The X-Files is an American television series created by Chris Carter. The show first aired on FOX in 1993, and ended after a nine-year run on May 19, 2002. The X-Files was one of the network's first major hits, and its main characters and slogans ("The Truth Is Out There," "Trust No One," "Deny Everything," "I Want to Believe") became pop culture touchstones, simultaneously tapping into and inspiring a plethora of conspiracy theories, paranoia about the U.S. government, and belief in the existence of extraterrestrial life. The show, perhaps to add to the mystique, never displayed episode titles on screen.