Why Joel McHale Is Even More Excited About The X-Files Revival Than You Are

Why this gig is a dream come true for the host of The Soup

By Alyssa Toomey, Chris Harnick Jul 14, 2015 8:00 PMTags
Watch: Joel McHale Reminisces About Favorite "X-Files" Episodes

Joel McHale is a super fan of The X-Files. McHale will also be on The X-Files. Needless to say, McHale is stoked.

"I was pretty intimidated by being on one of my favorite shows of all-time, and i had to shave," The Soup host told E! News during a recent sit-down. "I was so excited…It was like I had won some sort of lottery that i got to be on this show."

The X-Files is coming back for a six-episode event series with leads David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising the iconic roles of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, respectively. Chris Carter, the show's creator, is back as writer and director for several episodes. When The X-Files returns, well, things are a little different, yet the same.

"I think of it as a 13-year commercial break," Carter said in a statement when the revival was announced. "The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories."

McHale will play Tad O'Malley, the anchor of a conservative Internet news network who call on Mulder and Scully for aide investigating…aliens. "Mulder and Scully—I was saying that out loud!" McHale gushed. "They are so great. It's one of my favorite shows of all-time, so I couldn't believe it."

Over its original nine-season run, The X-Files produced 201 episodes, some more memorable than others. Find out why "War of the Coprophages" and "Arcadia" are two of McHale's favorites in the video above!

The X-Files returns this January on Fox. The Soup airs Fridays, 10 p.m. on E! and The Comment Section, executive produced by McHale, premieres on Friday, Aug. 7 at 10:30 p.m. on E!