It Came from the ’90s: Alan Thicke Explains Twin Peaks

To celebrate their then-new shows Twin Peaks and Cop Rock, ABC aired a half-hour special in the fall of 1990 that introduced viewers to these programs. Hosted by the late, great Alan Thicke, this special is an absolute time capsule of what American pop culture was like in 1990…complete with a head-scratching appearance by Madonna‘s “Vogue” on the soundtrack.

The most interesting aspect of this video curiosity is watching Alan Thicke break down the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer to a prime time audience otherwise unaware of Twin Peaks‘ central mystery and the characters of the show. It may not have made the second season more palpable to viewers, but this clip does illustrate just how massive the David Lynch series was nearly 30 years ago.

As for Cop Rock, we’re still waiting for that show’s comeback.

Previously on MovieFanFare: Remembering “Growing Pains” Star Alan Thicke

This article originally ran in 2017 and is being reprinted today as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Twin Peaks.