X-Files Spinoff Of Iconic Crossover Episode Pitched By Revival Series Star

by

X-Files alum Robbie Amell pitches a return to one of the show’s iconic episodes.

Hulu is developing a potential reboot of The X-Files with Ryan Coogler, the Academy Award-winning director. The project is still in the early stages – just a pilot episode is planned so far. If the pilot is successful, Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel will play two FBI agents investigating strange, unexplained events within a previously closed-down division of the bureau.

Beyond the popularity of the original and director Ryan Coogler’s involvement, the project is gaining attention because its core idea allows for a wide variety of different stories each week. This is evident in a recent interview with Robbie, conducted by Tatiana Hullender of ScreenRant for Pluto TV’s The Fan Is Out There contest.

When asked about his favorite X-Files episode, the actor – who played Agent Miller in the show’s later seasons – highlighted the pilot. He also recommended the season 4 episode “Home” for those who enjoy a more unsettling story. But he spent most of his answer discussing “X-Cops,” a unique episode from season 7 that crossed over with the reality TV show Cops. Here’s what he had to say:

Robbie Amell really recommends starting with the first episode of the show. If you’re in the mood for something a bit different, he suggests checking out “Home,” which briefly disappeared from television. He’s a big fan of the episode “X-Cops” – a fun combination of “The X-Files” and the reality show “Cops” – noting that you can tell David Duchovny was having a great time filming it. He’d love to see an entire series based on that concept and thinks he should pitch the idea to creator Chris Carter. He believes “X-Cops” has a lot of potential!

The fact that both X-Files and Cops were broadcast on Fox helped make the crossover episode, “X-Cops,” possible. The episode was penned by Vince Gilligan, a long-time writer and producer for X-Files, who later became famous for creating Breaking Bad and the Apple TV+ series Pluribus. Gilligan, a fan of Cops, suggested the crossover to X-Files creator Chris Carter. While Carter was initially hesitant, he eventually agreed, as season 7 was wrapping up and didn’t have any crucial storylines needing resolution.

This episode features David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully teaming up with the cast and crew of the reality show Cops, many of whom actually worked on the original series. Mulder starts out believing they’re hunting a werewolf, while Scully is particularly doubtful. However, they soon discover they’re dealing with a sinister being that transforms into each victim’s greatest fear.

“X-Cops” is widely considered a standout episode of The X-Files. As actor David Amell points out, it’s particularly memorable because David Duchovny seems to genuinely crack up while playing Mulder as he interacts with a pair of unusual possible witnesses, one of whom seems to be trying to be on camera. The episode is also funny because Scully clearly doesn’t enjoy working with the Cops television crew.

I’ve been thinking about this episode a lot, and it’s such a smart move for The X-Files to shake things up. It’s actually a really early take on reality TV, and honestly, it proves the show was at its best when it just told standalone stories. It wasn’t about the big, overarching mythology all the time. If Ryan Coogler’s reboot happens on Hulu, this is exactly the kind of episode I’d love to see them draw inspiration from – that willingness to just have fun and be different!

Read More

2026-04-24 20:12