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'Twin Peaks' fans break Showtime signup record

Fans of the original surreal series came out in droves for new tales of coffee, murder and mayhem.

Bonnie Burton
Journalist Bonnie Burton writes about movies, TV shows, comics, science and robots. She is the author of the books Live or Die: Survival Hacks, Wizarding World: Movie Magic Amazing Artifacts, The Star Wars Craft Book, Girls Against Girls, Draw Star Wars, Planets in Peril and more! E-mail Bonnie.
Bonnie Burton
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The revival of "Twin Peaks" kicked off Sunday.

Showtime

A quarter century after Agent Dale Cooper got trapped in the Black Lodge, "Twin Peaks" returned Sunday and broke Showtime subscription records.

That day, Showtime offered episodes 1 and 2 of the 18-episode reboot to regular subscribers. But it then immediately released episodes 3 and 4 only to people who've signed up for streaming, including through Showtime Anytime, Showtime On Demand and Showtime on Hulu.

The decision to release episodes 3 and 4 early to streamers apparently generated interest.

"The network said it sparked the single biggest day and weekend of signups ever," according to Deadline. (Editors' note: Showtime is owned by CBS, CNET's parent company.)

"In the world that we live in now, offering original programming that attracts new subscribers is our primary business objective," Showtime Networks CEO David Nevins said. "By that standard, the 'Twin Peaks' premiere is the biggest single-night driver we've ever had."

Ratings aren't out yet, but if the new subscriber numbers are any indication, co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost may have another hit on their hands.

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