Ich habe mal zu der Frage: "Was ist Twin Peaks?" herausgesucht...

Quelle: twinpeaks.org

G1. What is "Twin Peaks"?

"Twin Peaks" (hereafter referred to as TP) is a television
series that ran on the ABC network in the US, and later in
nearly every other country. In the US, it ran two "seasons"
(from April 1990 through June 1991). See questions E1-E4
for information on specific episodes.

Created and produced by the noted film director David Lynch
("Eraserhead", "Dune", "Blue Velvet" [see question L1 for a
complete list]) and Mark Frost ("Hill Street Blues" [see
question M1 for a complete list]), the series defies simple
description. Part murder mystery, part soap opera spoof,
part comedy, part supernatural drama, and part homage to
classic movies and other cultural icons, TP is completely
entertaining and engaging, filled with images, music, mood,
and characters unlike any you've seen before (or since) on
television.
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G2. What's so special about TP?

TP appeals to people for the many different aspects listed
above. Most early viewers were attracted by Lynch's
penchant for unusual themes in his films. Others were
captivated by the visuals and the music. Many were
fascinated with solving the Laura Palmer murder mystery.
And those of us still addicted to the show revel in studying
the subtleties of plot, mood, and meaning that become
apparent with repeated viewing. Like all great TV ("The
Prisoner", "Star Trek", "The Singing Detective") and all
great art, TP holds up to more- than-casual study and
provides fodder for endless contemplation and discussion.
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G3. Why was TP canceled?

We all know that quality TV does not last :^) Seriously,
there were several factors which contributed to its low
ratings and demise:

- Media overkill: ABC hyped the series for months in advance
of its premiere, and, despite being the darling of the
critics and media, there was no way it could sustain such
high interest. Many people watched TP because 'everyone'
was talking about it and they wanted to be 'in'. These
viewers abandoned it as soon as it lost its cachet, because
they didn't find it inherently interesting. Meteoric rises
in popularity are frequently followed by just as meteoric
descents.

- Episodes not self-contained: as a continuing serial,
viewers were required to see every episode to know what was
going on. Unlike traditional prime-time soap operas, TP did
not recycle the same melodramatic themes over and over.
Casual viewing was not supported. (In response to this,
several shorter story arcs were introduced in the 2nd
season--in fact, many feel that these detracted from the
series.)

- Scheduling chaos: when ABC continued to move TP's schedule
around and put the show on hiatus during the second season,
ratings continually declined. Combining a serial story line
with a hard-to-find broadcast schedule spells disaster
during today's 'immediate success or failure' ratings
demands.

- Pacing: many viewers focused on the Laura Palmer murder
mystery thread, and got angrier and angrier that the
murderer was not being revealed. Although it took 14
episodes over the course of 7 months for Laura's killer to
be revealed, this was not unrealistic in terms of the plot
since each episode corresponds to one day in 'TP time'.
Thus the murder mystery was resolved in two weeks' time in
the story.

In fact, Lynch never intended to reveal the murderer (even
though Mark Frost emphatically states the killer's identity
was decided by he and Lynch from the very beginning). They
stated that the murder was only meant to be the "McGuffin"
that would expose the underside of the town and propel the
series onward. (See question E17 if you want to know who
killed Laura Palmer.)

- Supernatural/science fiction element: TP intentionally had
elements of a number of TV genres, but the media (and then
the public) fastened on the Laura Palmer and expected TP to
be like a traditional mystery series. When the
supernatural/SF element surfaced, there were immediate
complaints from viewers who felt this was either a cop-out
(you can explain anything if you bring in the supernatural;
Greek and Roman theater sometimes employed such a contrived
solution, called 'deus ex machina&#39, or just didn't like
supernatural stories.

(Side note: although certain plot points in the early second
season episodes hinted at possible 'outer space'
connections, it is clearly stated in episode 19 that TP's
odd events are terrestrially based.)

- Unconventional style: while many complained that the show
was "weird for weirdness sake", it is easy to see that TP's
ground-breaking style in music, cinematography, and
characterization was the forebear for popular shows that
followed such as "Northern Exposure", "Eerie Indiana",
"Stephen King's Golden Years", "Picket Fences", and "Wild
Palms". Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?