The X-Files (Syfy, TNT)

The show features Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as FBI agents charged with investigating cases that involved the paranormal. Along with dark, often-scary episodes about specific creatures or unexplained events, the show revolves around a mythology of government conspiracies and cover-ups related to extraterrestrials. Mulder is deeply suspicious of the government and believes fervently in the existence of extraterrestrials, due to the fact that he remembers his sister being abducted by aliens when he was a child. Scully, a trained medical doctor, starts out as a skeptic assigned to the X-Files to debunk Mulder's unpopular theories, but she eventually comes to believe in the paranormal.

Both creepy and intriguing, THE X-FILES was hugely popular during its nine-year run on Fox in the 1990s and early 2000s (it now airs in syndication and is available on DVD). Teens who like sci-fi or horror will enjoy The X-Files for its complexity and rich character development. Parents may want to preview episodes for appropriateness for younger or more sensitive teens, since some shows are scarier than others. Viewers jumping into the middle of a season may be confused by the episodes dealing with detailed back stories.