‘Twin Peaks’ fans celebrate 35 years since show debuted: “It honestly changed television forever”

Fans of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks have been celebrating on the 35th anniversary of the show’s original debut.

• READ MORE: David Lynch – 1946-2025: a true visionary who reinvented cinema

The legendarily mysterious and surreal show is seen as one of the purest distillations of Lynch’s unique vision, and the pilot episode, colloquially known as Northwest Passage, premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990.

The episode introduced FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), who is investigating the death of popular high school student Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), a crime he believes is connected to a murder case from a year earlier.

The anniversary of the pilot is particularly poignant, arriving just months after Lynch passed away at his daughter’s home in Los Angeles after having been evacuated during the city’s devastating wildfires. He was 78 years old.

Fans of the show have been taking to social media to share in their memories and to celebrate all things Twin Peaks. “It honestly changed television forever,” wrote one X user. “We are all still trying to catch up!”

happy 35 years to the twin peaks pilot. it honestly changed television forever. we are all still trying to catch up! pic.twitter.com/PAuz6r0dJ3

— george griffiths (@georgegriffiths) April 8, 2025

See other celebrations of Twin Peaks’ 35th birthday below.

Happy 35th Birthday Twin Peaks.

Who knew how much you would change the world and people’s lives.

Thank you David Lynch, Mark Frost and all the cast and crew for this beautiful show Read More