David Farnor | On 27, Jan 2016

The new series of The X-Files will air in the UK from 8th February, Channel 5 has confirmed.

The revival of Fox’s classic 1990s sci-fi reunites David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully over 20 years after their first arrived on our TV screens.

The limited six-episode run began in the US at the weekend, but Channel 5 had only previously promised to bring the show to British shores in “early February”. A string of cryptic tweets from the channel only served to annoy fans on Twitter, who demanded to know when they would be able to watch the show legally.

Now, the broadcaster has confirmed that it will begin screening the series at 9pm on Monday 8th February.

While the show’s mythology will continue in the new series, with William B Davis also returning as Cigarette Smoking Man and creator Chris Carter on writing and directing duties alongside a team of other show veterans, some episodes will also feature standalone stories. Guest stars for the new run include Joel McHale (Community), Robbie Amell (The Flash), Annabeth Gish (The Bridge) and Flight of the Conchords’ Rhys Darby.

A new teaser trailer was released by Channel 5 alongside the news of the air date

A brand new series of The X-Files begins on Channel 5 Monday 8th February at 9pm. #TheXFiles https://t.co/wR7w8PaPP4

— Channel 5 (@channel5_tv) January 27, 2016

It follows the release of the opening minute of the first episode, which is designed to get newcomers up to speed with the series:

The delay, though, does mean that those who missed the show in the 1990s now have the chance to catch up with the previous nine seasons – not least because Amazon has snapped up the rights to all of them for its Prime Video service (£5.99 a month). A selection of 20 “essential” episodes are also available to watch on Demand 5 for free.

What episodes should you watch to catch up with The X-Files? And will they actually help? Read our first-timer’s guide to the show.

 
Main photo: © 2016 Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved

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