How Twin Peaks changed TV

Analysis: The success of Twin Peaks showed that there was a market for challenging, diverse, adventurous TV shows

By Declan McKenna, Ulster University

"It is not commercial. It may be creatively brilliant, but it is nine leagues above the head of the normal TV viewers. I don't think it has a chance of succeeding."

That was the verdict of media analyst Paul Schulman in early 1990, after watching a preview screening of a new TV show from the ABC network. A respected expert on such matters, Schulman was absolutely correct in what he said, except for one thing. The show didn't just succeed; it changed the landscape of TV forever.

The show was Twin Peaks.

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Twin Peaks' classic opening credits

There were some raised eyebrows when the Oscar-nominated director David Lynch first declared his intention to make a TV show back in 1988. A successful film director slumming it on the small screen? TV was for formulaic, cheaply-made content and was generally regarded as a stepping-stone on the path to bigger things in Hollywood. Nobody came back the other way, if they could help it. What was he thinking?

As it happened, Lynch was thinking some very dark thoughts indeed. As he had done in his controversial film Blue Velvet, he wanted another project where he could peel back the apparently respectable skin of American society and explore the rotten core beneath.

Teaming up with Hill Street Blues screenwriter Mark Frost, they mapped out a story of murder, adultery, drugs, prostitution and corruption, all set in a picturesque American town in the Pacific Northwest. It would be primarily a crime drama centred on the death of Laura Palmer, a popular high-school student. But it would also have a supernatural element, which would allow them to venture into disturbing horror territory. Nothing would be explained neatly by the time the episode credits rolled. It would even feature a sinister, backwards-speaking dwarf. Clearly, Twin Peaks would be like nothing else on TV.

Angelo Badalamenti explains how he wrote Laura Palmer's Theme for Twin Peaks

When the remarkable, feature-length pilot episode of Twin Peaks was first screened in April 1990, those who tuned in weren't exactly sure what they had watched. It was a strange, scary murder-mystery, but also a sexy, darkly funny soap opera.

It had eccentric characters played by an appealing mix of new actors and familiar faces, including Kyle MacLachlan as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. The soundtrack featured extraordinary, haunting music from Angelo Badalamenti that would become as iconic as the show itself. It had film production values so its cinematic aesthetic meant it even looked different from other TV shows. In short, it was radically different from anything viewers were accustomed to seeing and they wanted more.

Viewing figures grew and, with no access to spoilers in those early internet days, anticipation for each new episode became feverish. Twin Peaks viewing parties became commonplace and 'Who Killed Laura Palmer?’ was the hot topic for water-cooler discussion. The cast became hot property for photoshoots and features. By the time Season 1 finished, to their great astonishment, ABC had a fully-fledged phenomenon on their hands. So what did they do with their golden goose? They killed it, of course.

From People, Entertainment Weekly reunites the original Twin Peaks cast to mark Showtime's limited event series in May 2017

Twin Peaks became a victim of its own success. In response to intense public demand, ABC pressurised Lynch and Frost to reveal Laura's killer and they reluctantly disclosed the dark secret of Twin Peaks halfway through Season 2. It made for must-see TV, but the show floundered afterwards without that central mystery to hang the series on.

Lynch lost interest and left the production to focus on other projects. The quality of writing dipped, audience ratings plummeted and it lost its regular slot in the TV schedule. Lynch did restore some quality by returning to direct the startling Season 2 finale, but it was too late and the show was cancelled.

But in just 14 months, it had done enough to dramatically transform the TV production industry. Even if you have not seen Twin Peaks, you have certainly benefited from its legacy. It proved that there was a market for challenging, diverse TV drama and its success convinced networks to invest in more adventurous projects. In the wake of Twin Peaks, the immediate beneficiaries were shows like The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Northern Exposure and ER. All were given extra funding and creative license to develop long-running, character-driven storylines spread over several seasons.

From The Take, what's so great about Twin Peaks?

But even years later, the influence of Twin Peaks could still be found in the dream sequences of The Sopranos and Mad Men, the mysteries of Lost, the satirical soapiness of Desperate Housewives, the dark humour of Six Feet Under, the non-linear construction of Breaking Bad, the occult horror of True Detective and the small-town weirdness of Stranger Things. The creators of all these wildly successful shows have openly acknowledged how Twin Peaks inspired them and their writing. For the Golden Age of Television we now enjoy, we have Twin Peaks to thank for providing the blueprint.

However, even though Twin Peaks had been cancelled, it wasn't finished. Lynch's 1992 film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me acted as a prequel to the series, although wasn't as favourably received as the show. In 2017, he wrote and directed the sprawling Twin Peaks: The Return, bringing together many of the original cast again. In a much more crowded TV marketplace, reception was again mixed, although everyone agreed the nightmarish Episode 8 was further evidence of Lynch's unique film-making genius.

February 24th is official Twin Peaks Day, to commemorate the day Agent Cooper first arrived in the town

Crucially, throughout the years, a devoted fan base helped preserve the status of Twin Peaks in popular culture. In the earliest days of the Internet, it was one of the first shows to have online communities and discussion boards for fans, again setting a precedent for modern fandom practice.

Nowadays, there is still a healthy stream of multimedia content and merchandise for Twin Peaks and, in a rarity for a TV show, it even has a devoted day in the calendar. February 24th is official Twin Peaks Day, to commemorate the day Agent Cooper first arrived in the town. A perfect excuse to celebrate this ground-breaking series with a slice of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee.

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Dr Declan McKenna is a senior lecturer in the Biomedical Sciences Research Institute at Ulster University.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

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