Comments on: A damn fine cup of free entertainment.

A damn fine cup of free entertainment.

PM — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:42:59 -0800

CBS has made full episodes of Twin Peaks available online.

Their "Classics" page has other gems. [previously]

By: duvatney

duvatney — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:45:44 -0800

Hurrah!!!

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:46:33 -0800

I remember my freshman year of college, still riding a David Lynch kick out of high school, trying to track down every last episode of Season Two, available mostly as shoddy Swedish tv-rips (subtitles included!) on Kazaa. Way to take the fun out of it, CBS. Meanwhile, did anyone else hate the fact that the Season 2 DVD menus didn't match the Season 1 menus?

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:47:05 -0800

(Also: This is awesome, thanks PM!)

By: kkokkodalk

kkokkodalk — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:47:38 -0800

YES

By: taojones

taojones — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:47:39 -0800

Last I checked, you still couldn't see the pilot online, which could theoretically make the series hard to follow (as if it weren't already)...

By: gomichild

gomichild — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:48:42 -0800

But you can forget about it if you are outside of the USA.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:50:26 -0800

taojones - Try inadvertently watching the European pilot, which is meant to be a self-contained film that ties up loose ends, instead of the American one.

By: Dr-Baa

Dr-Baa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:50:51 -0800

What is the reasoning why the pilot is not available on DVD? I remember watching it on VHS, but it was the alternate version, which was meant to be a stand-alone story.

By: shmegegge

shmegegge — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:50:55 -0800

Now I can find out who killed Laura Palmer! Oh wait...

By: ZaneJ.

ZaneJ. — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:51:11 -0800

Bit torrent has made these available for a lot longer, though...

By: Dr-Baa

Dr-Baa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:51:58 -0800

Whoa.

By: kittens for breakfast

kittens for breakfast — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:54:56 -0800

What is the reasoning why the pilot is not available on DVD? It is. I think there was some rights issue, but whatever it was, it is now resolved.

By: Dr-Baa

Dr-Baa — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:57:00 -0800

Really? That's great. I bought the first season set when it came out years ago, but it didn't have the pilot.

By: plexi

plexi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:59:57 -0800

You can also catch up on Metafilter catching up on Laura Palmer's diary as weblog.

By: cadge

cadge — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:00:24 -0800

The pilot is available on DVD now (it wasn't for a long time). The latest box set has the whole awesome series.

By: jeffmik

jeffmik — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:01:14 -0800

I like how instead of simply displaying "Hey, because you're not in the US you cannot view this", the player opens at full volume and a recording plays "This content is currently unavailble" in annoying female robot voice.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:04:06 -0800

Last I checked, you still couldn't see the pilot online, which could theoretically make the series hard to follow. Funny.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:07:00 -0800

What is the reasoning why the pilot is not available on DVD? It is. I think there was some rights issue, but whatever it was, it is now resolved. Typically, the pilot is the piece that is owned by the production company, and developed in order to sell the series concept, which is the thing that is actually purchased by the network. In some cases, the pilot is so expensive, that it's really a "backdoor pilot." That is, it's produced in order to be sold as a series, but if that sale doesn't go through, it can be re-edited to become a standalone theatrical release. That's what happened with Twin Peaks: They filmed the pilot for $1.8 million with an agreement with ABC that they would shoot an additional "ending" to it so that it could be sold directly to video in Europe as a feature if the TV show was not picked up. That structure caused the who-owns-what rights issue that separated the pilot from VHS and DVD releases.

By: infinitewindow

infinitewindow — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:14:55 -0800

Cool Papa Bell, that's also what happened eventually with Mulholland Drive. For everyone who's wondering about the CBS full series box set versus Artisan's season one and CBS's season two, the video quality on the full series seems to me to be superior, but there are special features and audio features that (I think) are only available on the season one set from Artisan.

By: rtha

rtha — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:18:11 -0800

Oh, glory be! I guess I won't wallow in boredom when my spouse-for-life goes out of town this weekend!

By: owtytrof

owtytrof — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:18:26 -0800

I love this. Maybe it's time to finally rip my gold box set dvds and watch these on the train.

By: shakespeherian

shakespeherian — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:32:21 -0800

This is much higher quality than the old torrented ones I got however many years ago. A this resolution, I can now see that she doesn't look like his cousin. Not one bit.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:32:31 -0800

She's wrapped in plastic.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:13:27 -0800

Damn fine coffee.

By: the dief

the dief — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:16:25 -0800

This is where I bitch and moan about how it's not available outside the US. And here is where you shrug and say you don't care.

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:17:26 -0800

.ria eht ni cisum syawla s'ereht dna ,gnos ytterp a gnis sdrib eht ,morf er'ew erehW .sterces htiw dellif s'ehS

By: Slarty Bartfast

Slarty Bartfast — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:17:33 -0800

There was a fish in the percolator!

By: chuckdarwin

chuckdarwin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:18:58 -0800

My log wants to watch. Too bad my log doesn't have any eyes.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:19:19 -0800

That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I wish I could do that.

By: Turtles all the way down

Turtles all the way down — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:33:37 -0800

I am really fucking tired of "this content is unavailable...".

By: PM

PM — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:34:12 -0800

I care, dief. Here are some episodes you'll probably be able to watch, but they're of questionable quality and legality.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:38:44 -0800

I can do that thing with my tongue. But Sherilyn Fenn did it so much betterer.

By: exogenous

exogenous — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:38:57 -0800

That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I wish I could do that. In high school we used to spend hours in a diner bullshitting and practicing this. I think I managed once, but could not repeat.

By: sveskemus

sveskemus — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:43:23 -0800

Aw crap, I got excited there for a moment. I really wanted to watch this. :(

By: Pantengliopoli

Pantengliopoli — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:43:44 -0800

Sometimes my arms bend backwards... (thanks PM!)

By: butterstick

butterstick — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:44:06 -0800

Trust me, you can probably do the cherry thing. It's street magic. And thanks for the amazon link (glad mefi gets some love from that). The boxed set and Fire Walk With me are quite a deal, despite the fact that I own it on VHS already. That's right. TAPE BITCHES. ADD TO CART <----- click!

By: chihiro

chihiro — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:15:49 -0800

This is awesome. I have the Gold Box Set, but any additional access to Twin Peaks is a good thing. I've been trying to post the first episode to my Facebook -- you know, share the wealth. It keeps freezing up. Anyone have any success with that?

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:21:01 -0800

That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I wish I could do that. In high school we used to spend hours in a diner bullshitting and practicing this. I think I managed once, but could not repeat. You guys really suck at this. You probably think Penn really shoots Teller with a bullet. The trick is to put the stem into your mouth, then distract the person somehow and quickly take the stem out of your mouth. Then, under the table, you tie the stem with your hands, while you move your mouth and jaw around, as if, you know, you're really working at it. Finally, with a bit of sleight-of-hand, you hide the stem in your fingers, pretend to reach into your mouth to retrieve the stem and "pull" the now-tied stem out of your mouth with a bit of theatrical flourish. Voila.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:35:38 -0800

Or you could, you know, just hide a tied stem in your cheek. If you're into that whole brevity thing.

By: lampoil

lampoil — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:01:42 -0800

Ever since CBS launched this Classics thing, and hulu started putting up full episodes of older stuff like Mary Tyler Moore, I've been waiting for Murphy Brown. Hear that, internet? I want to watch episodes of Murphy Brown with limited commercial interruption on you! I will watch this, though, too.

By: willie11

willie11 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:04:18 -0800

And CBS now has my love, undying love. This must be where pies go when they die.

By: painquale

painquale — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:07:31 -0800

The SNL Twin Peaks parody is amazing. They matched up actor to character perfectly.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:38:46 -0800

The SNL Twin Peaks parody is amazing. Holy shit. Is that Conan O'Brian in the background holding Chris Farley?

By: nosila

nosila — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:36:02 -0800

Aw, yeah. After a long day, my happy ass is headed into the Twilight Zone.

By: brevator

brevator — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:15:41 -0800

That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I wish I could do her.

By: Kimothy

Kimothy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:19:02 -0800

I think my parents only watched a little more than the first season. But I still remember watching it without them. Pretty sure this show is the reason why I've always wanted to have a pair of those boots that let you hang upside-down. Now I have to find the pilot somewhere so I can remember more than a frozen girl in a weird town... P.S. I can really do the cherry thing. It's genetic. :)

By: painquale

painquale — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:25:24 -0800

Holy shit. Is that Conan O'Brian in the background holding Chris Farley? Yep, Conan plays Andy. He doesn't even have a speaking line, and it's still perfect.

By: zardoz

zardoz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:37:11 -0800

CBS? Wasn't this an ABC show?

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:11:06 -0800

Thanks for this post! CBS seems to have left out the last episode of Season Two ("Beyond Life and Death"). And yes, it was originally on ABC.

By: BaxterG4

BaxterG4 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:05:44 -0800

For someone who's never seen the show -- what's this about the pilot? Do I need to find and watch that before I watch these?

By: crossoverman

crossoverman — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:51:29 -0800

Yes, you need to find the pilot - the TV version of the pilot. Not the "European version" which has an alternate ending that will sort of ruin surprises later in the series. It's so complicated! Also, I can't believe those episode titles have now become accepted as "official". I believe they originated in a German TV guide back in the mid-90s - which is why they are so bland and mostly meaningless. Great to have them online, but buy the Gold Edition DVD box set - it has both versions of the pilot and the whole series. And some decent extras.

By: IvoShandor

IvoShandor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:52:56 -0800

I have always wanted to watch this show, as much as I knock David Lynch. Is there somewhere to find the pilot? If I know Lynch not watching the pilot would be bad.

By: painquale

painquale — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:09:01 -0800

The pilot is in the complete box set. I had never seen the pilot until a couple of months ago. It's good to see, but it really is possible to miss it and to understand most everything about the series without becoming confused (well, Ronette Polaski is a little mysterious without the pilot). Don't let missing the pilot keep you from watching the rest of the series if you absolutely cannot get your hands on it. The best thing about the pilot is that you actually get to see the teenagers in school. When I watched the pilot for the first time it was actually kind of weird to see Bobby and Audrey and the rest of them attending class. It made them feel a lot younger. By the end of the series, certain characters who were supposed to be teenagers felt like they were about thirty years old (I'm not mentioning names to avoid spoilers).

By: adipocere

adipocere — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:16:23 -0800

Yeah, I have the hideous "long play" VHS tapes, the original DVD release of season one, and now the gold box. And, uh ... the books. All of them. *hides* All I want now is the rumored but yet to be released four hour cut of Fire Walk With Me, which sounds like it would clear things right up. In as much as Lynch was into the coherency thing back then. And, uh, Cool Papa Bell? The cherry stem thing can be done. I knew a gal who could do it, when I went to high school in St. Louis. No sleight of hand, either. Her record was three knots in one stem. Given that there was only one cherry on the table at the time and her hands didn't go under the table, it's the real deal. She was a reliable hit at parties, where she could be coaxed into a performance with a reasonably long-stemmed cherry and a stiff drink. Like we're back at One-Eyed Jacks.

By: tim_in_oz

tim_in_oz — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:42:25 -0800

> That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I wish I could do that. > posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:19 AM on September 11 [+] [!] You know, you could re-arrange the words Audrey, tongue, stem and cherry, add a few verbs and I'd much rather do *that*.

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:30:41 -0800

How to tie a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue. But there's so much more to this show. Me, I want to be Windom Earle when I grow up.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:06:47 -0800

A Guide to Twin Peaks.

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:30:43 -0800

It is happening again. It is happening again.

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:33:27 -0800

That thing Audrey did with the tongue and the cherry stem? I used to do it all the time when I was barbacking and had an unlimited supply of cherry stems. It's really quite easy. However, looking smoking hot - even looking less than ridiculous - is almost impossible while rolling your tongue around trying to get the thing tied. No wait, not almost. Is.

By: Artw

Artw — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:47:07 -0800

And, uh ... the books. All of them. I see that and raise you Wild Palms and two awful adventure books staring Sir Arthur Conann Doyle, all by Mark Frost.

By: adipocere

adipocere — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:07:23 -0800

I'm not the only person with the Wild Palms reader, I guess. *fear*

By: Artw

Artw — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:22:19 -0800

*WE* remember you, Mark Frost! It's not all Lynch, Lynch, Lynch! Though seriously, those two Doyle books were pretty awful.

By: Artw

Artw — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:25:04 -0800

Looks liek he was also partial responsible for the awful silver surfer film... though to be fair no-ones efforst could have prevented that being the terrobortion that it was.

By: Artw

Artw — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:26:57 -0800

..and, er, he had nothing to do with the writing of Wild Palms, I must have misremembered that.

By: lunit

lunit — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:33:58 -0800

Yay!

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:36:18 -0800

And, uh ... the books. All of them. But do you have all the issues of Wrapped in Plastic?

By: diaperdad

diaperdad — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 08:14:41 -0800

Classic TV

By: 2TheTopMarketing

2TheTopMarketing — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:12:45 -0800

YES... this really was one of the best shows on TV. This wasn't the typical happy ending tv show, or the family comedy, or any of this reality TV BS... this was a clever and very artistic show. We need more of these.