After writing about Twin Peaks found in the “TV Guide” from April 7, 1990, I acquired additional magazines from April and May that year. I figured with the popularity of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s show there must have been additional articles and advertisements. Great news – I was correct in my assumptions. So here is the famous television-themed magazine from April 14, 1990 with coverage about Twin Peaks, episode 1.002.
TWIN PEAKS IN TV GUIDE FROM APRIL 14, 1990
The cover of the Issue #1933 of “TV Guide” (Vol. 38 No. 15) for April 14-20, 1990 features an illustration about their feature story, “America’s Top TV Critics Tell: What’s In … What’s Out.” The drawing was created by W.B. Park.
“WHAT’S IN … WHAT’S OUT” – PAGE 4
For their feature article, they spoke with 10 television critics from several newspapers across the United States including John Carman, San Francisco Chronicle; Monica Collins, The Boston Herald and TV Guide; Rance Crain, President of Craine Communications, Inc. which owned Electronic Media and Advertising Age; Barry Garron, The Kansas City Star; Phil Kloer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Eric Mink, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; John J. O’Connor, The New York Times; Matt Roush, USA Today; Daniel Ruth, Chicago Sun-Times; Tom Shales, The Washington Post.
Many of these critics were some of the most notable names in the press at the time and several would write extensively about Twin Peaks during its initial run.
The point of this story was to discover what’s cool and what isn’t in pop culture, television and media at the time. Their rationale asking these particular critics was that “anyone who’s arranged to get paid for watching television can’t be too dumb.”
One thing to note is that Twin Peaks was on the radar of several critics before the show debuted on the ABC Television network on April 8, 1990:
“When we tallied their lists, it quickly became clear that some people and trends were about as far In as you could get – the hottest of the hot. Those included ABC’s Funniest Home Videos; Fox’s The Simpsons; Arsenio Hall; the environment; ABC; the Fox network; Andy Rooney; and ABC’s Twin Peaks, a series that hadn’t even debuted at the time our critics responded but was already In.”
As for those things that were Out, critic Tom Shales said, “all prime-time soaps – except for Twin Peaks.”
Shales was one of the first television critics to sing the praises of the “wonderful and strange show” after seeing the Pilot episode at Telluride Film Festival in September 1989.
On September 7, 1989, Shales was all “In” on the new show writing, ‘Twin Peaks’ isn’t just a visit to another town; it’s a visit to another planet. Maybe it will go down in history as a brief and brave experiment. But as can be said of few other TV shows in the near or immediate future: This You Gotta See.” Funny enough, he predicted the outcome of the first two seasons of the show as it was a brief experience. Yet it changed television as we know it (and here I am still talking about it nearly 35 years later).
“WHAT’S IN … WHAT’S OUT” – SHOWS – PAGE 6
On Page 6, Twin Peaks was discussed again when two critics offered their thoughts about television shows that were “IN” and “OUT.”
“IN: Twin Peaks. David Lynch’s surreal soap was the most eagerly awaited new series in ages. ([Phil] Kloer, [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]) … OUT: All prime-time soaps except Twin Peaks. ([Tom] Shales) … IN: Twin Peaks, the show that reinvents the genre and gives it class. (Shales).”
THURSDAY GUIDELINES – PAGE 163
On page 163, a brief mention of Twin Peaks is found in “TV Guide’s” Thursday Guidelines about the David Lynch-directed episode 1.002:
“One of the subtle pleasures of Twin Peaks is the clever character names. We’ve already met Dale (D.B.?) Cooper and Harry Truman. Tonight. Benjamin Horne’s brother, Jerry, arrives in town. Ben and Jerry. Also keep an eye out for a one-armed man. (9 PM 5, 23, 24, 33).”
THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1990 – TV LISTINGS
Here is the television listing for Twin Peaks, episode 1.002, for Thursday, April 19, 1990 from pages 164-165.
TWIN PEAKS ADVERTISEMENT FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1990
Page 173 contained a black-and-white advertisement for the show with Josie Packard (Joan Chen) and Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean). It provided a three-point synopsis of action from episode 1.001:
Last week
– Shelly discovered Leo’s blood-soaked shirt.
– James Hurley was released from jail.
– Psychiatrist received tape from Laura.
The ad also contains the “Twin Peaks” logo with two small triangles along with the tagline, “Like every town you’ve ever seen. And no place you’ve ever known.”
The publicity image used in the advertisement is part of a sequence of photos from this photoshoot. I haven’t found a full-color version but the image above is probably the closest. Josie and Harry are by the fireplace on the Blue Pine Lodge set.
TWIN PEAKS, EPISODE 1.002 SYNOPSIS – PAGE 174
Page 174 contains the synopsis for Twin Peaks, episode 1.002:
“Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) uses the deductive powers of the unconscious mind to break open the Laura Palmer case; Benjamin’s brother Jerry (David Patrick Kelly) rambles into town, and they have a time at a casino-brothel, Bobby (Dana Ashbrook) and Mike have a scary meeting with Leo Johnson (Eric Da Re); and Josie (Joan Chen) learns a choice secret about Catherine (Piper Laurie).”
Coverage in “TV Guide” about Twin Peaks’ first season will continue each week through the finale broadcast on Wednesday, May, 23, 1990. Stay tuned for a look at those magazines.
See high-resolution images from this “TV Guide” on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/albums/72177720320659006.
