Twin Peaks: Season One (UK)

MOVIE
Well, the series anyway. Before I watched this, I had never seen any David Lynch works, now, after watching this, I want to get everything! Well, maybe not Dune...
This series had such a powerful effect on me, and, is without doubt the greatest TV show I`ve ever seen, far and away better than it`s modern equivalent, 24. Screened in 1990, Twin Peaks opens on the small town of Twin Peaks, on the US, Canadian border. The best way to describe the show is a soap-cum-comedy-cum-thriller-cum-murder mystery. It is essentially, in the way it is acted and shot a soap opera, but concerns the devious goings on of the main characters in the town. The series opens on Laura Palmers mysterious death, and the rest of the series revolves around the very odd Detective Cooper trying to discover whodunnit, but it does have several other storylines around this, like the Wood Mill books, the Hotels Viking Deal and also drugs thrown in as well. Although only one episode is directed by Lynch in this series, the show is very, very Lynchian/wierd, and I highly recommend it to everyone, but particularly those who enjoy murder mystery or comedy, of a very dark and surreal nature. Don`t expect to know whats going on at all, it`s very confusing, and by the end of the series, it leaves umpteen cliffhangers, and I for one cannot wait for series two to be released.

VIDEO
The video quality of Twin Peaks, for a TV series from 1990 is incredible. It has been remastered beautiffuly, and the wonderful colour palette is brought to the fore in each episode. There is some lack of detail, but this is due to the softness of the look of the show, as it is meant to be filmed in the style of an old soap. This gives it a wonderful 50`s yet timeless look, but none the less, it is the best you will ever see it, except for one episode...The pilot episode has not been remastered as it was put onto the R2 set at the last minute. The actual series was mastered by an American Company, and the rights bought to R2, so the pilot episode, not available on the R1 oxset was never remastered. It is still reasonable though, and an essential inclusion.

AUDIO
We have lost the DTS off the R1 boxset, but the 5.1 is still very good and very well mixed from the original source. Surrounds are well used, and while it isn`t, and I didn`t expect it to be of reference quality, for a 10 year old TV show, it sounds remarkably good, with all the dialogue and the wonderfully haunting soundtrack being well produced. There are however some odd noises that appear at certain points in the show. They are some background horn/beeping sounds, but as they only appear when a certain location is on show, I assume it is background noise, and meant to be there. The pilot is only in 2.0 stereo, but is still of good quality.

EXTRAS
Now, I haven`t watched all the extras, as alledgedly they reveal Laura Palmers killer, and I don`t wish to know this till i see the inevitable release of the second series.There are however commentaries on every episode (none from Lynch), episode notes, interviews (none with Lynch) and a few short but insightful featurettes. The commentaries I have heard do sound excellent and well worth a listen. Most of the extras are on the fourth disc. Also of note are the menus systems, which use the haunting soundtrack and beautiful imagery to really create a mood for the series. Leaving the menu on creates great background music to!

OVERALL
The best TV show I have ever seen, and far better than many films I have seen, this is an essentail purchase. It is wonderfully remastered, with a nice set of extras, and wonderfully packaged. A little expensive at it`s full price of £50 (for only 7 eps. plus the pilot thats a lot) but well worth it. If you can get it cheaper than that (mine cost £25) great. Buy it now, and remember, that`s damn fine coffee...