Forget Twin Peaks: Affleck’s Forgotten 7-Episode Mystery Was Ahead of Its Time—and Offered a Million-Dollar Prize

Affleck’s earlier television mystery

Affleck and producer Sean Bailey co-created Push, Nevada in 2002. The series followed Jim Prufrock, an unassuming IRS agent played by Derek Cecil, after he received a fax pointing to possible embezzlement at the Versailles Casino.

His investigation led him to Push, a desert town marked by neon, suspicion and strange clues. The series drew comparisons to Twin Peaks and The X-Files, while introducing a viewer contest tied to solving its central mystery.

A town ruled by secrets

Prufrock found that Push’s residents had not filed tax returns since 1985. Watermark LLC appeared to exert influence across the town, including over the police and a local bar. The cast included Scarlett Chorvat as Mary, a “Slo-dancer” who warned Prufrock to leave, Jon Polito as a corrupt casino boss, and Armand Assante as a criminal called “Mr. Smooth.”

A short-lived, unusual experiment

ABC offered viewers the chance to win a million dollars by solving the show’s mystery. The contest made the series’ puzzle central to its appeal, alongside its surreal setting and odd characters.

Push, Nevada ran for seven episodes. The article describes the series as unusually ambitious and strange, and argues that its approach arrived before its time.