14 DAY TRIAL // Several projects, both TV and feature films, have been made possible because of the Internet, whether through funding campaigns or through fan initiatives that served no other purpose than to make the Powers That Be understand their importance. The third season of “Twin Peaks” could be one of them.
Mädchen Amick, who played Shelly Johnson on the original series, which aired almost 25 years ago for 2 seasons on ABC, rallied members of the principal cast to deliver a message to Showtime: get David Lynch back on board, or there will be no “Twin Peaks” to speak of.
“Twin Peaks” doesn’t exist without David Lynch
Earlier this week, Lynch announced his decision to depart the project, which was scheduled for a 2016 release, after almost a year and a half of negotiations with Showtime, and the latter’s refusal to increase funding for the script.
He made it clear that he was the only one leaving and even told fans that, as far as he knew, the long-awaited third season might still make it on air. Lynch was co-creator with Mark Frost, and he was supposed to contribute to the script and had committed to directing all new episodes.
Shortly after his shocking announcement, Showtime responded with a statement saying they still had hopes things would eventually work out for the better. That is to say, they were willing to continue talks but would eventually move forward without Lynch if he didn’t budge.
Apparently, if Lynch leaves for good, there will be no “Twin Peaks” to speak of. That’s the message behind the video that fronts the #SaveTwinPeaks campaign, which includes very familiar faces for the fans of the cult series - because the actors appearing in it are in character.
Aside from Amick, the fans will recognize Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, Dana Ashbrook, James Marshall, Gary Hershberger, Kimmy Robertson, Peggy Lipton, Wendy Robie, Catherine Coulson, and Al Strobel.
Lynch’s eldest daughter, Jennifer, who wrote the hit companion book “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer” (1990), also puts her weight behind the campaign and makes an appearance in the video.
Cast members Grace Zabriskie and Charlotte Stewart didn’t send in videos of themselves, but wrote supportive messages. Oddly enough, Kyle MacLachlan, the only one confirmed by Showtime to return to the revival as Special FBI Agent Dale Cooper, isn’t featured.
Fans respond, Showtime is probably listening
Even more impressive than this effort by original cast members is the way in which fans have and continue to respond to the video.
As you can see below, it’s accompanied by a request to deliver their own quotes on what “Twin Peaks” would be like without David Lynch, and they’ve rushed to the chance to do so.
From saying that “Twin Peaks” without Lynch would be like a coffee cup without coffee, to comparisons to the Internet without cat videos, fans are coming up with very creative ways of telling Showtime that they should do whatever they can to accommodate Lynch in bringing this project to the big screen.
At this point, the network has 3 obvious choices: it could give in to public pressure and make everybody happy; it could make “Twin Peaks” without Lynch and without these actors, in which case no fan of the original would watch; or it could drop the revival plans altogether and never mention it again.
Which do you want to happen?
Dear Twitter Friends, Showtime did not pull the plug on Twin Peaks.
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015
After 1 year and 4 months of negotiations, I left because not enough money was offered to do the script the way I felt it needed to be done.
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015
This weekend I started to call actors to let them know I would not be directing. Twin Peaks may still be very much alive at Showtime.
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015
I love the world of Twin Peaks and wish things could have worked out differently.
— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015