Norman Stiles (b. December 4, 1942) is a writer who worked on Sesame Street and its related productions for over twenty years. His concepts include the Muppet characters Harvey Kneeslapper, Count von Count, and Forgetful Jones.
Stiles initially studied zoology and chemistry at Hunter College, and became a social worker for the New York City Welfare Department. During that period, he began writing comedy material for such performers as Ron Carey (later a regular on Barney Miller) and Marty Brill, and wrote for Merv Griffin.[1]
Stiles joined the Sesame Street writing staff in 1971, hired by head writer Jeff Moss as the show was entering its third season. He competed for the job with then intern Lois Fortune.[2] Stiles became head writer of Sesame Street in season 6, but left after that season to pursue a career in Hollywood. Stiles returned to Sesame Street in season 11, where he eventually resumed his role as head writer until season 28. In later years, his work would often touch upon sensitive topics, such as the death of Mr. Hooper in Episode 1839, or the effects of divorce on children in the unaired "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce." In 1990, as part of the Season 22 curriculum mandate to examine race relations, Stiles wrote an episode in which a blue monster named Greta refuses to let Elmo play wubbaball because of his different fur color, only to find herself excluded.[3]
Stiles has also written for appearances by the Muppets, such as an Ad Council nutrition spot with Cookie Monster, and authored a variety of Sesame Street books (including The Perils of Penelope), wrote lyrics for such songs as "Put Down the Duckie," and helped script Jim Henson's pilot special The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.
Stiles discussed his philosophy of writing in 1988:
Outside of the Muppets and Sesame Street, Stiles has written for America 2-Night (starring Martin Mull and Fred Willard) and Mel Brooks' 1975 sitcom spoof of Robin Hood, When Things Were Rotten.
In 1996, Stiles co-founded Sirius Thinking Ltd, an independent children's television production company, with fellow Sesame alumni Michael K. Frith and Christopher Cerf. At Sirius Thinking, Stiles wrote and produced the PBS children's show Between the Lions which premiered in 2000. The show has won six Daytime Emmy Awards, including a 2004 Emmy for best writing.
In April 2014, Stiles launched a crowdfunding campaign for an online video series Baby & Toddler Parenthood News Network with his wife Ellen Dillon and child development expert Amy Hatkoff.
Television credits[]
- Sesame Street (seasons 3-6, 11-28) - head writer seasons 6, 12-28; script consultant in season 11
- Out to Lunch
- The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
- The Grover Monster - Jean Marsh Cartoon Special
- Sesame Street, Special
- Free to Be... a Family
- Natalie Cole's Untraditional Traditional Christmas (Elmo scenes)
Episodes[]
Sesame Street episodes written by Stiles include:[5]
Segments[]
Sesame Street segments written by Stiles include:[5]
- Cookies in Bed[6] (First: Episode 0282)
- Grover: HELP[7] (First: Episode 0287)
- A Fish in a Cowboy Hat (First: Episode 0305)
- The Count hires Ernie to answer the phone (First: Episode 0539)
- Ernie's chocolate pudding list (First: Episode 1967)
- Billy Crystal as Ricky (First: Episode 2083)
- Ed Grimley (Martin Short) and Henry (Billy Crystal) (First: Episode 2088)
- Bobby McFerrin's version of "The Alphabet Song" (First: Episode 2342)
- Jay Leno rides (First: Episode 2408)
- Elmo scares Julia Roberts (First: Episode 2790)
- Blair Underwood swings Elmo (First: Episode 2794)
- The Count jumps over the table (First: Episode 2855)
- Danny Glover reads a story (First: Episode 3008)
- Hillary Clinton discusses healthy eating (First: Episode 3136)
- Elmo and Rosie O'Donnell rap the alphabet (First: Episode 3170)
- Ernie practices saying hola
- Marisa Tomei and Big Bird (First: Episode 3224)
- Big Bird knocks over blocks (First: Episode 3407)
- Susan Sarandon and Cookie Monster (First: Episode 3428)
- Big Bird gives Telly Monster a balloon (First: Episode 3429)
- Big Bird's foot poem (First: Episode 3444)
- Big Bird's door poem (First: Episode 3461)
- Ernie's drum experiment
- Big Bird's tennis balls (First: Episode 3492)
- Awadagin Pratt plays the piano (First: Episode 3507)
- Ernie counts backwards
- Big Bird and Baby Bear visit the Museum of Modern Art (First: Episode 3631)
- Big Bird's Video Postcards: Phoenix, Arizona (First: Episode 3016)
Book credits[]
- The Sesame Street Storybook
- The Amazing Mumford and His Amazing Subtracting Trick
- The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook
- The Perils of Penelope
- The Sesame Street ABC Storybook
- Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum
- Grover's Little Red Riding Hood
- The Ernie & Bert Book
- The Count's Number Parade
- The Sesame Street Library volumes 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, & 12
- The Sesame Street Treasury volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
- I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper
- Around the Corner on Sesame Street
Song writing credits[]
Home video[]
Miscellaneous writing credits[]
- ¡Sesame Mucho!, album
- Dinah! I've Got a Song, album
- Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra, album
- Getting Ready for School, album
- Sesame Country, album
- Silly Dancing, Sesame Street Live stage show
- Sleeping Birdie, stage show
- Elmo and the Earthquake, audio story
- The Great Flood on Sesame Street, audio story
External links[]
- Sirius Thinking page on Stiles (archived)
- Old Jews Telling Jokes
- ToughPigs.com interview: "We're All Norman's Kids"
- Graphic Policy interview: Muppets Gone Missing: Norman Stiles
- The Atlantic interview: "The Songsmiths of Sesame Street" by Julie Beck, March 29, 2019
Sources[]
- ↑ Season 4 Press Kit. 1971
- ↑ We’re All Norman’s Kids: The Norman Stiles Interview
- ↑ Johnson, Peter. "Taking Race Relations to the Street." USA Today. November 12, 1990
- ↑ Blau, Eleanor. "Mum's the Word, But Sesame Street is Turning 20." The New York Times. November 14, 1988
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 episode scripts
- ↑ ToughPigs.com Livestream with Norman Stiles at 7:35 May 20, 2020
- ↑ ToughPigs.com Livestream with Norman Stiles at 13:08 May 20, 2020