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Library/Series/Twin Peaks
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-01546

Twin Peaks

Series · 1990 · Niche

36Editable slideCertificate

More than 34 million viewers watched the ABC pilot before Twin Peaks became merchandise.

Trailer · MUBI on YouTube
Twin Peaks | MUBI
Lynch/Frost Productions; ABC (original broadcaster)
TWIN PEAKS: Seasons 1 & 2 | Official Teaser | June 13 on MUBI
MUBI on YouTube
Twin Peaks at 35: An Oral History
Television Academy
Twin Peaks anniversary
Variety
David Lynch at the 1990 Emmy Awards; CC BY 2.0 photograph.
Alan Light
Snoqualmie Falls, a Twin Peaks location; public-domain photograph.
Cefka / Wikimedia Commons
Where Was The Twin Peaks Pilot Shown Before Airing on ABC in April 1990?
Twin Peaks Blog
Twin Peaks Pilot at the 1989 Telluride Film Festival
Twin Peaks Blog
Reviewing Peaks - Full Page Twin Peaks Ad from April 8, 1990
Twin Peaks Blog
How Many U.S. Viewers Watched Twin Peaks?
Twin Peaks Blog
When David Lynch Directed a Mini-Season of Twin Peaks in the Form of Japanese Coffee Commercials
Open Culture

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth50Velocity0Longevity5636

Numbers

Seed to observed peak
7 months
Sep 3 ’89 to Apr 8 ’90
Platforms
6
Started on Box office
Origin
Mixed
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Mystery & lorePrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Identity badge
  • Fandom mobilisation
  • Transgression

How it spread

Trace the origin

The pilot screened at festivals before ABC drew over 34 million viewers. Fans traded theories on Usenet and ate pie while watching. Books, music and licensed goods followed as ratings fell and ABC canceled the original run.

Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum.

U.S. viewers per original ABC broadcast1990-04-08: 34,600,0001990-04-12: 23,200,0001990-04-19: 19,200,0001990-04-26: 16,700,0001990-05-03: 17,400,0001990-05-10: 17,300,0001990-05-17: 15,600,0001990-05-23: 18,700,0001990-09-30: 19,100,0001990-10-06: 14,400,0001990-10-13: 13,700,0001990-10-20: 12,800,0001990-10-27: 11,400,0001990-11-03: 11,300,0001990-11-10: 17,200,0001990-11-17: 13,300,0001990-12-01: 12,400,0001990-12-08: 11,100,0001990-12-15: 12,100,0001991-01-12: 10,300,0001991-01-19: 9,800,0001991-02-02: 8,700,0001991-02-09: 8,200,0001991-02-16: 7,800,0001991-03-28: 9,200,0001991-04-04: 9,200,0001991-04-11: 7,900,0001991-04-18: 7,400,0001991-06-10: 10,400,000Oct ’88Oct ’89May ’90SepMar ’91SepAug ’93Aug ’98Aug ’03Aug ’08Aug ’13Observed peakBox officePressRetailTVOpen webAudio
Box officePressRetailTVOpen webAudio

13 more events on this chart

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U.S. viewers per original ABC broadcast: 29 dated figures from Twin Peaks Blog, each checked against the source. Measured at the time, not estimated.

Timeline (16)

  1. September 1989

    Mark Frost / Telluride Film Festival seed · Sep 3 ’89

    The Twin Peaks pilot screened publicly at Telluride before its network television debut.[1][2]

    Where Was The Twin Peaks Pilot Shown Before Airing on ABC in April 1990?
    Open the first post ↗

  2. Tom Shales press · Sep 7 ’89

    Tom Shales praised the unaired pilot in a syndicated newspaper preview.[2]

    Twin Peaks Pilot at the 1989 Telluride Film Festival

  3. Roger Ebert backlash · Sep 8 ’89

    Roger Ebert reported that Telluride viewers had booed the pilot.[2]

  1. commercial · Dec 8 ’89

  2. observed peak · Apr 8 ’90

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

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210M impressions

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.