David M. O'Dell is an American screenwriter and director, known primarily for his prolific collaboration with Jim Henson. His career took off as a writer for the celebrated television series *The Muppet Show*, work that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1980. Subsequently, he co-wrote two iconic Henson films: the musical *The Muppet Movie* (1979), for which he received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination, and the cult fantasy film *The Dark Crystal* (1982). His other writing credits include the superhero film *Supergirl* (1984) and the television film *When the Bough Breaks* (1986), which won him another Writers Guild of America Award. O'Dell also made his directorial debut in 1989 with the science-fiction comedy *Martians Go Home*. His contribution was instrumental in defining the narrative tone and humor that have made the Muppets a world-renowned cultural phenomenon.