The Number Painter

The Number Painter, also known as The Mad Painter, was the title character of a series of comedy live-action films produced for the children's television program Sesame Street. This series of slapstick films — each one ran anywhere from one minute to 90 seconds — were used to teach children number recognition, including appearance and symbolic representation of Arabic numerals, and how the number is drawn. As such, "The Number Painter" contrasted with the show's other animated and live-action number-related skits, where the primary focus was on counting.

Ten "Number Painter" skits were produced in the series, one each for the numbers 2 through 11. No skit was produced for the number 1, as that number was not featured in individual Sesame Street segments during the era when the films were produced and aired. Although the numbers showcased up to 12 in this same era, no number 12 film was produced either, leaving the Painter's final fate in the number 11 film ambiguous.

The title character and main protagonist in these movies, portrayed by Paul Benedict, was an eccentric character who enjoys painting numbers in a series of public and private locations. His outfit consists of a black-and-white striped shirt, gray pants held up with suspenders, black sneakers, and a paint-splattered smock, topped with a black bowler hat. He carries a can of paint and a brush, along with a cut-out of the number he intends to paint. The Painter never spoke on-camera, although his thoughts were heard using voice over.

The films were produced in 1971, and the first film in the series — that for the number 2 — aired on February 23, 1972. Robert Dennis composed the jaunty piano score in each of the segments. Eliot Noyes Jr. directed and produced the series.