Chris Carter

Writer/ Show Creator
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About
About this interview

In his nearly two-and-a-half-hour Archive interview, Chris Carter talks in-depth about his series The X-Files and Millennium. John Dalton conducted the interview in Malibu, CA on June 24, 2010.

"I hope that we had an impact on the quality of television. I hope that if people talk about a golden age of television in the 90's that we were a part of it. I don't know what ("The X-Files"') ultimate influence will be, but I just hope it plays forever."

People Talking About ...
Chris Carter
Highlights
Chris Carter on the premise of the X-Files, "I Want to believe"; his thoughts on area abduction
Chris Carter on casting X-Files; Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny
Chris Carter on the character's motivation in the first season of X-Files; the romance, the themes and goals
Chris Carter on what TV shows influenced him as a kid
Chris Carter on casting David Duchovny as Mulder on X-Files; David Duchovny as Agent Mulder
Chris Carter on pitching X-Files to Fox executives; reaction to the pilot
Full Interview

Chapter 1
On his childhood, family life, early influences
On when he first began writing; his first professional journalism job; getting noticed by Jeffrey Katzenberg; working at Disney, meeting Jeffrey Katzenberg
On his first producing job on Rags to Riches; on Disney Sunday Movies, Brand New Life, leaving Disney for 20th century Fox
On how the X-Files  came about; the basis for the characters; pitching the show to Fox; reaction to the pilot; casting the show with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
On the premise of the X-Files   pilot and filming it; audience reaction to the debut; specific storylines and characters; Mulder's shooting; rules and parameters on the show; on the Season 1 finale

Chapter 2
On what made the X-Files  scary; on the writing staff
On the X-Files'  theme of government conspiracy; on specific plotlines in Season 1 and 2; on the cigarette smoking man; The Lone Gunmen
On the mythology of the X-Files; on its legacy; on visual effects and loyal audience following

Chapter 3
On the legacy of X-Files; on the X-Files movie 
On Millenium; Lance Henricksen; The Lone Gunmen spinoff
On the future of television; fame; current projects; advice to aspiring writers and producers
Shows

X-Files, The

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Chris Carter describes coming up with X-Files  characters Mulder and Scully; the origin of their names
Chris Carter on the premise of the X-Files, "I Want to believe"; his thoughts on area abduction
Chris Carter on pitching X-Files to Fox executives; reaction to the pilot
Chris Carter on casting X-Files; Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny
Chris Carter on the filming the pilot of the X-Files; audience reaction to the debut; the mythology arc
Chris Carter on the X-Files main theme and title
Chris Carter on the character's motivation in the first season of X-Files; the romance, the themes and goals
Chris Carter on Mulder's shooting on X-Files; the family relationships; coming up with story ideas
Chris Carter on the X-Files' core audience
Chris Carter on the X-Files Season 1 finale
Chris Carter on the X-Files' cigarette smoking man, Deep Throat, and the Lone Gunman
Chris Carter on the X-Files' Post-modern Prometheus episode
Chris Carter on David Duchovny's leaving X-files and the season 7 finale and the season 7 finale
Topics

9/11

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Chris Carter on how 9/11 affected the X-Files
Professions

Show Creators

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Chris Carter on the character's motivation in the first season of X-Files; the romance, themes, and goals; the romance, the themes and goals
Chris Carter on keeping track of the story arc on X-Files
People

Gillian Anderson

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Chris Carter on casting X-Files with Gillian Anderson as Agent Scully; Gillian Anderson as Agent Scully

David Duchovny

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Chris Carter on casting David Duchovny as Mulder on X-Files; David Duchovny as Agent Mulder
Chris Carter on David Duchovny's leaving X-Files and the season 7 finale

Jeffrey Katzenberg

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Chris Carter on getting his screenplay noticed by Jeffrey Katzenberg

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