Subject: "ABC Aims to Avoid 'Twin Peaks' Error With New Format" From: Ty Warner Date: 1992-02-11, 12:20 Newsgroups: alt.tv.twin-peaks Wall Street Journal, Feb. 10, 1992, p.B7B, reprinted without permission: " NEW YORK - Remember 'Twin Peaks'? The loopy and sinister series on the ABC network seized the attention of viewers and critics in 1990, but then deteriorated into an industry joke before ABC killed it in June 1991. " To prevent this costly mistake - letting a series with limited potential stay on past its useful run - ABC is introducing sort of midi-series, longer than a four-hour miniseries but shorter than the regular series run of 13 to 22 episodes. " The Capital Cities/ABC Inc. unit is enlisting novelist Judith Krantz and movie director Oliver Stone to shepherd the new form, which ABC calls the 'event series.' Terms weren't disclosed. Ms. Krantz has written several best-selling novels, which have been turned into miniseries on rival networks. Mr. Stone's movies include 'JFK,' 'Wall Street' and 'Platoon.' " ABC executives said the new approach is a way to use high-profile talent and big budgets to ensure a low-risk success, then drop the show when the talent departs for other projects. Film director David Lynch was heavily involved in 'Twin Peaks' at the start but soon left the series to others. " If 'Twin Peaks' had settled for just a limited run and disappeared after revealing who killed Laura Palmer, 'it would have been hailed as landmark television. Instead we expected it to be a multiple-year series,' but it didn't have 'creative strength,' said ABC Entertainment President Roger A. Iger. " Each midi-series would last six to eight hours and would be aired on a weekly basis at the same time and on the same night. ABC said it signed Ms. Krantz to a long-range agreement for two 'event series' and three other projects, including a miniseries of her forthcoming novel, 'Scruples Two,' and two original two-hour movies based on Krantz stories. " Neither ABC nor Mr. Stone's production company, Ixtlan Corp., would comment on the director's project. ABC also signed Steven Spielberg to create a two-hour movie, 'Class of '61,' which may become a midi-series or regular series."