I Know My First Name Is Steven Explained

Genre:Docudrama
Director:Larry Elikann
Starring:
Theme Music Composer:David Shire
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Episodes:2
Executive Producer:Andrew Adelson
Producer:Kim C. Friese
Editor:
Runtime:180 mins.
Company:
Network:NBC

I Know My First Name Is Steven is a 1989 American television miniseries about kidnap victim Steven Stayner.[1] [2] 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.

It was nominated as Best Miniseries or Television Film at the 47th Golden Globe Awards[3] and received four Emmy Award nominations.[4]

Plot

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.

Cast

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of I Know My First Name Is Steven
TitleAir dateTimeslot (ET)Rating/share
(households)
Viewers
(millions)
1"Part 1"May 22, 1989Monday 9:00 p.m.21.6/3531.3[5]
2"Part 2"May 23, 1989Tuesday 9:00 p.m.27.3/4240.3

Notes and References

  1. https://mubi.com/en/us/films/i-know-my-first-name-is-steven MUBI
  2. https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2022/4/19/23030642/captive-audience-review-hulu-steven-stayner-documentary-cary ‘Captive Audience’ recalls the awful aftermath when a kidnapped boy came home - Chicago Sun-Times
  3. https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/i-know-my-first-name-steven Golden Globes
  4. Web site: I Know My First Name is Steven . . March 8, 2018 .
  5. News: June 1, 1989 . Everybody loved ABC's Baby . . 3D . .