I missed the original broadcast of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks when it aired on the ABC Television Network from 1990-1991. My journey into this town that is both wonderful and strange was guided by VHS borrowed from my local library and reruns on Bravo, the film and arts cable channel in 1993. Let’s take a look back at how Bravo breathed new life into a show that was already “TV Too Good For TV.”
TWIN PEAKS ON BRAVO – TV TOO GOOD FOR TV
Bravo TV was launched on December 8, 1980 as part of Cablevision’s Rainbow Media. According to an article by Anne Becker for Broadcasting & Cable on October 1, 2006, Bravo was originally a two-night-a-week pay channel (packaged with a three-night-a-week soft-core channel called Escapade) that aired arts programming. By the mid-1990s, the network became a basic cable channel with Public Broadcasting System-style sponsorships and added a wide selection of films. By 1998, the channel was fully ad-sponsored and was sold to NBC by Cablevision in 2002 for $1.25 billion.
On January 18, 1993, then Bravo’s General Manager Kathleen Dore announced via a press release the acquisition that would shape Bravo’s programming for the next few years. They had licensed all 30 episode of Twin Peaks which would begin airing in June that year. The series would be the first under a new showcase called, “TV Too Good For TV.” I’m still searching for a copy of that press release (it’s out there somewhere).
Kathleen explained to Susan King from the Los Angeles Times the premise behind this programming idea.
“We are constantly looking for ways to expand what we think is Bravo’s niche, but to maintain the integrity of a cultural channel … It seems that television itself is becoming so much a part of our culture. There’s so much good television that never really either made it or made it very long” (The Los Angeles Times, “‘Twin Peaks’ Begins Bravo’s ‘TV Too Good for TV’, June 14, 1993)
When Twin Peaks was acquired, the network didn’t show commercials and didn’t depend on ratings.
“It would be appropriate for us to showcase television that had a specific artistic vision that was sort of out of the ordinary,” continued Dore.
Bravo contacted Lynch after licensing the episodes and Dore said, “He was very interested in working with us on it.” It would be months before the world would learn Catherine Coulson would reprise her role as The Log Lady for a series of short introductions to the episodes penned by Lynch. But that’s a different story.
Years later, Dore eventually retired as President, Broadcasting, at Canwest Media, Inc., one of Canada’s premier media companies. While at Bravo, she was responsible for the growth and expansion of the network, which she led to profitability, building the cable network from a subscriber base of fewer than 500,000 to more than 68 million households. I’d like to think Twin Peaks played a big role in that growth.
PRESS ABOUT BRAVO’S ACQUISITION
From January 19 through the end of February 1993, newspapers would recycle the January 18 announcement, each with different headlines or insight about the acquisition.
I liked the Boston Globe’s blurb as it highlighted various episode directors (though I’m surprised they left out Diane Keaton).
Wait a second … Twin Peaks Returns. That seems … familiar.
Other headlines were playful such as “Peak-A-Boo” from News Press.
A nod to Diane and Angelo Badalamenti’s music…
“Peaked Interest” certainly “piqued” my interest.
I wasn’t surprised to find Walt Belcher from The Tampa Tribune made mention. He wrote extensively about the series when it first aired, and even held a Twin Peaks Look-A-Like contest for the newspaper.
David Lynch’s picture appeared in one short blurb from Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Twin Peaks story without references to coffee and pie.
Some reporters had opinions about the show. I’m guessing this one didn’t care for Little Nicky or James Hurley and Evelyn Marsh like I did.
Before the days of social media, people would write questions to reporters asking for clarification to rumors. I love that a fellow fan was spreading the news.
“Unwrap the plastic” before Ben Durant and Bryon Kozaczka “Unwrapped” Twin Peaks.
This is the kind of alert system I want – TWIN PEAKS ALERT! TWIN PEAKS ALERT!
Reporter Jay Bobbins answered a question about Sherilyn Fenn which included a nod to Bravo’s new programming retrospective.
Rick Du Brow’s story about cable television for the Los Angeles Times had a mention of Bravo along with an image of Joan Chen taken by long-time Times photographer Lori Shepler.
Another news cycle about Twin Peaks would pick up in May as the series marched toward a June 11 debut on Bravo.
I’m eternally grateful for these reruns in 1993 as they got me hooked on what has become a lifelong passion.
