The Cult Following: David Lynch’s Twin Peaks Inspired All Of These TV Shows

Twin Peaks went off the air on June 10, 1991. The show left behind a lot of unanswered questions and a legion of passionate fans. Ever since then, a ton of showrunners and writers have looked to David Lynch and Mark Frost’s cult following phenomenon for inspiration.

There have been a handful of mysteries, melodramas and quirky comedies that are old, new, and some network hits. They borrowed the elements of Twin Peaks and ran with them. All of these well-known series have been built off of Peaks foundation.

Northern Exposure Aired A Few Months After Twin Peaks Premiered

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Photo Credit: NBCUniversal Television Distribution/MovieStillsDb

The CBS program premiered a few months after Twin Peaks. This low-key comedy made it the happier twin to Lynch’s darker show.

The show was filled with eccentrics like outsider Dr. Joel Fleischman or the Log Lady who didn’t feel out of place amongst the other residents of the show. Northern Exposure may be a higher latitude than the Pacific Northwest, but it won 27 awards during its five-year run.