8mm Forum: "Twin Peaks", and why it's the best TV show ever made

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Posted by Christian Bjorgen (Member # 1780) on April 07, 2013, 08:07 PM:

So me and the missus are currently watching "Twin Peaks" again, for the second time since iTunes re-released it in glorious HD, and it only helps reiterate what has been my solid opinion since I first saw it when the Gold Box DVD set was released: Twin Peaks is the best TV show ever made.

Why?

I have seen so many shows, hundreds probably, but TP is the only show that actually forces me to think, to listen, to grasp all the details and draw my own conclusions! And I love it!

As I'm writing this, we're about to watch Season 2, Episode 4, with five episodes left of the Palmer-story, before moving unto the more massive arc that covers the backstory, and I just can't put it away!

I can only imagine how it was to watch this back in 1990-91 when it was released, when TV was still a "primitive" medium compared to film. Twin Peaks is maybe one of the only shows that challenges film in terms of story telling and quality!

Anyone agree? Disagree? Viewpoints?

Posted by Vidar Olavesen (Member # 3354) on April 07, 2013, 08:13 PM:

I would like to agree, but after Propaganda (I think) took over, it turned to quite a mess. The opening episodes (I think it was up to 8 or 12) was really great

David Lynch is weird and wonderful

Posted by Michael O'Regan (Member # 938) on April 07, 2013, 09:59 PM:

I was hooked on the show when it first appeared way back then. It was something else.
[Smile]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on April 08, 2013, 12:07 AM:

I always thought the show overblown and odd.TV was never primitive in the 90's,there were some award winning TV series
produced in the UK, that leave "Twin Peaks" at the starting gate
in terms of acting & quality.It's arrival in the UK with a bang but
it left with a whimper, I suppose the characters like "the log lady"
and dwarfes talking backwards were a little too much for audiences over here,apart from the very strange way the detective
work was achieved, through ESP no less.A good example of style over not too much substance.

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on April 08, 2013, 12:12 AM:

I agree with Vidar, that first season was absolutely amazing. The second season was fun but it seemed like the writers had no idea where they were going and the show was weird just for the sake of being weird. Mr. Lynch's feature followup, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me was a mess.

Doug

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on April 08, 2013, 01:36 AM:

Actually the network was really pressuring Lynch to reveal the killer and he did not want to but gave in and that is why the show went downhill...the network got its way and Lynch was not interested in the project anymore and it died.

By the way, I really like the show too and I have only seen season one...I like David Lynch as a filmmaker. He is an amazing artist, one of kind.

Bill [Smile]

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 08, 2013, 09:57 AM:

Disagree [Big Grin]

...."M.A.S.H." is and ran from 1972-1983, "my all time favourite." The final episode was the most watched episode of any Television series....it was timeless stuff back then and still is, in constant TV re-runs. [Wink]

Posted by Christian Bjorgen (Member # 1780) on April 08, 2013, 10:14 AM:

Douglas, I agree with you on FWWM, but then again; Lynch had to cut it from over 5 hrs to 2 hrs 15 mins (according to IMDB, he told a fan at a convention that the original rough cut was 5 hrs 6 mins), and that really made it into a mess.

I have read the script, leaked unto the internet, and it really made the movie something else once I read about all the missing scenes.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on April 08, 2013, 10:16 AM:

Surely the best TV show from the US must be "Star Trek", that
has spawned many spin off series and features, you don't need
to be an academic to enjoy it either.

Posted by Bruce Wright (Member # 2793) on April 09, 2013, 03:02 AM:

Graham -- Right on !! M. A. S. H.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on April 09, 2013, 11:48 AM:

I guess this shows that we all have different tastes, but I happen to like all the afore mentioned shows.

David Lynch is incredibly talented. Many people don't like the "wierdness" of his work. I happen to like his overall style of film making. Some are certainly better than others. If you like his style of wierd film making, be sure to check out his earlier works- "The Alphabet", "The Grandmother", and of course, "Earaserhead".

James.

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