LOS ANGELES (AP) – "Twin Peaks" will be pulled from the ABC schedule
following this Saturday's broadcast in what could be the first move
toward cancellation of the bizarre television serial.
ABC said in a statement released Friday afternoon that the "Twin
Peaks" ratings were a disappointment but that the show would return to
the air in a different time period later this season.
Last week, "Twin Peaks" finished in 85th place out of 89 television
shows ranked by the A.C. Nielsen Co.
A spokesman for the producers of the show said, "We have no idea when
we will be on next." Traditionally, when a show is placed on indefinite
hiatus its future is doomed.
Michael Saltzman, the spokesman for "Twin Peaks" producers David
Lynch and Mark Frost, said ABC has ordered 22 episodes of the one-hour
drama for the 1990-91 television season. The 16th episode is set for
broadcast this Saturday at 10 p.m.
Lynch, whose feature film credits include 1986's "Blue Velvet" and
1990's "Wild at Heart," was optimistic.
"We've all known the true `Twin Peaks' fan is a party animal and not
home on Saturday night, and they have sorely missed the opportunity to
have a party on a weeknight," Lynch said in a statement.
"We are looking forward to seeing which weekday night ABC will call
`party night' in the future," Lynch said.
Saltzman said "Twin Peaks" might perform better in a new time period.
The remaining six episodes are in varying stages of completion, Saltzman
said.
"All of us feel that Saturday night was not the night for `Twin
Peaks,"' Saltzman said. "We don't see this as a negative. We see this as
a positive."
The show focuses on sex, murder and junk food in a Pacific Northwest
lumber town. It stars Kyle MacLachlan as FBI Agent Dale Cooper, Michael
Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman and Piper Laurie, Joan Chen and
Madchen Amick in supporting roles.
"Twin Peaks" was among the most promising television debuts in recent
years when it premiered in April 1990, but its popularity with critics
and audiences alike steadily has ebbed.
ABC also said it would place the spy drama "Under Cover" on hiatus.
"Under Cover" was seen Saturday nights at 9 p.m.
"First quarter ratings results for Saturdays, 9 to 11 p.m. have been
a disappointment," said Robert Iger, president of ABC Entertainment.
"`Under Cover' has never received the audience sampling it deserves in
the time period and Saturday has not served `Twin Peaks' as well as we
had hoped."
ABC said it would show movies in place of the two shows.
Articles
