LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Calling all "Twin Peaks" fans. ABC's bizarre,
nighttime soap opera is in trouble, and its creators are looking for
help.
David Lynch and Mark Frost are asking fans to write letters
protesting the network's decision to place the series on hiatus.
"We feel that there's people out there that really love `Twin
Peaks,"' Lynch told reporters Friday. "We're in trouble and we need
their help."
A week earlier, the network announced the series would be pulled
following Saturday's episode. The season's remaining six shows will be
broadcast at later, undisclosed dates. ABC didn't say if the show would
return next fall.
Global Television, the Canadian licensee of "Twin Peaks," reported
receiving more than 700 calls after the announcement. An ABC spokeswoman
declined to disclose the number of calls received, but said the figure
was "roughly comparable."
Lynch and Frost beseeched fans to write ABC Entertainment President
Bob Iger and demand the soap opera return in a week-night time slot.
In September, the much-ballyhooed series about a fictional Northwest
lumber town was moved from Thursdays to Saturdays to reclaim the weekend
from the ever-encroaching cable and video rental markets.
The strategy failed. "Twin Peaks," despite a loyal cluster of fans,
plummeted to the bottom of the A.C. Nielsen Co. rankings.
Many fans were disappointed when the series concluded its first
season last summer without resolving the murder of homecoming queen
Laura Palmer, one of the most famous corpses in television history.
Since its debut, "Twin Peaks" has been praised by critics but ignored
by viewers. Its ratings consistently declined even before ABC moved its
time period.
Lynch said the show's Saturday time slot presented a dilemma for most
"Peaks Freaks," who are not home to watch it.
"Partying is very important to a great deal of people," he said.
Editor's Note: The address is Bob Iger, entertainment president, ABC,
2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, Calif., 90067.
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