David Palmer

Multiple Emmy-nominated producer/director Dave Palmer started his career over 25 years ago, animating, directing and eventually producing on the breakthrough preschool series Blue’s Clues.

Dave developed the animation process for Blue's Clues, and co-designed the show's adorable star, Blue.The series’ first Animation Director, he was later promoted to Supervising Director of Animation and Animation Producer, positions he held through 2004 when the show wrapped its sixth and final season. In total, Dave directed all but the first half dozen of the 120 episodes of Blue’s Clues produced, as well as the direct-to-video feature Blue’s Big Music Show, and various interstitials, bumpers and promos for the show. He was also on the development team and an on-set director for Blue’s Room, a puppet show spin-off of Blue's Clues.

Over his nine years working on Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Room, Dave was honored with 6 Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Direction in a Children’s Show, and 3 for Outstanding Children’s Show for his work as Animation Producer.

After Blue’s Clues, Dave was hired as Supervising Director of Nick Jr.'s The Backyardigans. From 2004 through early 2010, Dave directed 70 episodes of the Emmy award winning series, (Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, 2008). The Backyardigans wrapped production on its fourth and final season in 2010, and besides its Emmy win in 2008, it has garnered a variety of awards and nominations, including a Gemini award for Best Series in 2007, a Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Children’s Program in 2008, and Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Children's Animated Program in 2010 and 2011.

In 2012, Dave moved to LA to act as Supervising Producer (and later Co-EP) of Wallykazam! at the Nick Animation Studio. After two seasons (52 half-hour episodes) with Wallykazam!, Dave stayed at the Nick studio to act as Co-EP, and then Executive Producer for Nick Jr.'s Shimmer and Shine and Santiago of the Seas. In 2019, Dave joined Jack McBrayer's show Hello, Jack: The Kindness Show, (produced by 9Story for AppleTV+) as Animation Producer.

Dave has taught animation classes at the New School in New York City, and has been featured in The Animation Book: New Digital Edition, by Kit Laybourne (1998), Blue’s Clues to Success: The 8 Secrets Behind a Phenomenal Business, by Diane Tracy (2002), and both Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive (2006, 2020) and Directing Animation (2010) by Dave Levy. He is currently writing and developing several different projects for film, TV and print. For more information, please contact Julie Kane-Ritsch and Hillary Levi at the Gotham Group