I was always a big fan of the show. I loved the stories, they were really well done. They had fantastic writers, and a nice mix of the suspense and the mystery and the scary stuff. But also, they had great characters. You came to feel like they were part of your family. Plus, there was a clever bit of humour thrown in every now and then. I really appreciate good science fiction and programs that not only have good stories but make a point of getting the science part of it correct. The attention to detail carries over into the whole production. It’s not just getting the science right, it’s also making sure things look right, the characters are genuine, and the stories are good. So it’s all part of the same package that makes a show enjoyable.
A woman in science: One of the key things for me was the really strong female character who was a medical doctor. That so rarely happened, certainly in the 90s, where a female character in a series had such a key role and was a role model for young women who might consider getting into a medical or a science career. (Still holds true in 2016!).
I met Anne Simon, PhD, a virologist (Read: Meet the Scientist behind the return of the X-Files) about 15 years ago. Anne happens to be a family friend of Chris Carter, The X-Files producer. Since the series began, Chris often turned to Anne when a science advisor was needed. Sometimes she’d reach out to me when there were questions more on the medical side rather than pure science. During the filming of the final season, years ago, Anne and I got invited out to LA to visit the set. The episode being filmed was directed by Vince Gilligan (who you may know as the producer of Breaking Bad). They sent me into the morgue/autopsy room set to see if everything looked okay. I went in and fixed the x-rays that were up backwards, and mentioned that they were putting the bodies wrong way around on the autopsy table. But all in all, they had everything set up very nicely. It was during that visit that I got to know Chris Carter. We remained in contact over the years. When they got word from FOX that season 10 was go, he got in touch with Anne and me and asked us to help think up some “cool science” that could be used in the show.
HISTORY
2024-08-23 06:53:39 - Pike:
Added some trivia.
2024-08-23 06:51:04 - Pike:
Updated the portrait.
2024-08-23 06:50:04 - Pike:
Added a portrait.
