Twin Peaks

This article is about the TV series. For other uses, see Twin Peaks (disambiguation).

Twin Peaks
Title for seasons 1–2
Genre
Created by
Starring
Opening themeInstrumental version of "Falling" by Julee Cruise
ComposerAngelo Badalamenti
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes48 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Cinematography
Running time
  • 45–60 minutes
  • 94 minutes ("Pilot" and "May the Giant Be With You")
Production companies
Budget>$41 million (season 3)[3][a]
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseApril 8, 1990 (1990-04-08) –
June 10, 1991 (1991-06-10)
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseMay 21 (2017-05-21) –
September 3, 2017 (2017-09-03)
Related
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992 film)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Twin Peaks is an American mystery-horror drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 for a third season on Showtime.

Set in the fictional Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks, the series follows an investigation led by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) into the murder of local teenager Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). The show's narrative draws on elements of detective fiction, but its uncanny tone, supernatural elements, and campy, melodramatic portrayal of eccentric characters also draws from American soap opera and horror tropes.[4][5][6][7] Like much of Lynch's work, it is distinguished by surrealism, offbeat humor, and distinctive cinematography.[8] The musical score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti with Lynch.[9]

The original run was followed by the 1992 feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which serves as a prequel to the series. The success of the series sparked a media franchise, leading to the release of several tie-in books, including The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer. Under Lynch's direction, the show's 2017 revival included much of the original cast.

In the years following the first two seasons, the show has gained a devoted cult following and been referenced in a wide variety of media.[10][11][12][6] Twin Peaks is often listed among the greatest television series and has received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences as well as various accolades. It is considered a landmark turning point in television drama.[b] The 2017 revival titled The Return also received widespread critical acclaim.[18][19]

  1. ^ LeVasseur, Andrea. "Twin Peaks [TV Series]". AllMovie. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  2. ^ Collins, Sean T. (October 26, 2015). "25 Best Horror TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  3. ^ 2017 Pilot Production Report (PDF) (Report). Film L.A., Inc. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  4. ^ O'Connor, Tom (December 1, 2004). "Bourgeois Myth versus Media Poetry in Prime-time: Re-visiting Mark Frost and David Lynch's Twin Peaks". Social Semiotics. 14 (3): 309–333. doi:10.1080/10350330408629682. ISSN 1035-0330. S2CID 145369643.
  5. ^ Lacey, Stephen (June 3, 2016). "Just Plain Odd: Some Thoughts on Performance Styles in Twin Peaks". Cinema Journal. 55 (3): 126–131. doi:10.1353/cj.2016.0026. ISSN 1527-2087. S2CID 147831181.
  6. ^ a b Crouch, Ian (October 7, 2014). "Some Thoughts on the Planned Return of Twin Peaks". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. ^ Dean, Michelle (June 10, 2016). "Twin Peaks' final scene: 25 years on, it's as disturbing as ever". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  8. ^ Mariani, Mike (January 23, 2016). "The Remarkable Influence of David Lynch". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (March 25, 2010). "Twin Peaks stills marks the summit of TV soundtracks | Music". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  10. ^ Moldovan, Raluca (June 1, 2015). "'That Show You Like Might Be Coming Back in Style': How Twin Peaks Changed the Face of Contemporary Television". American, British and Canadian Studies Journal. 24 (1): 44–68. doi:10.1515/abcsj-2015-0003 (inactive November 1, 2024). ISSN 1841-964X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  11. ^ Williams, Rebecca (June 3, 2016). "Ontological Security, Authorship, and Resurrection: Exploring Twin Peaks' Social Media Afterlife". Cinema Journal. 55 (3): 143–147. doi:10.1353/cj.2016.0029. ISSN 1527-2087. S2CID 148453761.
  12. ^ Garner, Ross P. (June 3, 2016). ""The Series That Changed Television"?: Twin Peaks, "Classic" Status, and Temporal Capital" (PDF). Cinema Journal. 55 (3): 137–142. doi:10.1353/cj.2016.0020. ISSN 1527-2087. S2CID 147908744. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference tvguide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Time 100 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the Past 25 Years". Entertainment Weekly. August 3, 2012, p. 40.
  16. ^ Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest Television Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  17. ^ Lusher, Tim (January 11, 2010). "The Guardian's top 50 television dramas of all time". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  18. ^ "The 100 greatest TV series of the 21st Century". BBC. October 18, 2021. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  19. ^ "Twin Peaks: The Return". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 4, 2023.


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