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Small Batch Edition: Talking 'X-Files' With Kumail Nanjiani

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (pictured above) are both returning to <em>The X-Files</em>.
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David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (pictured above) are both returning to The X-Files.
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Comedian Kumail Nanjiani performs during One Kid One World's 3rd Annual Night Of (At Least) 18 Laughs at Largo on April 27, 2014 in Los Angeles.
Jason Kempin / Getty Images or One Kid One World
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Getty Images or One Kid One World
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani performs during One Kid One World's 3rd Annual Night Of (At Least) 18 Laughs at Largo on April 27, 2014 in Los Angeles.

Kumail Nanjiani is a standup comedian, the co-host of the comedy show The Meltdown With Jonah And Kumail for Comedy Central, an actor (including a regular gig on HBO's Silicon Valley), and a popular Twitter presence. But the reason we sat down with him today is that he's also a podcaster, who has both a show about games called The Indoor Kids and a show called The X-Files Files.

As its name suggests, The X-Files Files is a show in which Nanjiani and guests — who have included at times X-Files writers and guest actors — break down episodes of the show in great detail. Who better, we thought, to comment on the news that The X-Files is returning to Fox for a handful of new episodes?

So this is a conversation about the new episodes, some of the old episodes, the importance of remaining hopeful, and how hard it is to be a werewolf.

We'll be back tomorrow with our regular full episode.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Linda Holmes is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of Pop Culture Happy Hour. She began her professional life as an attorney. In time, however, her affection for writing, popular culture, and the online universe eclipsed her legal ambitions. She shoved her law degree in the back of the closet, gave its living room space to DVD sets of The Wire, and never looked back.