Twin Peaks, Revolution on Tv.
Masaryk University
Faculty of Arts
Department of English and American Studies
English Language and Literature
Rudolf Hecl
Twin Peaks: Revolution on TV
Master’s Diploma Thesis
Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr.
2009
I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.
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Author’s signature
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor, doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr., for his kind help, support and valuable advice.
Also, I would like to thank Leesa Wheatley for proofreading my thesis.
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
01. Lynch 7
02. Twin Peaks 25 General facts about Twin Peaks 25 Auteur Theory vs. Collaborators (Why Lynch’s Twin Peaks?) 27 Plot 30 Characters 38 Motifs and Themes 43
03. Cinema 51 Sound 52 Image 54 Mood 56 Blue Velvet 59 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me 64
04. Television and Media 69 Genre 69 Legacy 71 Media 74
Conclusion 77
Bibliography 79
Introduction
Twin Peaks is an ABC television series first aired in 1990 and 1991. It is associated, above all, with the well-known filmmaker David Lynch. Owing to this connection, as well as other factors, Twin Peaks is generally regarded as a television milestone and a series that changed TV. The objective of this thesis is to present the factors that contributed to Twin Peaks’ status as a revolutionary television show. It introduces both David Lynch and his only successful work for television. From several angles, it seeks to analyze why and in what respects Twin Peaks is considered pioneering. The first chapter is about David Lynch, the man behind Twin Peaks. Although Lynch
Faculty of Arts
Department of English and American Studies
English Language and Literature
Rudolf Hecl
Twin Peaks: Revolution on TV
Master’s Diploma Thesis
Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr.
2009
I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.
..................................................
Author’s signature
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor, doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr., for his kind help, support and valuable advice.
Also, I would like to thank Leesa Wheatley for proofreading my thesis.
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
01. Lynch 7
02. Twin Peaks 25 General facts about Twin Peaks 25 Auteur Theory vs. Collaborators (Why Lynch’s Twin Peaks?) 27 Plot 30 Characters 38 Motifs and Themes 43
03. Cinema 51 Sound 52 Image 54 Mood 56 Blue Velvet 59 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me 64
04. Television and Media 69 Genre 69 Legacy 71 Media 74
Conclusion 77
Bibliography 79
Introduction
Twin Peaks is an ABC television series first aired in 1990 and 1991. It is associated, above all, with the well-known filmmaker David Lynch. Owing to this connection, as well as other factors, Twin Peaks is generally regarded as a television milestone and a series that changed TV. The objective of this thesis is to present the factors that contributed to Twin Peaks’ status as a revolutionary television show. It introduces both David Lynch and his only successful work for television. From several angles, it seeks to analyze why and in what respects Twin Peaks is considered pioneering. The first chapter is about David Lynch, the man behind Twin Peaks. Although Lynch
References: Twin Peaks (1990-1991).” The Simpsons Gallery. 4 Apr. 2009 . CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Created by Ann Donahue and Anthony E. Zuiker. Perf. William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan. CBS. Alliance Atlantis Communications, 2000-present. Desperate Housewives. Created by Marc Cherry. Perf. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Eva Longoria Parker, Nicolette Sheridan. ABC. Cherry Alley Productions, 2004-present. Dynasty. Created by Esther Shapiro and Richard Shapiro. Perf. John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Joan Collins. ABC. Aaron Spelling Productions, 1981-1989. House M.D. Created by David Shore. Perf. Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein. Fox. Heel & Toe Films, 2004-present. LOST. Created by J. J. Abrams, Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof. Perf. Josh Holloway, Terry O’Quinn, Naveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly. ABC. ABC Studios, 2004-present. Miami Vice. Created by Anthony Yerkovich. Perf. Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago, Olivia Brown. NBC. Michael Mann Productions, 1984-1989. Monk. Created by Andy Breckman. Perf. Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine. USA Network. Mandeville Films, 2002-present. The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema. Dir. Sophie Fiennes. Writ. Slavoj Žižek. Amoeba Film, 2006. Red Dwarf. Created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. Perf. Craig Charles, Chris Barrie, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn. BBC, 1988-1999. The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet). Dir. Ingmar Bergman. Perf. Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Bibi Andersson, Nils Poppe. Svensk Filmindustri (SF), 1957. The X Files. Created by Chris Carter. Perf. David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson. Fox. 20th Century Fox Television, 1993-2002. [17] “Tied with Joel Coen for The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)” (IMDb). [20] Apparently, the Web site has not been updated for more than ten years now. Last David Lynch film it mentions is Lost Highway (1997). Nevertheless, it is a source of much useful information on Twin Peaks.