However, as the fifth season's production period entered its final months, rumors began to circulate – especially among the production crew members in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – about the future of the series, particularly concerning whether the show would be moving to Los Angeles, California for the sixth season and whether the new recurring character of Jeffrey Spender was planned (in case David Duchovny cut back his commitment to the series) to become a replacement for Duchovny's character of Fox Mulder – either as a part-time or full-fledged substitute. Other, contradictory rumors that Owens heard were that either he or Duchovny would appear in only eight episodes of the sixth season and that his casting as Spender was a sign that the series would either be leaving Vancouver or staying there. According to the actor himself, he always knew that Duchovny would not be leaving the series but only discovered that "The X-Files" would indeed be moving to Los Angeles when the official announcement was made.