Biography

Chris Carter

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Born and raised in Bellflower, California, Chris Carter graduated from the California State University at Long Beach with a degree in journalism. Formerly a freelance journalist and editor of "Surfing" magazine, Carter began his career as a screenwriter in 1985 at The Walt Disney Studios. In 1992 Carter began developing projects for Twentieth Century Fox Television, creating The X-Files (1993), which was the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Drama in 1995 and 1997, Emmy-nominated three times for Best Drama, and winner of a Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. In 1996 he created the series Millennium (1996) and in 1999 Harsh Realm (1999). For his work on The X-Files, Carter has received three Golden Globe Awards (1994, 1996, 1997), a Writers Guild nomination, two Directors Guild nominations, and an Emmy Award nomination.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

Two of his attempts for crossovers with other television shows failed for the same reasons. The first attempt was to crossover Fox's The X-Files (1993) with CBS's Picket Fences (1992); however, CBS feared losing ratings to the newer network. The second attempt was to crossover with The WB's Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), but Fox also feared losing ratings to the newer network. In both cases, each show's Executive Producer was on board, David E. Kelley and Joss Whedon, respectively.
Under tremendous time crunch, Carter did an all-night audio mix session to finish The X-Files (1993) pilot, which was to be shown to Fox executives the following morning. That night, he ended up sleeping on a couch in the Fox Studios lobby.
Pitched The X-Files (1993) to Brandon Tartikoff at NBC, but Tartikoff turned it down.
The name of his production company, Ten Thirteen Productions, comes from his birthdate, 10/13/1956. On The X-Files (1993), Mulder's birthday was also 10/13.
Had a grandfather named Carl Gerhardt Bush, which Carter used as the true name of the Cigarette Smoking Man on The X-Files (1993).

The day I swan around in expensive suits is the day I hope someone puts a bullet in my head.
Fox canceling Harsh Realm (1999) wasn't a surprise to me because it was a very expensive show...it was just disappointing the series didn't have a chance to prove itself.
People thought the storyline and characters for The X-Files (1993) made it a 'dark' show, but I never saw it that way. I always thought Mulder and Scully were the light in dark places.
It takes crazy attention to detail if you want something to be good.
The television business changed a lot from when I did The X-Files (1993) to when we did Harsh Realm (1999). Television took on the characteristics of the feature film industry, where, if the show didn't open 'big' out-of-the-gate...it was canceled, immediately.

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