Chris Carter

Writer-producer-director Chris Carter was responsible not only for one of the biggest cult television hits of all time, but for also reviving the UFO phenomenon in popular culture. Carter gained early experience with Disney Studios scripting family friendly telefilms like "The B.R.A.T. Patrol" (ABC, 1986) and producing such projects as the short-lived sitcom "A Brand New Life" (NBC, 1989-1990). When given the chance to develop a series of his own, Carter combined his love of supernatural-suspense programs from a bygone era with a deeply ingrained distrust in authority to create "The X-Files" (Fox, 1993-2002). The exploits of two ideologically-opposed F.B.I. agents investigating the paranormal, it became an overnight cultural phenomenon and made stars of leads David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson. Armed with his newfound Hollywood clout, Carter later spun-off a second series, "Millennium" (Fox, 1996-99), a doomsday-themed thriller that, while critically praised, struggled. A successful feature film adaptation of "The X Files" (1998) temporarily improved his fortunes, although further series efforts like the short-lived "Harsh Realm" (Fox, 1999; FX, 2000) and "The Lone Gunmen" (Fox, 2001) found Carter struggling to move beyond "X Files" territory. With his feature film directorial debut, Carter attempted to recapture former glory, however, the critically maligned "The X Files: I Want to Believe" (2008) proved to be yet another misfire in a string of recent disappointments. Nonetheless, Carter's work on "The X Files" forever placed him in the upper-echelon of genre purveyors in the eyes of grateful fans.