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You might recognize Ben Mackey’s name because of his kick-ass Twin Peaks tarot cards or Sean Lewis for his work on This American Life. How the hell did these two guys meet? We're about to find out.

Our long national nightmare is over, as after a month long contract standoff, Showtime and David Lynch have announced that the reclusive auteur will indeed be returning to helm Showtime’s relaunch of the cult classic, Twin Peaks:

Lynch himself took to Twitter with the news:

Dear Twitter Friends, the rumors are not what they seem ….. It is !!! Happening again. #TwinPeaks returns on @SHO_Network

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) May 16, 2015

This is not the only good news though, as Showtime has also committed to more episodes than originally planned, per Showtime President David Nevins:

This damn fine cup of coffee from Mark and David tastes more delicious than ever. Totally worth the extra brewing time and the cup is even bigger than we expected. David will direct the whole thing which will total more than the originally announced nine hours. Preproduction starts now!!

This news follows a viral #SaveTwinPeaks campaign that fans took to, along with its stars, all backing the return of the acclaimed filmmaker and show co-creator.

The new Twin Peaks will air in 2016, and you may now resume your initial level of excitement!

It was probably too good to be true.

Amid rumors last month that the production had hit a few financial snags, and even more dire whispers that had begun to leak out of WonderCon this afternoon, David Lynch took to Twitter to confirm all your worst fears: he will not be returning to direct Showtime’s Twin Peaks relaunch in 2016:

Dear Twitter Friends, Showtime did not pull the plug on Twin Peaks.

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015

After 1 year and 4 months of negotiations, I left because not enough money was offered to do the script the way I felt it needed to be done. — David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015

This weekend I started to call actors to let them know I would not be directing. Twin Peaks may still be very much alive at Showtime.

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015

I love the world of Twin Peaks and wish things could have worked out differently. — David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) April 5, 2015

Lynch was originally scheduled to direct all 9 episodes of the upcoming limited series, but with this sudden departure, the entire endeavor is now in question. 

Is it possible Showtime could continue on without Lynch? Absolutely, especially if the Lynch/Mark Frost scripts are already in place, but would we want to see more Twin Peaks through the lens of another creative talent? Sadly, the only example of this we have to go on is the much maligned second season of the series, which saw the ongoing adventures of James Hurley and this…

…among many other questionable decisions. Twin Peaks is such a particular property, that is clearly the product of two unique minds, it’s hard to imagine your average Dexter helmer coming in and being able to do it any justice.

Showtime has yet to comment on Lynch’s announcement, but with actors already lined up to return, including star Kyle MacLachlan; the ball is very much in their court. 

It is also very possible Lynch’s public declaration may move Showtime to give him what he wants. We’ll find out soon enough.

UPDATE: Showtime has released the following statement:

We were saddened to read David Lynch’s statement today since we believed we were working towards solutions with David and his reps on the few remaining deal points. Showtime also loves the world of Twin Peaks and we continue to hold out hope that we can bring it back in all its glory with both of its extraordinary creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, at its helm.

MacLachlan as Dale Cooper..today!

Today at the Television Critics Association meeting, a nice surprise greeted those in attendance during Showtime’s presentation. Kyle MacLachlan, the star of Twin Peaks in its original run has signed a deal to headline the new series that’s coming to the premium channel next year.

MacLachlan came out unannounced, in full Dale Cooper’s signature attire, and offered Showtime head David Nevins coffee while saying his iconic “Damn good coffee” phrase.

As we reported months ago when it was first announced, Showtime’s iteration of Twin Peaks will take place over 20 years after the conclusion of the second season…where we left Agent Cooper in a not so great spot.

You can currently see MacLachlan on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. which resumes its second season on March 3rd.

Now, I’m just waiting for that Dana Ashbrook/Bobby Briggs announcement. I’ve been practicing my jailhouse bark for years.

Dear Twitter Friends: That gum you like is going to come back in style! #damngoodcoffee

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) October 3, 2014

That gum you like IS coming back in style. Following that above not very cryptic at all really tweet by Twin Peaks creator David Lynch, today he and series co-creator Mark Frost both tweeted at 11:30

Dear Twitter Friends… it is happening again. http://t.co/r0l9rhK4eB #damngoodcoffee

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) October 6, 2014

11:30 is the time of day that Agent Dale Cooper entered Twin Peaks, and using a time stamp and two line that prophesied the return of the show nearly 25 years ago to announce it’s return…well, already I like this style.

As confirmed by Deadline Twin Peaks will return as a 9 episode mini-series on Showtime, with Lynch and Frost writing all 9 and Lynch directing them all. The show will run in 2016. Nelli Andreeva supplied some scuttlebutt:

I hear the new Twin Peaks will be set in the present day, more than two decades after the events in the first two seasons. It is expected to continue the lore and story of the original series, with Lynch and Frost committed to providing long-awaited answers and, hopefully, a satisfying conclusion to the series. It is unclear which actors from the original series will be featured in the followup. Rumor is that star Kyle MacLachlan would be back, likely reprising his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper who was at the center of the show. The ABC series also featured some of Lynch’s favorite character actors, and it is likely that at least some of them will return.

Although in the past director Lynch disavowed any interest in finishing the show, I guess the current spate of 90 nostalgia changed his mind, fueled by the rapturous reception of the Bu-Ray release of the complete remastered show.

Twin Peaks first aired in 1990 and ran for 30 episodes—the central storyline involved the arrival of FBI agent Dale cooper into a small Northwestern town to investigate the murder of a high school prom queen named Laura Palmer who was anything but the “normal” girl she seemed to be. It was weird, amazing, baffling and sexy. It was the first truly auteur fueled show to become water cooler talk in America. It was also grossly misunderstood by the network, which insisted that Lynch and Frost solve the main mystery that fueled the show. The result was a terrifyingly swift decline in quality AND rating and cancellation after a handful of episodes.

You see, the message of Twin Peaks was that “normalcy” was a construct and the world was a weird and random place where we attempt to impose our own patterns. ABC, like other networks, was pledged to elevating the normal and typical in search of the LCD ratings smash.

Since then, mostly thanks to HBO, networks no longer call the shots, the internet gives us proof every day that every one is a nutter with secret fetishes, and the showrunner is the most important person in the equation. Vince Gilligan and Dan HArmon are the household names, not Fred Silverman and Brandon Tartikoff.

In the 25 years since Twin Peaks (and its obscure follow up On The Air) aired, Mark Frost has written a couple of Fantastic Four movies and some books. Lynch has pretty much continued to turn out material in peak form, and, to be fair, a lot of oddities. As impossible to return home again it may be, I’m not too fussed about the dangers of returning to the past this time out. Despite all protestations, Lynch and Frost seem to have been preparing for this for a while.

By Alexander Jones

Twin Peaks fans have been eagerly awaiting the Twin Peaks: The Complete Mystery DVD since it was announced. During the panel for the show on Saturday night, some mysteries about the show were revealed, such as both the Fire Walk With Me and the deleted scenes from the original show. Meaning, that this is as close as we are going to get to everything about the show ever shot on one single DVD collection. With the added bonus of a visual HD restoration to the package–speaking of the packaging, this includes a wonderful package featuring the ominous face of Laura Palmer in the flesh or more like wrapped in plastic. Take a look at the following interview conducted with CBS General Manager Kenneth B. Ross, along with actress Kimmy Robertson chiming in towards the end in order to get the primer on what to expect for the new DVD box set. 

During that call at the panel you mentioned that you acquired a full 88 minutes worth of footage, and that you also scored it and restored it. So how long did it take between the team getting the new footage, and then getting it ready for the showing on Tuesday?

Ross: David and his team are the ones that did it. I really don’t recall exactly how long the work took because I was so immersed with all the details of working it out, and France was involved and it was CBS, and it was David Lynch, and it was MK2, and this had been going on for years literally. The physical post-production work took about 8-9 months to deliver the elements.

After all this time, this television show has really become iconic, and it has influenced so many other pieces of media from comic books–to other television series. Do you have any idea on what has sparked the new interest on the show? At the panel beforehand there was a good amount of people in attendance.

Ross: I think that you know in the entertainment business, and I think I said I touched on this on the panel so I apologize if I was repeating this, but I there’s a word called ‘classic’ some people say ‘cult’ some people say ‘classic’ some say ‘evergreen’ you know the Sound of Music is still loved today. I was involved in putting the I Love Lucy Christmas special on CBS last Christmas, and it got the highest rating in the time setting. You know a show that was fifty plus years old because people still love Lucy. Kimmy: I watched it. Ross: People love I Love Lucy. This is one of those properties, and there are not a lot of them, but a bunch of them where the love, never the flame, never the fire, never and so what it’s about is it’s showing it in a way that it has never been experienced before which is what we are trying to do–in terms of technology to make the experience as satisfying as possible picture, audio, etc. By showing more than you’ve ever seen before–new high definition scenes, deleted scenes from the series, lastly what the fans have been clamoring for for nearly 20 years–the Fire Walk With Me deleted scenes. Then you have the entire fan base to them. I read a tweet that Brian showed me that made me as happy as I can be when we walked into this room, because I had said all along you come to Comic-Con. I have been a comic collector since I have been a kid. Comic-Con for me was I live in New York, I used to go to to the McAlpin Hotel, I am talking about 40 years ago and buy comic books that were in baggies you know with my friends and that’s what Comic-Con was you know. There was no show business, no Hollywood, no actors, none of that, and now I don’t have to tell you guys what it is; but I knew that this property Twin Peaks was like a pillar of Comic-Con and the Comic-Con community. Just like Star Trek for example. People here would go wild and love it, and the tweet was; I heard Marvel announced something blah blah blah, Twin Peaks is coming out at Comic-Con and this is amazing. That is sort of my answer to your question, it is sort of as relevant as it has ever been. I actually think it’s more relevant than it has ever been because there is so much media drawing from it.

Ross: As you say, think about the shows where the creators you know, I mean David Chase has said that inspires him and on and on and on think about the shows that wouldn’t exist today if not for Twin Peaks having come out and changed the landscape of television.

Kimmy Robertson: I heard Mark Burnett on the radio yesterday or the day before saying Survivor– that he got the guts to do that because of Twin Peaks. Survivor! Mark Burnett!

Ross: Another CBS show!

My log saw something—and it’s wrapped in plastic. Could it be….TWIN PEAKS: THE ENTIRE MYSTERY, a new Blue Ray set that includes the long lost 90 minutes of missing and alternate footage from Fire Walk With Me?

Between Hill Street Blues, justout on Blu-Ray, and Twin Peaks, you have the momma and poppa of everything you like on TV now. Hill Street Blues introduced the ongoing storyline format, recurring characters and jarring, gritty drama. Twin Peaks introduced great direction, lingering mysteries and eccentric humor.

Unearthing the dark secrets of a seemingly normal town somewhere in the primordial rain forests of Washington State, Twin Peaks followed the lantern jawed G-men and angora-sweatered high school girls as they confronted dreams, darkness and dwarves. Following up on the themes from Blue Velvet, director David Lynch made a show so addictive that Agent Cooper’s coffee fixation is said to have helped fuel the Starbucks boom.

Twin Peaks proved that you didn’t have to explain EVERYTHING for a show to make sense. Unfortunately, network executives of the time (1990-1991) did not get this and forced creators Lynch and Mark Frost to solve the central mystery of Laura Palmer’s death. The result was a silly show that had its guts ripped out and ended smack dab in the middle of a cliffhanger never to be resolved. The show was followed by a film called TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME that was, um, confusing, borderline awful. BUT NOW FINALLY the truth can be revealed as CBS is releasing a 7 disc Blue Ray set that includes 90 minutes of out takes and an alternate ending supervised by Lynch himself:

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s groundbreaking cult phenomenon, TWIN PEAKS — THE ENTIRE MYSTERY, arrives on Blu-ray July 29th with the debut of nearly 90 minutes of deleted/alternate scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. The long-awaited missing pieces from the original version of the film is often referred to as the “holy grail” of Twin Peaks fandom, and can only be found as part of this collection.

Presented as a feature-length experience, “The Missing Pieces” has been directed and edited by Lynch exclusively for this release. Capping off more than 30 deleted/alternate scenes is an epilogue providing a fascinating glimpse beyond the cliffhanger finale of the TV series.

With the July 29th timing, I’d expect to see ALL the stops run out for this at San Diego. Just a guess. And I need to be at that party!!!

Twin Peaks and Buffy are the cornerstones of 90s nostalgia. I rewatched the entire Twin Peaks opus five or six years ago and it held up amazingly. I can’t help but wonder why networks are so much smarter now? I guess HBO showed that you could do smart television without second guessing the people making it, and everyone followed suit.

Twin Peaks may have been equalled but never surpassed, and just in time for flannel shirts and doc martins, the original is back.

CBS Video has set up a tumblr called andthemissingpieces.tumblr.com/ where you can follow along at home.

You know Scott Campbell, right? Scottlava? Showdowns, Double Fine Action Comics, etc? This guy is the best, and a sweetheart happy bro on top of it. Here’s a great example: this Twin Peaks painting is awesome, AND Scott just posted a series of photos of his process, so you can follow along at home. So great!

scott c: TWIN PEAKS making of

A few weeks ago, we were joined by two wonderful new publicity assistants, Nick and Bobby. Now that they’re settled in, I decided it was time to harass properly introduce them to you. Hopefully this (incredibly interesting) Q&A will show how lucky we are to have them on board.

Do you speak (or pretend to speak) any other languages?

Nick: Yes, Farsi. My parents were born and raised in Iran. They came to the US to continue their studies at college. They met here in the States and a few years later I entered the picture. My first language was, in fact, Farsi. I grew up in a house where my parents and grandparents both spoke to me in Farsi. I did not learn English until I was in early elementary school. Looking back, this now explains so much…

Bobby: I studied Spanish up until sophomore year of college, but I can’t really call what I do with the language “speaking” it.  I also studied some Japanese when I studied abroad, and I can now ask where the train station is, I think.

What is your favorite book that was not originally published in English?

Nick: War and Peace. I read it for the first time a few years back after my brother continuously insisted on my commitment to finishing the behemoth of a book. Finally, I gave in and I am now forever indebted to him. This book is my bible and is undoubtedly this best piece of literature ever created. It is both a beautiful story as well as a deep philosophical piece that proves to be a perpetually modern novel that will never lose its relevance in society. This is the only intellectual answer I will provide, promise.

Bobby: Labyrinths by Borges, which might not count since it’s a collection of short stories.  No other author has inspired so many moments of disturbed awe and wonder for me.  I like when a book freaks me out enough that I have to leave the room.

Fill in the blank: Don’t stop _____________.
a) believing
b) ’til you get enough
c) the music

Nick: ’til you get enough.

Bobby: Believing, duh.

What’s your favorite viral video?

Nick: Does Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video count?

Bobby: Stalking cat.

Which is more awesome: a Jesus Christ lizard, or a 0 Comments on Meet the New Assistants! as of 1/1/1900