I Know My First Name Is Steven is a 1989 American television miniseries about kidnap victim Steven Stayner.[1][2] The original title was I Know My First Name Is Joe Walz, but producers ultimately decided to use the real name of the victim.[3] The two-part miniseries was first broadcast by NBC on May 22 and 23, 1989. Screening rights were sold to a number of international television companies including the BBC, which screened the miniseries in mid-July of the following year; later still, it was released as a feature-length movie.
| I Know My First Name Is Steven | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Docudrama |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Larry Elikann |
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | David Shire |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Andrew Adelson |
| Producer | Kim C. Friese |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 180 mins. |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | May 22 (1989-05-22) – May 23, 1989 (1989-05-23) |
It was nominated as Best Miniseries or Television Film at the 47th Golden Globe Awards[4] and received four Emmy Award nominations.[5]
Steven Stayner, a seven-year-old boy, is kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell, with the help of his partner in crime, Irving Murphy. Parnell continues to molest and produce pornographic images of Steven for seven years.
When Steven is 14, Parnell kidnaps a boy named Timmy. As a result, Steven builds up the courage to prevent Timmy from going through the same thing that he went through when he was Timmy's age. He brings Timmy to the police and confesses that he was the victim of a kidnapping by his "dad", Parnell.
Steven later testifies in court on Timmy's behalf, and then later, in a hearing for the crimes Parnell committed against Steven. Parnell spends five years of a seven-year sentence in prison for the kidnapping and sexual abuse against Steven, while his accomplice Murphy spends less than two years in prison.
| No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot (ET) | Rating/share (households) |
Viewers (millions) |
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Part 1" | May 22, 1989 | Monday 9:00 p.m. | 21.6/35 | 31.3 | [6] |
| 2 | "Part 2" | May 23, 1989 | Tuesday 9:00 p.m. | 27.3/42 | 40.3 | [6] |
