It seems the new limited series of Twin Peaks won’t be so limited after all.
Original actresses Sheryl Lee and Sherilyn Fenn revealed at Seattle’s Crypticon that the episode count has risen from nine to eighteen. They’ll all be directed by creative supremo David Lynch and written by Lynch and Mark Frost.
The first season was 7 episodes, with the second more than twice that. Extra instalments were added after pressure from Peaks fans (or “Peakies”) over an inconclusive ending. Of course they wound up witnessing perhaps the most baffling conclusion to a drama in TV history!
Lee and Fenn played Laura Palmer and Audrey Horne respectively. Both characters were schoolgirls at the time of the 1989 – 91 run: Palmer was the local beauty whose murder formed the narrative core of the show, and Horne was a temptress who famously tied a knot in a cherry stalk with her tongue.
Lynch recently returned to the project – which is getting produced over at Showtime – after a dispute over the budget. These negotiations appear to have borne extra fruit for viewers as the material doubles.
Composer Angelo Badalamenti is said to be coming back. His music became an essential part of the atmosphere of Twin Peaks, which was radical in its use of sound design back in the day. Aficionados will also be pleased to learn iconic landmark the Double R Diner gets a resurrection, with Washington location Twede’s Cafe undergoing a retro refurb out of Showtime’s pocket.
No word yet on the airdate, though next year is apparently still the intended target.
