Due to air next February, the six-part show sees David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson back as FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
Other returning characters include Mitch Pileggi and William B. Davis, playing Walter Skinner and The Smoking Man respectively.
Originally shown in 1993 and airing for nine seasons, the show’s spooky and alien-themes conspiracy theory plots saw it become a global hit and helped spawn two big screen adventures plus a spin-off series.
Now, thirteen years after the original series ended, series creator Chris Carter is penning six new episodes which once again see the agents investigating paranormal phenomena.
The revival had been widely expected to be shown in the UK by Sky but Channel 5 has instead landed the drama.
“Securing the UK premiere of the hugely anticipated return of The X-Files is a major coup for the channel and will create one of the television events of 2016,” said Ben Frow, director of programmes at Channel 5.
“This acquisition underlines our ambition to deliver a diverse slate of brilliant, must-see programming on Channel 5.”
Channel 5, which was bought by MTV owners Viacom last year, also recently secured the rights to Heroes Reborn and is the UK home to Batman origins series Gotham.