Chris Carter was the creator of The X-Files.
Chris Carter (screenwriter) . After beginning his television career working on television films for Walt Disney Studios , Carter rose to fame in the early 1990s after creating the science fiction-supernatural television series The X-Files for the Fox network . Carter went on to create three more series for the network -- Millennium , a doomsday-themed series which met with critical approval and low viewer numbers ; Harsh Realm , which was canceled after three episodes had aired ; and The Lone Gunmen , a spin-off of The X-Files which lasted for a single season . Carter 's film roles include writing both of The X-Files cinematic spin-offs -- 1998 's successful The X-Files and the poorly received 2008 follow-up The X-Files : I Want to Believe , the latter of which he also directed -- while his television credits have earned him several accolades including eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations . The X-Files is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter , which originally aired from September 10 , 1993 to May 19 , 2002 on Fox .