Everything you need to know about Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American mystery drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, following FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper as he’s sent to smalltown Washington to investigate a murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer.
With the help of local Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Cooper finds himself in over his head as he tries to solve the mystery of who killed her.
However, soon things take a turn, with supernatural elements and offbeat residents making Cooper get more than he bargained for, with nothing being what it seems.
The series, which first launched in 1990, became an international cult hit thanks to its off-kilter and surreal storytelling practices, and initially ran for two seasons.
A spin-off prequel movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, premiered in 1992, with the show also sparking tie-in books as well.
The series was later revived for Twin Peaks: The Return, which aired in 2017 for one season.
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Who stars in Twin Peaks and where have we seen them before?
Twin Peaks is based around a small town with several major players across the multiple seasons.
Key cast members for the show include:
- Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives, Showgirls) as Agent Dale Cooper
- Michael Ontkean (North Shore, The Descendants) as Sheriff Harry S. Truman
- Mädchen Amick (Riverdale, Witches of East End) as Shelly Johnson
- Dana Ashbrook (Crash, The Kill Point) as Bobby Briggs, Laura's boyfriend
- Richard Beymer (West Side Story, Paper Dolls) as Benjamin Horne
- Lara Flynn Boyle (Wayne’s World, Men In Black II) as Donna Hayward
- Sherilyn Fenn (Shining Vale, Ray Donovan) as Audrey Horne
- Warren Frost (Matlock, The Byrds of Paradise) as Dr. Will Hayward
- Peggy Lipton (The Mod Squad, When In Rome) as Norma Jennings
- James Marshall (A Few Good Men, The Pact) as James Hurley
- Everett McGill (Heartbreak Ridge, The Straight Story) as Ed Hurley
- Jack Nance (Eraserhead, Dune) as Pete Martell
- Ray Wise (Fresh Off The Boat, Reaper) as Leland Palmer
- Joan Chen (A Murder At The End Of The World, Judge Dredd) as Josie Packard
- Piper Laurie (Carrie, The Faculty) as Catherine Martell
How many episodes of Twin Peaks are there?
Twin Peaks has run for a total of 48 episodes across the three seasons that aired.
Season one ran for only eight episodes, before season two was boosted to 22 episodes.
Each episode runs for 45 minutes to an hour.
Season three/Twin Peaks: The Return, ran for 18 episodes.
What is the age rating of Twin Peaks?
Twin Peaks official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is 15 for the overall series.
This means this is not suitable for children or younger teens.
However, there are some episodes officially classed as 12 (not suitable for children), and one episode classed as PG (suitable for children with parental supervision).
Reasons for this rating is due to the show containing:
- Common use of intense and frightening scenes some may find upsetting to watch
- Surrealist sequences designed to upset/scare including jumpscares, bizarre imagery and disturbing characters
- Some depictions and inferences of sex (though not explicitly shown)
- Discussions of instances of rape and sexual assault
- Frequent discussions of sex work, pornography and sex workers
- Minor depictions of blood and gore
- Some violence including fist fights
- Depictions of dead bodies including post-suicide and murder
- Minor depictions of gun violence
- Mild profanity
- Drug use and abuse as a central plot point - most notably cocaine
- Scenes of domestic abuse some may find upsetting
How to watch Twin Peaks in the UK
Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: The Return are both available to watch in full now on Paramount+.
Because we strive to bring you the best, Paramount+ is available for Sky customers with Sky Cinema at absolutely no extra cost.
If you already have Paramount+, you can connect it to your Sky account.
You can find out how to do so here.
Find out more about what shows are on Paramount+ here.
