Before rising to CEO of Disney, Bob Iger was president of ABC Entertainment from 1989–1992. When he joined in spring 1989, pilots ordered by his predecessor, including David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks, were just getting into production.
Iger is credited as one of the project’s champions, helping the pilot get picked up to series. The gamble paid off, with Twin Peaks becoming a monster hit for then ratings-challenged ABC and a popular culture phenomenon.
Now back as Disney CEO, Iger remembered Lynch following the filmmaker’s death at 78.
“David Lynch was a brilliant filmmaker, who taught me the value of taking big artistic risks when he created Twin Peaks for ABC,” Iger wrote on Instagram. “He was also utterly original and I will forever respect and admire his creative courage and the breadth and depth of his talent.”
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In addition to its commercial success, Twin Peaks is considered groundbreaking for its complex storytelling, which mixes multiple genres, and unique visual style. Season 1 earned 14 Emmy nominations, securing the show’s place in TV history.
Iger has a little complicated history with Twin Peaks. He and his team have been blamed by fans for allegedly pressing Lynch to reveal Laura Palmer’s killer sooner than he had planned, which many believe led to the series’ sharp ratings decline in the second half of Season 2 and ultimate cancellation. Iger has dismissed claims of interference, chalking up the decision to a regular creative process.
Lynch went on to make a Twin Peaks movie, Fire Walk with Me, and returned to the world decades later with a third season for Showtime.