When The X-Files premiered on the Fox network in the fall of 1993, no one predicted the degree of success that the show would eventually enjoy. After all, dramas in the fantasy and science fiction genres had not done well on TV for a decade (the Star Trek spin-offs excepted). But there was considerable interest in UFO phenomena in America, as evidenced by news accounts of alleged alien abductions, speculations about "crop circles," and sightings of supposed alien spacecraft streaking across the skies. For some Americans, belief in UFO visitations dovetailed with their mistrust of the U.S. government, which has consistently denied any knowledge of alien encounters. Thus when the show premiered, tales of visitors from space and government conspiracies to cover up those visits might find a ready audience—and The X-Files did. It finished its first season with respectable ratings, and the second season began...