Will Twin Peaks return in 2016 or 2017?
Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost was the one to break the news that Twin Peaks won’t return until sometime in 2017 when he told the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: “The challenge for us is to try and come back and raise the bar above what we did the last time.”
“We’re coming back with season three of ‘Twin Peaks’ after a 25-year absence. We’ve finished the scripts, we start production in September, and that will be coming out sometime in 2017.”
Showtime CEO David Nevins later stated there’s still hope for a Season 3 in 2016: “I want it as badly and as soon as the biggest fans in the world. I’m hoping we make 2016; it’s not clear. Bottom line is I’ll take it when they’re ready with it… but I’m hoping sooner rather than later.”
So what do we make out of this?
Showtime still likes Twin Peaks Season 3 to be aired in 2016 but it does not put pressure on the creators. And that’s a good thing!
It shows Showtime is aiming at quality instead of trying to achieve quick and cheap success. Showtime is giving David Lynch enormous creative control, more than others.
Mark Frost clearly feels he and Lynch might come under time pressure when they need to finish up in 2016. They want to take their time for the post production and editing process.
How many episodes will Twin Peaks Season 3 have?
First it was announced it would be nine episodes. Then it became clear that it was going to take more than nine episodes, which was the originally planned-for and budgeted-for length of Twin Peaks Season 3.
The creators and Showtime had to work out the creative and financial details, which took longer than expected. They eventually got through it and filming will start in September 2016.
At the Crypticon event in May Sherilyn Fenn revealed Twin Peaks season 3 would include eighteen episodes, double of the first announced nine episodes. It seems she has spoken before her turn as Showtime’s CEO David Nevins now claims: “I expect the series be more than nine. I know what his shooting schedule is, and then I’m going to let him cut into it however many episodes it feels best at.”
So what do we make of all of this?
The episode count is expected to be formulated during the post-production process. It’s hard to imagine there’s nothing on paper about the duration of Twin Peaks Season 3. I suppose duration is defined in the contract by number of hours, not by number of episodes.
You could have a first episode that’s double the length, which could serve as a pilot. I doubt though whether it’s a good idea to have different durations for each episode. It would give David Lynch some extra creative freedom when he isn’t forced to end an episode but there could hide danger in tempering with the typical TV format or in getting rid of cliff-hangers.
So will there be 18 hours of film? We don’t know. The only thing we know for sure is what David Nevins told us: “David Lynch will direct the whole thing which will total more than the originally announced nine hours.” My guess is that it’s going to be between nine and eighteen episodes.
Who from the original Twin Peaks characters will return?
According to David Nevins Twin Peaks fans can expect ‘familiar faces’ to join confirmed returning cast member Kyle MacLachlan. “You should be optimistic that the people that you want back will be there, and then there will be some surprises in addition.”
So what do we make of all this?
The only confirmed returning cast member is Kyle MacLachlan who plays special agent Dale Cooper. We assume that Twin Peaks’ creators want more series regulars to return, but none have officially been announced.
Many old cast members have shared their interest in returning to Twin Peaks on social media. Even David Duchovny who played a cross-dressing DEA agent before becoming known as Fox Mulder in the X-files, doesn’t rule out returning to Twin Peaks: “Stranger things have happened.”
Who will be the added surprises? Some Twin Peaks fans hope “Fire Walk With Me” cast members Chris Isaak and David Bowie will be among the surprises. UFO enthousiasts hope to see David Duchovny show up when Project Bluebook turns out to include a file on the town of Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks Season 3: “David Lynch, it’s his show. He deserves it.”
Showtime CEO David Nevins is giving the creators enormous creative control. More than others. No doubt part of Showtime’s agreement with Lynch hinged upon his complete creative control over the finished series of episodes.
So what do we make of all this?
It sounds pretty much like David Lynch has got director’s cut. I suppose the only one standing in the way of David Lynch’s strange twists now, might be Mark Frost. He will be guarding the screenplay that he has written and make sure Lynch does not divert too much from it.
Will Twin Peaks Season 3 answer some of the unanswered questions?
At The Edinburgh International Television Festival David Nevins stated: “I feel like it’s satisfying. If you’ve watched the first round, it answers questions and is an incredible journey. It ends with definitiveness. It’s just a great exploration of those characters and I think there should be some very fun new characters as well.”
So what do we make of all this?
The script that Nevins has read ends with “definitiveness”. Since he has lots of creative freedom there is little guarantee though that David Lynch will stay close to the script.
Some of the unanswered questions:
- How’s Annie?
- What happened to FBI agents Dale Cooper, Chester Desmond and Phillip Jeffries?
- Did Benjamin and Audrey Horne survive Twin Peaks Season 2’s finale?
- Does the Hayward family harbour a dark secret?
- Where did BOB go?
- What was the giant’s message “The owls are not what they seem” all about?
- Has the Ghostwood Estates project been stopped?
- Has the pine weasel been saved?
- Will the town of Twin Peaks ever hear of Leo Johnson again?
- Did Ed Hurly and Norma Jennings get together?
- Are the White and Black lodge more than town legends?
- How can Cooper and Laura have had the same dream?
- Why does the little man from another place eat garmonbozia?
- Where is the convenience store above which one-armed man Mike used to live?
- Will Shelly find happiness with Bobby Briggs?
- Will Cooper’s former partner Windom Earle be back?
Carefully studying this list of unanswered questions gives an idea of possible plotlines for Twin Peaks Season 3.
Mark Frost sees Twin Peaks Season 3 as a wonderful opportunity to close the circle: “First and foremost, it’s a wonderful chance to work together with a very good, dear friend.
Will there be new music composed for Twin Peaks Season 3?
The usually very reliable TVLine reports that Angelo Badalamenti, the man responsible for the original show’s haunting, iconic soundtrack, has already started work on music for the new episodes.
So what do we make of all this?
Big question is whether David Lynch will replace the old, iconic Twin Peaks theme song (“Falling” with Julee Cruise vocals) with a new one?
Composer Badalamenti is a big fan of Julee Cruise: “She sings like an angel, with a pure, ethereal tone. There’s nobody like Julee.” So there’s a big chance she’ll be back as well. Will she be singing songs in the Roadhouse and maybe do vocals on the new Twin Peaks theme?
Is there any way to satisfy all Twin Peaks fans?
It will be difficult to satisfy all Twin Peaks fans for 100%. There will always be people who love the new Twin Peaks series and people who’ll hate it.
It all depends on what you’re expecting. When the movie “Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me” premiered in 1992, lots of fans didn’t like it because it had another tone and vibe than the Twin Peaks TV series.
Don’t expect Twin Peaks Season 3 to be identical to Season 1 and 2. After all, it’s 25 years later! That should reflect in the story, the characters, the mood and maybe even in the film techniques and special effects.
For Twin Peaks fans it will be satisfying anyhow when unanswered questions from Season 1 and 2 get answered. So sit back and take Twin Peaks Season 3 as it comes. It won’t be long now.
