Few people have as much insight into the rise and run of "The X-Files" as Frank Spotnitz. Spotnitz joined the show as a writer in its second season and worked as a writer/producer until the Fox drama ended its nine-season run. He rose to the level of executive producer, directed episodes of the show and worked on the "X-Files" movies that were released during and after the show's run. None of it was easy. Part of the reason an obscure show that aired on Friday nights rose to such heights of popularity and influence was because Chris Carter, the show's creator and executive producer, was a d ... [Continua a leggere]
Archivio Stampa Breaking Bad
On Sept. 10, 1993, a show called "The X-Files" premiered on Fox, and just over 20 years later "Breaking Bad" will air its series finale on AMC. Those events have a lot more in common than you might think. Vince Gilligan, the creator of "Breaking Bad," got his start in television by writing for "The X-Files." He was toiling away as a film writer and living in Virginia when a meeting with "X-Files" creator Chris Carter changed his life. "I learned everything I pretty much know about TV from 'The X-Files' and from working for Chris, and from working with ['X-Files writer/producers] Fran ... [Continua a leggere]
"I prefer to stay out of money and scheduling issues, though it is to my detriment and I know that. I remember when somebody first told me that you’re now in charge of a $40 million start-up, it kind of freaked me out," he says of jobs he'd like to delegate.
From their obsessive rituals (Peppermint Patties! Oatmeal! Bruce Springsteen!) to the parts of their jobs they hate most (killing characters off, dealing with agents), TV's most influential writer-producers featured on The Hollywood Reporter's annual list of the Top 50 Showrunners come clean about the people, things and quirky habits that keep them -- and their shows -- alive. Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad (AMC) The show that inspired me to write: Gilligan: The Twilight Zone because it was so marvelously constructed. My TV mentor: Gilligan: Definitely Chris Carter, who created The X-Fil ... [Continua a leggere]
A woman weeps when she discovers the husband she thought died years ago in combat overseas is actually alive; she has mourned him and remarried. What now? A female agent weaves her way through a crowd at a political rally, desperately tracking an ex-soldier she thinks is about to open fire on government and military officials. A veteran, disillusioned with the military (which he believes betrayed him), hides in plain sight while planning a series a high-level assassinations. It sure sounds like Homeland. But those are scenes from "Unrequited," a season-four episode of The X-Files &m ... [Continua a leggere]