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Apologies for taking us back a little bit but I sort of fell behind with the list
Absolutely delighted and quite frankly relieved to see The X-Files make the list. I didn't really know what the general feeling on the board was about the show, certainly not enough to predict a top 10 finish, so the more time that went by without it appearing I was getting very worried. The X-Files was my #1 show and nothing else even came close, not even in the same stratosphere for this long time X-phile. I have never loved a show anywhere near as much as I do The X-Files. It was so well written, so atmospheric and really was ground-breaking TV at the time. In fact a lot of the time I don't think it gets the credit it deserves as a paragon of TV drama that paved the way for intelligent, adult-orientated shows to come. For me no show has ever been able to match it when it comes to portraying so many different genres so successfully. The show could do drama, science fiction, horror, action, thriller and comedy; and it could do each of them as well as any other show could. The dramatic episodes could break your heart, the horror episodes could chill you to the bone and the comedy episodes could be as funny as any sitcom.
There were so many talented individuals that came together to craft the show. It had such an immense crew of directors and writers who contributed to the quality over its 9 years - Rob Bowman, Kim Manners, Frank Spotnitz, David Nutter, Vince Gilligan, Darin and Glen Morgan, James Wong etc. Not even to mention the man who created it all, Chris Carter. And I have to single out Mark Snow for special praise. He did all the music for the show across all nine seasons and did so much to create the tone of the show with several haunting and beautiful recurring themes, as well as my favourite theme tune of all time.
However more than anyone else the individuals who I feel deserve most of the credit are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. They were both absolutely fantastic and iconic in the roles, and together their chemistry was just spectacular. I just wish I had been on the internet and part of the X-Files community while the show was actually on. It was the first to really create the internet fandom and I wish I could have been a part of that and the whole shipping thing. It also had a great supporting cast of characters and actors - Cigarette Smoking Man, Krycek, the Lone Gunmen, Deep Throat, Skinner, Mr X etc. And loads of brilliant guest stars and familiar faces - Brad Douriff, Peter Boyle, CCH Pounder, Nick Chinlund, Bryan Cranston, Bruce Campbell, Steve Railsback, Doug Hutchison, Luke Wilson, Tony Shalhoub, Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner etc. There were also lots of future stars who appeared fairly early in their career which is fun to spot when you watch back though the episodes - Felicity Huffman, Jack Black, Giovanni Ribissi, Ryan Reynolds, Lucy Liu, Seth Green, Shia LaBeouf, Jewel Staite, Octavia Spencer, Laurie Holden, Aaron Paul, Jane Lynch etc.
While it would go on to become my favourite ever show it didn't actually have the most auspicious of beginnings as far as I was concerned. The first episode I ever saw could have been my last. Back when I was about 9 years old I was in my room flicking through the channels and stumbled across the show. I knew about it because my mum was a big fan but I'd never seen anything up until then. Well that episode just happened to be "Home". As any X-Files fan will probably know that was by far the show's darkest, most disturbing episode and just by general TV standards it was very controversial at the time. I don't think I saw much but what I did see was enough to leave me suitably freaked. The three inbred brothers at the centre of the episode in particular terrified me, and for the next few months I had nightmares about them and when I was lying in bed I would imagine their three heads appearing around my door. So that was me done with the X-Files for at least another 2 or 3 years when I tried it again and never looked back.
Trying to choose my favourite episodes the way Camo did for South Park would be incredibly difficult, there are just so many. Maybe I should make a whole thread dedicated towards it.
The first 4 or 5 seasons are definitely the best I'd say. The first season or two are a little rough at times with some trashy ideas and plots but great fun. After that the show seemed to gain great confidence to strive out into other avenues and genres, particularly comedy. Seasons 6 and 7 may not be the 'best' but are probably amongst my favourite seasons because they were so much fun with lots of classic comedy episodes and high concept plots - The Unnatural, Dreamland, Triangle, Arcadia, Monday, Hollywood AD, Je Souhaite etc. And yes the last two seasons may have been a drastic drop in quality but on reflection I don't think they are generally as bad as people seem to think.
I could go on and on and talk about the show for ages but I'll leave it there. One thing I would like to say however is to send out a thank you to my mum. As I mentioned it was her that really introduced me to the X-Files and that's been the case with many of my favourite ever shows - Buffy, Star Trek; Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Stargate etc. They weren't exactly hidden gems and I'd probably have discovered most of them on my own in time but the fact still remains that it was her that introduced me to them. So thanks mum.
Absolutely delighted and quite frankly relieved to see The X-Files make the list. I didn't really know what the general feeling on the board was about the show, certainly not enough to predict a top 10 finish, so the more time that went by without it appearing I was getting very worried. The X-Files was my #1 show and nothing else even came close, not even in the same stratosphere for this long time X-phile. I have never loved a show anywhere near as much as I do The X-Files. It was so well written, so atmospheric and really was ground-breaking TV at the time. In fact a lot of the time I don't think it gets the credit it deserves as a paragon of TV drama that paved the way for intelligent, adult-orientated shows to come. For me no show has ever been able to match it when it comes to portraying so many different genres so successfully. The show could do drama, science fiction, horror, action, thriller and comedy; and it could do each of them as well as any other show could. The dramatic episodes could break your heart, the horror episodes could chill you to the bone and the comedy episodes could be as funny as any sitcom.
There were so many talented individuals that came together to craft the show. It had such an immense crew of directors and writers who contributed to the quality over its 9 years - Rob Bowman, Kim Manners, Frank Spotnitz, David Nutter, Vince Gilligan, Darin and Glen Morgan, James Wong etc. Not even to mention the man who created it all, Chris Carter. And I have to single out Mark Snow for special praise. He did all the music for the show across all nine seasons and did so much to create the tone of the show with several haunting and beautiful recurring themes, as well as my favourite theme tune of all time.
However more than anyone else the individuals who I feel deserve most of the credit are David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. They were both absolutely fantastic and iconic in the roles, and together their chemistry was just spectacular. I just wish I had been on the internet and part of the X-Files community while the show was actually on. It was the first to really create the internet fandom and I wish I could have been a part of that and the whole shipping thing. It also had a great supporting cast of characters and actors - Cigarette Smoking Man, Krycek, the Lone Gunmen, Deep Throat, Skinner, Mr X etc. And loads of brilliant guest stars and familiar faces - Brad Douriff, Peter Boyle, CCH Pounder, Nick Chinlund, Bryan Cranston, Bruce Campbell, Steve Railsback, Doug Hutchison, Luke Wilson, Tony Shalhoub, Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner etc. There were also lots of future stars who appeared fairly early in their career which is fun to spot when you watch back though the episodes - Felicity Huffman, Jack Black, Giovanni Ribissi, Ryan Reynolds, Lucy Liu, Seth Green, Shia LaBeouf, Jewel Staite, Octavia Spencer, Laurie Holden, Aaron Paul, Jane Lynch etc.
While it would go on to become my favourite ever show it didn't actually have the most auspicious of beginnings as far as I was concerned. The first episode I ever saw could have been my last. Back when I was about 9 years old I was in my room flicking through the channels and stumbled across the show. I knew about it because my mum was a big fan but I'd never seen anything up until then. Well that episode just happened to be "Home". As any X-Files fan will probably know that was by far the show's darkest, most disturbing episode and just by general TV standards it was very controversial at the time. I don't think I saw much but what I did see was enough to leave me suitably freaked. The three inbred brothers at the centre of the episode in particular terrified me, and for the next few months I had nightmares about them and when I was lying in bed I would imagine their three heads appearing around my door. So that was me done with the X-Files for at least another 2 or 3 years when I tried it again and never looked back.
Trying to choose my favourite episodes the way Camo did for South Park would be incredibly difficult, there are just so many. Maybe I should make a whole thread dedicated towards it.
The first 4 or 5 seasons are definitely the best I'd say. The first season or two are a little rough at times with some trashy ideas and plots but great fun. After that the show seemed to gain great confidence to strive out into other avenues and genres, particularly comedy. Seasons 6 and 7 may not be the 'best' but are probably amongst my favourite seasons because they were so much fun with lots of classic comedy episodes and high concept plots - The Unnatural, Dreamland, Triangle, Arcadia, Monday, Hollywood AD, Je Souhaite etc. And yes the last two seasons may have been a drastic drop in quality but on reflection I don't think they are generally as bad as people seem to think.I could go on and on and talk about the show for ages but I'll leave it there. One thing I would like to say however is to send out a thank you to my mum. As I mentioned it was her that really introduced me to the X-Files and that's been the case with many of my favourite ever shows - Buffy, Star Trek; Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Stargate etc. They weren't exactly hidden gems and I'd probably have discovered most of them on my own in time but the fact still remains that it was her that introduced me to them. So thanks mum.
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JayDee's Movie Musings (Reviews - Frailty / Total Recall / Lone Ranger / Nightcrawler / Whiplash / Imitation Game / Birdman / Avengers: Age of Ultron / Mad Max: Fury Road)
I've seen it. It's great. Didn't even make my list. 
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