An animated “X-Files” comedy series spinoff is in the works at Fox, Variety has confirmed.
The project is currently titled “The X-Files: Albuquerque.” It has received a script and presentation commitment at the broadcaster. The show would revolve around an office full of misfit agents who investigate X-Files cases too wacky, ridiculous or downright dopey for Mulder and Scully to bother with. They’re basically the X-Files’ B-team.
“X-Files” creator Chris Carter is attached to executive produce the project, with Rocky Russo and Jeremy Sosenko attached to write and executive produce. Gabe Rotter, who worked on the “X-Files” revival at Fox, will also executive produce. 20th Television and Fox Entertainment will produce. Bento Box will provide animation. Neither Gillian Anderson or David Duchovny is involved with the project at this time.
The original “X-Files” ran for nine seasons on Fox and inspired two feature films, during which time Duchovny and Anderson played Special Agents Mulder and Scully in a one-off appearance on Fox’s animated cornerstone “The Simpsons.” Fox then revived the series for a six-episode tenth season in 2016 to great acclaim, with the eleventh season then airing on 2018. Anderson indicated after that season that she had no plans to ever again reprise the role of Scully.
Russo and Sosenko previously collaborated on the feature “Movie 43” as well as shows like “Brickleberry” at Comedy Central and “Paradise PD” at Netflix. They are repped by Verve, Haven Entertainment, and Hansen Jacobson.
Should the project move forward it would not be Fox’s first attempt at a supernatural comedy series in recent years. The network previously aired the comedy “Ghosted” starring Adam Scott and Craig Robinson during the 2017-2018 season. That show focused on a mall cop and a former Stanford professor investigating paranormal activities in Los Angeles for a shadowy government organization.
This would also not be the first attempt at doing an animated comedy derived from a live-action drama universe. CBS All Access recently launched “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” an animated comedy series about the lowest ranking members of one of Starfleet’s least important ships.
TV Line first reported the development news.