The X-Files Knock-Off With Major Star Trek Star Is Impossible To Watch Today
The X-Files was a ground-breaking series that proved a dark, conspiracy-fueled series could be a success on broadcast television, which is why, in its wake, other networks tried to cash in. One of the most blatant knock-offs was NBC’s Dark Skies, which came across as the Dr. Thunder to The X-Files Dr. Pepper; though that’s being a little disingenuous to the show, that did do some things differently. Yet today, no one remembers the series set in the 1960s that Jeri Ryan was on before Star Trek: Voyager as a Russian secret agent.
Alien Conspiracies Of The 1960’s
Dark Skies debuted in 1996, and there’s no sense denying that it was obviously influenced by The X-Files, but it took full advantage of being a period piece set in the 1960s, working a massive conspiracy into the events of the decade. Congressional Aide John Loengard (Without A Trace’s Eric Close) has a run-in with a bizarre alien from The Hive, an insectoid race of parasites that take over their host, and finds himself part of Project Blue Book, the real-life investigation into UFOs. That doesn’t sit well with the Majestic 12, a shadowy cabal, and soon, John’s on the run with his girlfriend, Kim.
Fun With History
The alternate history presented in Dark Skies lets the production team have plenty of fun with real-life events, notably the Kennedy Assassination, and manages to work in everything else from The Beatles to Charles Manson. This even includes adjusting the story of Roswell to explain that the Greys are under the control of The Hive, and it was in New Mexico that they asked for humanity’s unconditional surrender. Outside of the fun with alternate history, there’s one more bright spot, and that’s Jeri Ryan.
Before Seven Of Nine
One year before she was Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan was Juliet Stuart, a Soviet Agent, sometimes an ally of John’s, sometimes an enemy, but when she shows up, everything seems to improve around her. Multiple times throughout Dark Skies, she gets the better of John, and you’d be forgiven for wishing, at some points, as I did, that she was the lead. Between Ryan and the show’s unique setting, it was a small success but was immediately undercut by, of all people, The X-Files creator Chris Carter.
Attacked By X-Files Fans
Thanks to The X-Files online fanbase, Carter was asked how he felt about Dark Skies, which he ended up describing as a rip-off, and the result was his fans attacking the series after its first few episodes. The quick change in public sentiment after the positive reception to the first two episodes was enough to start impacting the ratings, which never recovered and led to an early cancelation.
I’m of the opinion that, yes, it was a knock-off, but there’s nothing wrong with that, and it’s still better than all of the Lost clones we had to suffer through a decade later.
A Cult Classic Lost To Time
REVIEW SCORE
Unfortunately, Dark Skies is a true cult classic that’s impossible to find today on any streaming service or even Video on Demand. Fans have to resort to fan rips that have been uploaded to YouTube or trying to hunt down the DVD box set. It lacks the charm of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny’s pairing as Agents Scully and Mulder, but the alien-filled alternate history leads to a far less frustrating conspiracy plot.
