Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Twin Peaks Got Snubbed Because the Emmys Don't Appreciate Art
Fans are livid that the revolutionary show got shut out of major categories
Twin Peaks: The Return, David Lynch's beautiful hallucination of a limited series from last year, earned nine nominations for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, mostly in technical categories. It did not get nominated for Outstanding Limited Series. Kyle MacLachlan was not nominated for his extraordinary performance as Agent Cooper/Agent Cooper's evil doppelganger/Dougie Jones. Laura Dern was not nominated for Diane. Michael Cera was not nominated as a guest actor for his performance as Wally Brando. "Part 8" was not given a special award for Craziest Thing That's Ever Been on TV.
This is unjust, but it's not surprising. Twin Peaks was unlike anything that's ever been on TV before, and we're unlikely to see anything like it again for a very long time. TV scholars will be analyzing it for years to come, hoping to unlock its mysteries. It was revolutionary, and the Emmys don't usually reward innovation. Modern Family won five Outstanding Comedy Series Emmys in a row. Voters probably just didn't know what to make of something that was more MoMA than Netflix. (It literally screened at the Museum of Modern Art. It's art.)
Check out our complete Emmys coverage here
Fans were annoyed and disappointed but not exactly shocked that Twin Peaks failed to earn any major nominations.
Shutting out "Twin Peaks" is a pretty definitive statement by the Emmys, and that statement seems to be "We don't particularly care for television"
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) July 12, 2018
Dealing with the Twin Peaks Emmys shut out like pic.twitter.com/0RboZjUViD
— Meghan O'Keefe (@megsokay) July 12, 2018
TFW the Emmys snub TWIN PEAKS pic.twitter.com/ppaLhuNA50
— Jacob (@JEBermanator) July 12, 2018
Looking at what was nominated instead of Twin Peaks, and I gotta say, the Emmys made the right call. People will talking about and analyzing "The Alienist" and "Genius: Picasso" for years to come! "Godless" looked expensive! "Patrick Melrose" I don't think actually exists
— kolenman (@Kolenman) July 12, 2018
I know award ceremonies are stupid and I shouldn't care... but it's a joke that Twin Peaks: The Return, which might be television's greatest artistic achievement, has been snubbed at the #Emmys
— Karl (@Karl__Hansen) July 12, 2018
The Young Pope getting stiffed was bad. The Terror getting stiffed is bad. Halt and Catch Fire getting stiffed is bad. Twin Peaks getting stiffed is actually an indictment of the industry.
— Sean T. Collins (@theseantcollins) July 12, 2018
Maybe the #Emmys just agreed that Twin Peaks is really an 18-hour movie
— Suzanne Grey (@50shadesofsgrey) July 12, 2018
The lack of Emmy love for TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN is infuriating, but not at all surprising. I mean... it's a David Lynch work, so who are we kidding? I really do hope he has a shot at the directing trophy, though. pic.twitter.com/X8o1t1x6hr
— Ben Bouffard (@filmbouff) July 12, 2018
There is a silver lining, though. David Lynch earned a much-deserved directing nomination (he directed all 19 hours, a Herculean feat) and he and co-creator Mark Frost got a writing nomination, among the other nominations it received.
Twin Peaks - Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Hairstyling pic.twitter.com/21onUKUJGd
— joao (@JoaoPedroMol) July 12, 2018
Frost brushed off the snub with a popsicle-cool response.
Thanks for all your kind messages, friends. External validation is a popsicle - fun, tastes good, melts quickly - but don't waste your time chasing the ice cream truck. Life happens elsewhere. 😉
— Mark Frost (@mfrost11) July 12, 2018
Frost is right, and Twin Peaks doesn't need recognition from the academy to confirm its significance. Still, if Twin Peaks doesn't win for sound editing and mixing at the very least, my log will have something to say to the Emmys.
The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards will air Monday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.