The
pilot episode, also known as
Northwest Passage, of the
mystery television series
Twin Peaks premiered on the
ABC Network on Sunday, April 8, 1990. It was written by series creators
Mark Frost and
David Lynch, and directed by Lynch. The pilot follows the characters of
Dale Cooper and
Harry S. Truman as they investigate the death of popular high school student
Laura Palmer; Cooper believes the murder has connections to a murder case that occurred a year earlier. In addition to setting the tone for the show, the episode sets up several character and story arcs and marked the appearance of several recurring characters. The episode received a strong
Nielsen household rating compared to other season one episodes and was well received by fans and critics alike. The original title for the series was
Northwest Passage, but this was later changed.