on with their own story, Millennium follows ex-FBI agent Frank Black, a man who is able to look inside the minds of criminals. Working for the mysterious Millennium Group, Frank is swept into a conspiracy of crimes involving the arrival of the year 2000, and things go off the rails quickly.
While Millennium was ultimately short-lived, the show’s creative DNA is unmistakable. Carter’s work on the series shares a fingerprint with The X-Files, and given the shows’ shared universe, this kind of bleed-through is no surprise. From its supernatural origins to its looming cabals, Millennium could have been a strong contender against The X-Files, but its limited scope restricted its potential.
Warehouse 13
Warehouse 13 Season 5 Â The team listening to Pete Lattimer talk – off screen.Â
In 2009, SyFy understandably shocked audiences when it dropped its own X-Files contender. Warehouse 13 came to the air quietly as Secret Service agents Pete and Myka are reassigned from Washington DC to South Dakota. Tasked with overseeing a top-secret storage unit, the agents are asked to hunt down ordinary objects across the nation that hold unexplained powers. From time travel to identity theft and more, the artifacts in Warehouse 13 present some wild mysteries, and they buoy a larger conspiracy for our heroes to investigate.
Warehouse 13 is a lighter jaunt than The X-Files thanks to its comedy and scale, but the show is no less entertaining. The series has everything Mulder and Scully could need, after all. From powerful organizations to historical cover-ups, Warehouse 13 plays all the same chords as The X-Files, but its casual tone doesn’t quite line up with the latter series.
Fringe
The main cast of Fringe
Created in 2008, Fringe is a paranormal masterclass. The hit TV series brings FBI Agent Olivia Dunham center stage as she’s thrust into the organization’s newly constructed Fringe Division with a ragtag group. Joined by Walter Bishop and Peter Bishop, Olivia is tasked with aiding the dysfunctional scientists in their quest to use fringe science while investigating cases for the FBI. Filled with unexplained phenomena and windows into parallel universes, Fringe is spooky to the core, and it is one hell of a tribute to The X-Files.
From the show’s investigative focus to its massive mythos, Fringe shares a number of traits with The X-Files. The Fox show is nothing but a love letter to the supernatural genre with its tight pacing. Fringe is as close to an X-Files successor as Hollywood gets, and if you watch closely, the series even drops a few clever cameos of Dana & Scully along the way.
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