Louise Ann Gikow
West Side Writer LLC
321 West 78th Street Apt. 7C
New York, NY 10024
(212) 579-8991
www.westsidewriter.com
Multiple Emmy-Award-winning writer of television, multimedia, and books for kids and adults.
Professional Experience
á Head writer/creator
á Noah Comprende, a project to teach languages to children, winner of a CPB grant and headed for PBS online in collaboration with WNET in 2011
á Journey to the Stars, planetarium show (American Museum of Natural History)
á Cosmic Collisions, planetarium show (American Museum of Natural History)
á Blockheads, a math show for preschoolers, currently in development
á Go Fetch, a science show for preschoolers, currently in development
á Johnny and the Sprites, a half-hour series based on an affect-driven curriculum, starring John Tartaglia, for Disney Playhouse
á English for Vietnam (for the Business Alliance for Vietnamese Education) to teach an English curriculum to Vietnamese people of all ages; currently airing on Vietnamese television
á Sesame Stories, an Israeli/Palestinian/Jordanian Sesame Workshop project based on a tolerance curriculum, currently airing in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories
á The Moodsters, a half-hour series based on an emotional wellness curriculum
á Sesame English, an English-language-teaching Sesame Workshop series currently airing internationally that has been used to teach English in 65 countries
á Shalom Sesame (Sesame Workshop video/television programs)
á Scriptwriter
á Life: A Cosmic Story, soon to open at the California Museum of Science
á Lomax, the Hound of Music, currently on PBS-Kids
á Between the Lions, Emmy-award-winning literacy show (WGBH/Sirius Thinking/PBS)
á Cyberchase, the successful TV series based on a math curriculum (WNET/PBS)
á Peep—animated preschool TV series (WGBH/Discovery Kids)
á Oobi—live-action preschool show (Noggin)
á Richard ScarryÕs Funniest Home Video Ever (Random House)
á Moses (Jumbo Pictures home video)
á Eureeka's Castle (Nickelodeon TV series)
á Music Magic Videos (Silver Burdette Ginn)
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á PigTales, a childrenÕs science show, with Norman Stiles
á The Adventures of Orly and Flick, a show about kids and art, with David Feldman
á Lab 321, a show for teens, with Carol Klein and Judith Simmons
á Pets, an adult animation, with David Feldman
á Writer
á Sesame Street 40th Anniversary Book for Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers
á Additional work for clients such as Random House, Scholastic, Henry Holt, Columbia University Press, Knowledge Adventure, Nancy Hall Associates, and Parachute Press, including film novelizations of DreamWorks animated features Over the Hedge,, Shark Tales and Madagascar
á Best-selling film novelization and storybook of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
á Novels based on the Mary-Kate and Ashley characters for Parachute Press
á Novels based on the Spider-Man characters for Parachute Press/Marvel
á An original ÒBarbieÓ series for Random House
á Beginning readers
á RipleyÕs ÒBelieve It or NotÓ nonfiction series
á Film novelization of Buddy
á Songs for 24 Macmillan children's record albums created for school distribution
á Adult humor paperbacks Miss Piggy: The Rules, and How to Bear Children: A Survival Guide for Baby-Free Adults
á Over 100 Muppet and other titles
Sirius Thinking, Ltd.
Senior Vice-President, Creative Operations 1996-2003
Sirius creates educational, curriculum-based entertainment for children. Its first major project was Between the Lions, the PBS TV show designed to help teach kids to read
á Multiple responsibilities for Between the Lions, including
á Consulting producer
á Staff writer
á Manager, publishing business
á Consultant, licensing business and web site development
á Responsible for other projects, new business development
á Co-creator, head writer of Lomax: The Hound of Music
Nickelodeon 1994-1996
Vice President, Editor-in-Chief, Media Works
á Created successful book publishing division (101 titles within first thirty months)
á Managed division (including P&L responsibility)
á Supervised editorial staff
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á Originated successful ongoing relationship with partner Simon & Schuster
á Managed multimedia publishing operation (including P&L responsibility)
á Creative oversight of CD-ROM, videogame titles
á Supervised multimedia staff
á Consulted in the online business
Jim Henson Productions 1984-1994
Editorial Director
á Wrote over 100 books, songs, and scripts based on Muppet licensed characters
á Supervised editorial projects, freelance writers, editorial staff
á Developed software, researched and consulted re the multimedia industry
á Co-produced four musical book and cassettes
á Creative consultant to licensing, production, and music divisions of the company
á Edited and rewrote manuscripts
Muppet Magazine 1983-1984
Managing Editor
á Conception of editorial
á Edited all copy for the magazine and special projects
á Wrote articles for the magazine
Ambiance Magazine 1978-1980
Managing Editor
á Edited all copy for the magazine and special projects
á Wrote articles for the magazine
National Lampoon Magazine 1972-1978
Writer, Senior Copy Editor
á Edited all copy for the magazine and special projects
á Wrote articles for the magazine
á Wrote for The National Lampoon Radio Hour
M.A. Columbia University (English literature)
B.A. Magna cum laude, S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook (English literature)
Emmy Award, 2009
Emmy Award, 2004
Emmy Nominations (five)
National Television Critics Association, best childrenÕs show 2001-2002 (Between the Lions)
National Television Critics Association, best childrenÕs show 2000-2001 (Between the Lions)
ParentÕs Choice Award, Between the Lions
Emmy Honors, Emmy-award-winning Muppet Babies cartoon show
Parent's Choice Award, Shalom Sesame television shows
Parent's Choice Award, Are We There Yet book and tape
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WriterÕs Guild
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
New York Women in Film and Television
1/11/2011