I Know My First Name Is Steven

I Know My First Name Is Steven is a 1989 American television miniseries about kidnapping 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.

I Know My First Name Is Steven
Genre	Docudrama
Written by	Mike Echols J.P. Miller Cynthia Whitcomb
Directed by	Larry Elikann
Starring	Corin Nemec Luke Edwards Arliss Howard Cindy Pickett John Ashton
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	David Ramirez Peter V. White
Running time	180 mins.
Production companies	Andrew Adelson Company Lorimar Television
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^[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

• Cindy Pickett as Kay Stayner
• John Ashton as Del Stayner
• Todd Eric Andrews as Cary Stayner
• Corin Nemec as Steven Stayner / Dennis Parnell
• Luke Edwards as Steven Stayner (age 7)
• Pruitt Taylor Vince as Irving Murphy
• Ray Walston as Bob Augustine
• Bryan Cranston as Officer Dickinson
• Gregg Henry as Officer Kean
• Jim Haynie as Officer Scott
• Barbara Tarbuck as School Counselor
• Scott Curtis as Cary Stayner (age 11)
• Arliss Howard as Kenneth Parnell (uncredited)
• Stephen Dorff as Pete
• Beth Grant as Mrs. Beta
• Jacob Gelman as Timothy "Timmy" White / Thomas "Tommy" Parnell
• Barry Corbin as Officer Warner

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of I Know My First Name Is Steven

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	[5]
2	"Part 2"	May 23, 1989	Tuesday 9:00 p.m.	27.3/42	40.3	[5]