The Lynch Meditations 10: Twin Peaks Pilot Alternate Version (1990)

This is basically the same as the broadcast pilot but with an ending involving a one-armed man discharging a revolver into another man presented as Laura Palmer's killer, and an extended dream sequence shot for a later episode involving Agent Dale Cooper in the Black Lodge and listening to the Man in the Red Suit as he says weird shit, and then does a dance.

I'm trying to avoid spoilers if you've never seen Twin Peaks. I don't know how much longer I can hold out. Once I get to Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, I'll probably be at Full Spoilers, so be warned.

If you've seen Twin Peaks, like I have, I'm guessing you are going to be underwhelmed by this alternate version of the pilot, though it is not terribly done in and of itself. I consider it largely superfluous-an artifact of the convoluted processes of getting a network contract for an entire series as opposed to a movie that truly stands on its own.

I first watched this alternate version sometime in late 1999 or early 2000. I recall renting a Warner Home Video VHS at a Blockbuster, confused that the real deal pilot was nowhere to be found in terms of an official release ("official release" . . . sounds kinky!) and so I had to tape the actual pilot during a rebroadcast on one of the cable networks that was re-running some-but not all-of the Season One and Season Two episodes. I want to say it was the Bravo channel, but I don't recall, exactly.

Anyways, all this confusion really doesn't matter anymore. The complete run of all three seasons of Twin Peaks has been released in numerous formats, and if you try hard enough or spend enough money you can get 'em all in one place, and watch 'em real convenient-like. Such is the wonder of our digital age!

Onwards . . .

NEXT: 3/8/18: Twin Peaks Episode Two (1990)

The Lynch Meditations -10

The Twin Peaks pilot was re-edited and released with additional footage as a stand alone feature length movie to be shown on European TV. I think. That's what I've read. I wasn't there, you know? This was done to get some value out of the production of the pilot in case it wasn't approved to become a series by the network.

Later, David Lynch and his collaborators would shoot a television pilot called Mulholland Dr. which was not approved to become a series, and so Lynch and co. took out a scene or two, shot more footage, and released it as a feature film which became nominated for many awards, and is regarded by some as Lynch's masterpiece. Is that where the New Golden Age of Television began? I probably shouldn't ask such grandiose questions about TV since I don't much care for it. Or was it The Simpsons? That show's going strong even today . . . Futurama's pretty good, too . . . I liked that South Park movie but the TV show got kinda long in the tooth for me . . .

So, if you end up with a pilot that a network doesn't want, you can go make a movie out of it. Or just dump it on YouTube so it doesn't have a shot at competing against snarky comedy movie reviews and inane unboxing videos. YouTube is fun.