David Lynch Made A Forgotten Sitcom After Twin Peaks

The late David Lynch is one of Hollywood's most influential surrealist filmmakers. From "Eraserhead" to "Blue Velvet" to "Mulholland Drive," his work explores everything from the horror of parenting to the darkest underbellies of America in a way that's unmistakably, well, "Lynchian." However, while most of Lynch's work is dark and horrific — as evidenced by the time he directed the single greatest jump scare in history — it's often punctuated by moments of absurdist humor. Unfortunately, his first attempt at making an out-and-out sitcom didn't work out as well as he probably hoped, but "On the Air" is an interesting outlier in his oeuvre.

After Lynch changed television forever with "Twin Peaks" (a show whose influence can be found in everything from "Lost" to "Riverdale"), he and Mark Frost teamed up again for this short-lived comedy about the entertainment industry. "On the Air" centers around the cast and crew of "The Lester Guy Show," which is later redubbed as "The Betty Hudson Show with Lester Guy" after a shiny new star captures the imagination of the Zoblotnick Broadcasting Company (ZBC). This results in behind-the-scenes jealousy, feuds, and occasional musical numbers.

The premise is reminiscent of "30 Rock" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," both of which explore the backstage struggles associated with making television shows. But this is a Lynch project we're talking about, meaning that it's unlike anything else. "On the Air" is a strange beast, yet it brings Lynch's comedic chops to the fore, and that makes it worth seeing.

"On the Air" is about a power struggle between a jaded, washed-up actor, Lester Guy (Ian Buchanan), and a fresh-faced newcomer, Betty Hudson (Marla Rubinoff), who becomes the star of their show, despite having no prior acting experience. The bitter veteran tries to sabotage his colleague's career at any given opportunity, as he's jealous of her popularity. Still, that's the most basic description for a show that's otherwise indescribable.

While Lester and Betty's conflict gives "On the Air" a narrative throughline, the sitcom is mostly focused on absurdity and slapstick. One character, Billy "Blinky" Watts (Tracey Walter), has a unique medical condition known as Bozeman's Simplex that makes him see things 25.62 times more than any other human being. Bud Budwaller (Miguel Ferrer) is ZBC's president, and he answers to the mysterious Mr. Zoblotnick — an angry executive who breathes fire through telephones. There is also a pair of conjoined twins known as the Hurry Up Twins, whose whole schtick is completing their tasks as quickly as possible. This ain't "30 Rock."

"On the Air" was too bizarre for audiences in 1992 (even by Lynch's standards), and the show was canceled during its first season. Despite being more overtly comedic than Lynch's other work, however, it's still a surreal fever dream that's befitting of the term "Lynchian." Hopefully, the posthumous re-evaluation of the late filmmaker's work will lead to "On the Air" being discovered, as it's a fun little oddity that deserves a new lease of life.