David Odell obit

DAVID ODELL Obituary

 

He was not on the list.

ODELL--David Bingham. David B. Odell, 83, an Emmy-winning television and film writer, died in Santa Monica on August 27, 2026. Born to a musical family in Chicago, Odell loved music first and longest. He wrote and directed musicals at New Trier High School, and later acted in productions at Harvard College (A.B. '67). His many writing credits include "The Dark Crystal" and "The Muppet Show," for which he won an Emmy Award. Of all his creative work, Odell cherished his time with Jim Henson, with whom he also worked on "The Muppet Movie." He often said that Henson was the only true genius he ever worked with.

Odell was nominated in 1980 for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program for The Muppet Show alongside Jim Henson, Don Hinkley, and Jerry Juhl. He won the award the following year with co-nominees Jerry Juhl and Chris Langham.

 

Writer

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

8.4

TV Series

based upon the motion picture screenplay bymotion picture screenplay by

2019

10 episodes

 

It's the Muppets! Meet the Muppets! (1993)

It's the Muppets! Meet the Muppets!

8.5

Video

Writer

1993

 

It's the Muppets! More Muppets, Please! (1993)

It's the Muppets! More Muppets, Please!

8.6

Video

Writer

1993

 

Monsters (1988)

Monsters

7.3

TV Series

writer

1988–1990

3 episodes

 

Tales from the Darkside (1983)

Tales from the Darkside

7.4

TV Series

written by

1987

1 episode

 

Dolph Lundgren, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Courteney Cox in Masters of the Universe (1987)

Masters of the Universe

5.4

written by

1987

 

Childrens Songs and Stories with the Muppets (1985)

Childrens Songs and Stories with the Muppets

7.5

Video

Writer

1985

 

Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook (1985)

Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook

8.9

Video

Writer

1985

 

Jim Henson in Muppet Video: Country Music with the Muppets (1985)

Muppet Video: Country Music with the Muppets

8.2

Video

Writer

1985

 

Muppet Video: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff (1985)

Muppet Video: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff

8.4

Video

Writer

1985

 

Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, and Richard Hunt in Muppet Video: Muppet Moments (1985)

Muppet Video: Muppet Moments

8.8

Video

Writer

1985

 

Muppet Video: Muppet Revue (1985)

Muppet Video: Muppet Revue

Video

Writer

1985

 

Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, and Richard Hunt in Muppet Video: Muppet Treasures (1985)

Muppet Video: Muppet Treasures

8.7

Video

Writer

1985

 

Muppet Video: Rock Music with the Muppets (1985)

Muppet Video: Rock Music with the Muppets

8.3

Video

Writer

1985

 

Jim Henson in Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets (1985)

Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets

8.2

Video

Writer

1985

 

Muppet Video: The Kermit and Piggy Story (1985)

Muppet Video: The Kermit and Piggy Story

8.1

Video

Writer

1985

 

Peter O'Toole, Helen Slater, Hart Bochner, Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Peter Cook, Marc McClure, Brenda Vaccaro, and Simon Ward in Supergirl (1984)

Supergirl

4.4

screenplay by

1984

 

Tommy Lee Jones and Michael O'Keefe in Nate and Hayes (1983)

Nate and Hayes

6.1

screenplayscreen story

1983

 

Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Miki Iveria, Hus Levant, Patrick Monckton, Brian Meehl, Kathryn Mullen, and Susan Westerby in The Dark Crystal (1982)

The Dark Crystal

7.1

screenplay by

1982

 

Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathryn Mullen, Jerry Nelson, and Steve Whitmire in The Muppet Show (1976)

The Muppet Show

8.4

TV Series

written by

1979–1981

48 episodes

 

Running Scared (1980)

Running Scared

4.9

screenplay

1980

 

Zero Mostel in Foreplay (1975)

Foreplay

3.9

written by (segment "Inaugural Ball")

1975

 

Between Time and Timbuktu (1972)

Between Time and Timbuktu

6.9

TV Movie

Writer

1972

 

Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972)

Dealing: Or The Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues

6.0

Writer

1972

 

Cry Uncle (1971)

Cry Uncle

4.9

screenplay

1971

 

Director

Martians Go Home (1989)

Martians Go Home

3.2

Director

1989

 

Tales from the Darkside (1983)

Tales from the Darkside

7.4

TV Series

directed by

1987

2 episodes

 

Producer

Bruce Bennett, Robert Bray, and Tania Velia in The Fiend of Dope Island (1960)

The Fiend of Dope Island

4.4

executive producer (as David S. Odell)

1960

 

Counterplot (1959)

Counterplot

5.0

executive producer

1959

 

The Witches from Another World (1958)

The Witches from Another World

5.0

executive producer

1958

 

Actor

Cry Uncle (1971)

Cry Uncle

4.9

Angry Man in Parking Lot (uncredited)

1971

 

Editorial Department

The Reunion (2013)

The Reunion

6.8

assistant editor

2013

 

Color Department

The Reunion (2013)

The Reunion

6.8

additional colorist

2013

 

Additional Crew

Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Gary Martin, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Kristen Wiig, Alison Brie, Tom Wilton, James Apps, Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Sam C. Wilson, and Kojo Attah in Masters of the Universe (2026)

Masters of the Universe

6.4

additional literary material (uncredited)

2026

 

Soundtrack

Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathryn Mullen, Jerry Nelson, and Steve Whitmire in The Muppet Show (1976)

The Muppet Show

8.4

TV Series

lyrics: "Aunt Chovy" (uncredited)

1980

1 episode

 

Thanks

The Joggers (2012)

The Joggers

Short

thanks

2012

 

Jim Henson in A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

A Muppet Family Christmas

8.1

TV Movie

the producers wish to thank

1987

 

Orson Welles, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Frank Oz, Milton Berle, Dom DeLuise, Elliott Gould, Jim Henson, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Edgar Bergen, and Paul Williams in The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Muppet Movie

7.6

special thanks

1979

 

Self

Reflections of 'the Dark Crystal' (2007)

Reflections of 'the Dark Crystal'

8.0

Video

Self

2007

 

Of Muppets and Men: The Making of 'The Muppet Show' (1981)

Of Muppets and Men: The Making of 'The Muppet Show'

8.1

TV Movie

Self

1981