5. Twin Peaks
So after 5 cult films under his belt by the start of 1990, what was next? American television. Back at a time when American television wasn't threatened by HBO, Netflix or Showtime, ABC television took a chance on Lynch's 'small American town prime time soap opera'. Perhaps ABC executives didn't know who David Lynch was but either way, Twin Peaks and the story of a small logging town in the American Northwest. It hit television sets to critical acclaim and increasing decreasing viewership as the 2 seasons went on into storyline chaos. Loosely centered on the death of All-American cheerleader girl Laura Palmer, it soon spiralled it's way into WTF territory with dancing midgets, a alternate universe Red Room, a demon named Bob, incest, drugs, a lady who carried a log and a cross-dressing FBI agent played by the
yet to be famous David Duchovny. Kyle MacLachlan returned to working with Lynch again as the hub that held all these different storylines together as Special Agent Dale Cooper. The soundtrack of the television show also became a best seller, introducing the
haunting melodies of Angelo Badalamenti to a generation of disaffected people too young to be emo, too old to be goth.