"Breaking Bad" Creator Vince Gilligan Looks Back on his "X-Files" Days - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 10-11-2011, 02:58 AM

Vince Gilligan Looks Back on "The X-Files"
10/10/2011
by Tim Appelo

What was your worst writing job?

I’ve been very lucky, really blessed. I was making a living writing movie scripts from about 1990 to ’95, then I moved out to L.A. from Virginia to get into TV, because I had a job waiting for me on the staff at "The X-Files".

I was on "The X-Files" for 7 years. That was a very close second to "Breaking Bad" as far as my favorite jobs go. Just a wonderful job on which I learned pretty much everything I know about writing for TV and producing TV.

Truly, that was my film school for learning how to do the job that I do on "Breaking Bad".

I was the first national reporter on the set of "The X-Files" and the producer said, "If only we could get the ratings of 'Unsolved Mysteries'!"

That’s what the goal was.

You know the story I remember was, the execs that ran Fox TV at the time, were betting big on "Brisco County Jr." "If it isn’t a hit, I’ll eat my desk."

And then when "The X-Files" came out, he watched it and said, “Nice try” to Chris Carter. He didn’t believe in it at all.

What did you bring to the party at "X-Files"?

I got there about two years into the show. I wrote a freelance episode for Chris Carter, and he hired me off of the strength of that. In Season 2, it was called “Soft Light,” about a particle physicist who, through an experiment gone wrong, his shadow turns into a black hole that sucks people in and kills them.

That was fun, it was the first one I ever wrote, and then after that, I worked my way up to one of the executive producers. I probably wrote 20-something episodes and I re-wrote many, many, many uncredited others.

So, I had a great time on that show. That was the first time I ever got to direct – not counting film school. I got to direct two episodes, and I learned so much from that, and that’s helped me on "Breaking Bad". That was fun.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...illigan-246460

10-11-2011, 02:58 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,117	"Breaking Bad" Creator Vince Gilligan Looks Back on his "X-Files" Days *Vince Gilligan Looks Back on "The X-Files"* 10/10/2011 by Tim Appelo What was your worst writing job? I’ve been very lucky, really blessed. I was making a living writing movie scripts from about 1990 to ’95, then I moved out to L.A. from Virginia to get into TV, because I had a job waiting for me on the staff at "The X-Files". I was on "The X-Files" for 7 years. That was a very close second to "Breaking Bad" as far as my favorite jobs go. Just a wonderful job on which I learned pretty much everything I know about writing for TV and producing TV. Truly, that was my film school for learning how to do the job that I do on "Breaking Bad". I was the first national reporter on the set of "The X-Files" and the producer said, "If only we could get the ratings of 'Unsolved Mysteries'!" That’s what the goal was. You know the story I remember was, the execs that ran Fox TV at the time, were betting big on "Brisco County Jr." "If it isn’t a hit, I’ll eat my desk." And then when "The X-Files" came out, he watched it and said, “Nice try” to Chris Carter. He didn’t believe in it at all. *What did you bring to the party at "X-Files"?* I got there about two years into the show. I wrote a freelance episode for Chris Carter, and he hired me off of the strength of that. In Season 2, it was called “Soft Light,” about a particle physicist who, through an experiment gone wrong, his shadow turns into a black hole that sucks people in and kills them. That was fun, it was the first one I ever wrote, and then after that, I worked my way up to one of the executive producers. I probably wrote 20-something episodes and I re-wrote many, many, many uncredited others. So, I had a great time on that show. That was the first time I ever got to direct – not counting film school. I got to direct two episodes, and I learned so much from that, and that’s helped me on "Breaking Bad". That was fun. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...illigan-246460 Attached Images