Cool. I didn't watch much TV during the 90s because of my work schedule and my marriage. Both of those situations have changed however. I got a Roku and pay the 8 bucks a month for Netflix now.

So I got the chance to check out The X-Files finally. The nice thing with Netflix is that you can binge watch the whole first 9 seasons (presently) with no commercials. Before long they will add season 10 I imagine. And whenever the show reaches it's final finale they will have the whole thing available.

I thought the pilot was really good. The show was more slow moving than a lot of the Hollywood productions. I found out that the first 5 seasons were filmed in Canada. Many fans think the show changed for the worse when filming moved to Los Angeles after that. I didn't think there was such a big difference though.

The show was a hit for a lot of reasons I think. It tapped into the enduring fascination many people have with the subject of UFOs, the supernatural, and related mysteries. Fox Mulder's office poster says "I Want To Believe". I think that sums up the issue for a great many people. Yet we also want proof, we are skeptical, we want answers and won't accept UFO stories on blind faith. Like Dana Scully, the public wants to see scientific evidence to support and validate the stories of witnesses to UFOs.

The show didn't fit neatly in many conventional Hollywood production categories. Some episodes were "monster of the week" products which didn't contribute to the overarching mythology which slowly developed about a conspiracy of powerful people to cooperate with an alien race set on colonization of the Earth. Several of them were actually a blend of comedy, un-scary monsters, and a teasing look at the attraction between Mulder and Scully. But there was a backbone of episodes which slowly developed the overarching alien conspiracy mythology, the long arc of the show.

It wasn't the first or only show to mix it up this way. But that is one of the ways the show established itself as independent and different to more familiar Hollywood fare. I think that was part of the appeal as well.

Mulder and Scully are both good looking characters as well. Duchovny has a natural wit which comes through in Mulder, even though his character is generally a bit subdued compared to many of the other roles he has played.

We don't have Comcast up here. Specter bought out Time Warner, at least in this region, and their "on demand" feature is poorly lacking in quality and content.