We had been hearing about the return of “Twin Peaks” after a quarter century since last year, when it was announced series originators David Lynch and Mark Frost will write, produce and direct nine new episodes.
But it was still a little odd to see Kyle MacLachlan stroll onto the stage during the Showtime executive sessions in full “Twin Peaks” regalia to offer a hot cup of coffee to network chief David Nevins.
“I know you’re going to take some questions, but before you do that, I think you need a damn good cup of coffee,” MacLachlan said, in the voice of his belatedly quirky Agent Dale Cooper, handing Nevins a cup of joe.
“Nice to see you,” he told reporters at the TV Critics Association winter press tour. “I’m very excited to return to the strange and wonderful world of “Twin Peaks.” We look forward to seeing all of you there. May the forest be with you.”
And that was it. But there were some more questions for Nevins.
The return of David Lynch’s iconic series was, Nevins said, “something they had been toying with for a long time. And I think in David’s mind, 25 years was the magic number.”
He noted that “there’s a reference in the original that ‘I’ll see you in 25 years.’ So he pays attention to that kind of numerology in a big way.”
Nevins is under the impression that he got the deal for “Twin Peaks” with Lynch and Mark Frost because of office decor. “He fixated on some of the artwork in my office. That was helpful. I have some very violent, weird imagery and there’s a bookshelf falling on a young girl. It’s unclear whether it’s falling which direction it’s going. And I think he liked that and we were off in business.”
Now that they are in business, Nevins says is job is “more or less writing checks and leaving them alone. It’s David’s show. It’s Mark’s show. I am just the grateful recipient of it. Although, I will say they have been very specific in promising closure, and I think that’s exciting. And from what I’ve seen, I don’t want to even say what I’ve seen. But from what I’ve seen, I think this is going to live up to expectations and then some.”