By Andy Burns

ECW Press, available now

The bite-sized Pop Classics range takes a look at the impact and legacy of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s landmark TV show and shares some damn fine insight and opinion on the phenomenon.

One of the problems with writing about Twin Peaks is that you can’t really write anything definitive. True, you could do an episode guide containing all credits and plot synopses, but when it comes to meaning… you’re on your own. Lynch and Frost (Lynch particularly) have no intention in explaining what’s going on and for this reason you won’t find DVD commentaries or text notes in the series box sets. It means what it means – and there’s a great moment in Burns’ book where he refers to a scene relayed by Michael Anderson about Lynch’s irritation when the actor was trying to find context. As far as Lynch was concerned, the scene was the scene. End of.

This inability to write the absolute truth about the meaning of the show is great news for authors, as you can share your theories without fear of being shouted down. Andy Burns’ concise booklet (it clocks in at 100 pages plus appendices) has no intention of explaining the significance of the blue rose or the owls and instead reports on what actually happened. Captivated by the show at 13 (Sheryl Lee would later remonstrate him for watching at such a tender age), the author has a passion for not just the narrative but the culture that grew up around it.

We get a good overview of the TV landscape that the show appeared in, with potted biographies of the creators. Original viewing figures are shared, as well as frequent reference to individual episodes, listed both by their episode code and lesser-known title. Of great interest is the section on the different directors that worked on the show, including the disastrous effort by Uli Edel.

Burns still takes the time to examine some of the shows motifs and themes – the use of the doppelgänger, the dynamic between strong powerful man and young female – citing less obvious examples alongside the more apparent ones. There’s also a section which looks at the subsequent TV series that were not only directly influenced by Twin Peaks but would likely not even exist had it not been for Lynch and Frost’s work – though strangely no mention of Wild Palms. I’m certainly going to dig out the ‘Dual Spires’ episode of Psych that features a number of Twin Peaks alumni.

Verdict: Written just after it was announced that the show would be returning as a nine-episode series, things have subsequently changed a lot in the world of Twin Peaks. What hasn’t changed is the enthusiasm that Andy Burns brings to his subject matter, a refreshingly non-academic overview that lives as much behind the scenes as in-universe.  7/10

Nick Joy