Over the course of the seasons, as fans entered into an ongoing love-hate relationship with the mythology arcs, the standalone episodes eventually stood out as the ones that would be classics. There's charm to be found in almost every episode of this great show. After a slow-burning first season (back in the days when TV shows were allowed to settle in over an entire first season, like Buffy, before hitting their stride), The X-Files really came into its own across its sophomore year, with the third and fourth years also tremendous viewing, and fifth and sixth retaining some noteworthy quality, although it wasn't long into the show when the mythology arcs started to take over, and even as early as the fourth season it was becoming impenetrably complex.

Whilst even ardent fans may have found the original series' later seasons started to lose their way, and may have been perplexed by the more miss-than-hit efforts of the latest revival event series, there's no denying that there are some classic tales, fabulous themes and superior arcs provided by this epic, long-running show. The initially subdued investigations of the more conspiracy-theorist believer, Fox Mulder, and his sceptical scientist partner, Dana Scully, afforded viewers some seminal episodes across the years, and remains top class TV. Back in 1993, Chris Carter's The X-Files truly was 'event' TV, predating the likes of 24 and sitting alongside Whedon's Buffy as being absolute must-watch television.

X files boxed sets