The X-Files season 11: Everything you need to know

From Digital Spy

Good news, everyone! The X-Files season 11 is a sure thing, because Fox have actually properly officially confirmed it and so we're off to the woods to get abducted by aliens in celebration.

But before we do that, we're going to tell you everything you need to know about the next season of our very favourite FBI-investigates-creepy-stuff-while-the-two-leads-have-insane-chemistry show. We'll be updating this article as we gather more titbits from our Pentagon sources.

The X-Files season 11 release date: When is it on?

"Iconic characters, rich storytelling, bold creators – these are the hallmarks of great TV shows. And they are some of the reasons why The X-Files has had such a profound impact on millions of fans worldwide," Fox president David Madden said in April, following up on this brilliant announcement tweet.

"Chris' creativity, along with the brilliant work of David and Gillian, continue to propel this pop-culture phenomenon, and we can't wait to see what fresh mysteries Mulder and Scully uncover in this next chapter of The X-Files," Madden said.

Production is due to start this summer, with an air date set for in the 2017-2018 season.

It can't come soon enough – we NEED a resolution for season 10's deeply disturbing cliffhanger, please.

Though if you can't wait until then, Audible will be putting out prequel podcasts voiced by Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.

The X-Files season 11 trailer: Is there any footage?

Yes! Much of the trailer focuses on the search for William (the "special" child of Mulder and Scully) which is presumably at the centre of the upcoming season.

William was shown to have alien-esque powers in earlier seasons of the show, and was given up for adoption by Scully as a baby after she realised she couldn't keep her son safe.

His return to the show seems to be the driving force of the upcoming season, with plenty of suggestions that William still has some interesting powers - and could be pretty dangerous...

The X-Files season 11 plot: What are they getting up to?

Since the announcement, we've have a few news pieces leaking out of that big warehouse where Fox keeps all of their secrets.

Producer Glen Morgan will be writing two episodes (he only knows what one of those two will be, but he will do another), and his brother Darin will also be getting back into action for the show.

James Wong is also returning for two episodes, and he's revealed a little bit about the structure of the new series.

"You know, we want do to mythology stories and stories that connect with each other, but I think we're still interested in doing standalone stories.

"I think the second episode I do will be more of a standalone story, and the first one will have some connections to the mythology, but not as connected as Chris's episodes."

Following up on this, Fox entertainment chairman David Madden has confirmed that eight of the ten new episodes will be standalone Monster-of-the-Week stories unconnected to the show's alien mythology. (That 10-episode run, by the way, is a bumper order compared to the previous year's six-episode season.)

Madden also confirmed that season 11 will pick up directly where season 10's cliffhanger ending left off. "We start the season right up from where the season finale left off with that big helicopter and takes you right from there," he explained.

"You'll be launched into a very urgent adventure that has a lot to do with William - Mulder and Scully's kid. So, the search for William will be a significant thread through the show. "

Last time we saw Scully (Gillian Anderson), she was on a gridlocked bridge trying to cure Mulder (David Duchovny) from an alien virus, but a first image from the new season sees her on death's door instead.