Houdini & Doyle combines the most unlikely of real-life friendships with The X-Files. It's almost easy to forget how much of an impact The X-Files made when it debuted in 1993. The show revolved around FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate X-Files, which are cases potentially involving the supernatural or extraterrestrial. Episodes were typically split into two categories, with monster of the week tales seeing the duo investigating cases involving creatures, serial killers and so forth. The rest were dedicated to Mulder and Scully investigating government conspiracies, including the truth about the disappearance of Mulder's sister.
The X-Files was the kind of cinematic show that had rarely been attempted before, and it was led by the chemistry between stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (Hannibal). The original series would last nine seasons, though Duchovny's departure saw The X-Files decline in quality. It also received two movies with 1998's The X-Files and 2008's The X-Files: I Want To Believe. The show was later revived for a six-episode season 10 in 2016 and ended once again with season 11 in 2018.
The X-Files inspired everything from Lost to Supernatural and was an important turning point in TV becoming more cinematic. It was also a key inspiration on 2016's Houdini & Doyle, which already featured an odd premise. The show centers on the real friendship between writer Sir Arther Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist and illusionist. Despite their very different backgrounds and outlooks, they became friends over a shared interest in spiritual matters. The pair would later fall out as Houdini was a complete skeptic and liked to expose mediums for deceiving people, while Doyle was more of a believer.
Houdini & Doyle casts Michael Weston and Stephen Mangan as Houdini and Doyle respectively and finds them working together in a weekly crime procedural. They investigate crimes that may be supernatural in origin, such as the episode where they investigate whether or not Dracula author Bram Stoker is a vampire. It's certainly an intriguing hook, but it never quite clicks into place. The chemistry between the two leads is fun, and they share a distinctly Mulder and Scully-style relationship, but the tug of war between fluffy procedural and serious murder mystery leads to a confused tone.
Needless to say, it doesn't have the creepy factor of The X Files either. Houdini & Doyle was cancelled after one season as it debuted to modest ratings and never really gained much buzz. There's a seed of an interesting idea in the premise, but making a mild version of The X-Files out of it wasn't the best idea.