In the third season, Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost unleashed their unique vision in all its surreal glory; the result is strange, sometimes excruciating – but always compelling

When Twin Peaks debuted in 1990, it was a cultural phenomenon. On the surface, it was a classic whodunit: homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) is found dead and charming, ebullient FBI special agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) turns up in town to investigate.

Despite the often violent content, entire families sat down to watch, and groups of friends had viewing parties where they ate cherry pie, drank damn fine coffee and dressed up as characters – including wrapped in plastic as poor Laura. The broad appeal was because of writer-director David Lynch and writer-producer Mark Frost’s compelling style, which transformed a small-town murder mystery into an oddball drama, replete with profound tragedy, supernatural forces and complex relationships.