The Shari Lewis Show

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The Shari Lewis Show
Presented by Shari Lewis
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 minutes (NBC)
10-15 minutes (BBC One)
Original release
Network NBC (1960-1963)
BBC One (1968-1976)
ReleaseOctober 1, 1960 (1960-10-01) 
August 28, 1976 (1976-08-28)
Related
Lamb Chop's Play-Along

The Shari Lewis Show is an American children's television program that first appeared on NBC Saturday mornings from October 1st, 1960 to September 28th, 1963, [1] and then on BBC One from April 13th, 1968 to August 28th, 1976.

Contents

Premise

The show starred Shari Lewis, who was both the show's host and the puppeteer for the characters Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie Horse. [2] The show also starred Ronald Radd, who played Mr. Goodfellow and Clive Russell, who made his television debut on the series. Fred Gwynne also made appearances as Lamb Chop's doctor. Lamb Chop made her debut on Captain Kangaroo in 1956. The show was awarded a Peabody Award in 1961. Despite warm reviews, the show was cancelled after three seasons.

NBC series

The NBC series premiered on 1 October 1960 as part of NBC's Saturday morning lineup, which replaced Howdy Doody . The show ran until 28 September 1963. [3]

BBC series

In 1968, the BBC picked up the series, broadcasting from 13 April 1968 to 28 August 1976. The series was picked up at a time when the BBC was experimenting with using American performers in light entertainment.

Archive

Almost no full episodes of the NBC show are known to exist today. The original tapes of many episodes were wiped and reused by NBC to record coverage of the 1964 Democratic and Republican national conventions. Lewis said in an interview decades later that this "was a shame, since the shows were beautifully done as a showcase of NBC's early color broadcast work." However, some episodes and some clips of the show have survived, and the existing footage was restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and some episodes are available on DVD.

The same fate has befallen the BBC series, but a few episodes are known to exist.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shari Lewis</span> American ventriloquist and puppeteer (1933–1998)

Shari Lewis was a Peabody-winning American ventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, and symphonic conductor. She famously created and performed the sock puppet Lamb Chop, for Captain Kangaroo in March 1956 and then continued on the early seasons (1957–1959) of Hi Mom, a local morning television show which aired on WRCA-TV in New York City.

Lamb Chop's Play-Along! is a half-hour preschool children's television series that was shown on PBS in the United States from January 13, 1992, until September 22, 1995, with reruns airing on PBS until January 4, 1998, and on KTV FAVE - KIDZ 2019. It was created and hosted by puppeteer Shari Lewis, and featured her puppet characters Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy. The series was based on several home videos Lewis created throughout the 80s, particularly the 1988 video Lamb Chop's Sing-Along, Play-Along. Lamb Chop's Play-Along! was followed by the short-lived spin-off series, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Butterworth</span> English actor and comedian (1915–1979)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamb Chop (puppet)</span> Anthropomorphic sock puppet sheep

Lamb Chop is a sock puppet anthropomorphic sheep created by puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. The character first appeared during Lewis' guest appearance on Captain Kangaroo in March 1956 and later appeared on Hi Mom (1957–1959), a local morning show that aired on WRCA-TV in New York, New York.

"The Song That Doesn't End" is a self-referential and infinitely iterative children's song. The song appears in an album by puppeteer Shari Lewis titled Lamb Chop's Sing-Along, Play-Along, released through a 1988 home video. It is a single-verse-long song, written in an infinite-loop motif in a march style, such that it naturally flows in a cyclical fashion, repeating the same verse over and over. It is still a very popular tune, typically sung during long car rides. The song was written by Shari Lewis' long time producer Bernard Rothman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallory Lewis</span> American writer

Mallory Hurwitz Lewis is an American writer, television producer, ventriloquist, and puppeteer. She currently puppeteers Lamb Chop.

<i>The Mouse Factory</i> American TV series or program

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<i>Play Your Hunch</i> American television game show

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Ronald Radd was a British television actor. He is perhaps best remembered for originating the role of Hunter in the television thriller series Callan. In 1971, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Abelard and Heloise.

<i>The Charlie Horse Music Pizza</i> American childrens television series

The Charlie Horse Music Pizza is a children's television show that was shown on PBS Kids in the United States from January 5, 1998, to January 17, 1999, with reruns continuing to air until September 3, 2000. Reruns again aired on PBJ until 2016. It is the short-lived spin-off of Lamb Chop's Play-Along and was hosted by Shari Lewis, whose strong belief in the benefits of music education for children led to the creation of the series. Just like Play-Along, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza was shot at the CBC Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Charlie Horse Music Pizza was Shari's final project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost television broadcast</span> History of missing television material

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In regard to children's programming, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) has aired mostly programming from Walt Disney Television or other producers. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on ABC including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history.

<i>The Jerry Lewis Show</i> American TV series or program

The Jerry Lewis Show is the name of several separate but similar American variety, talk and comedy programs starring comedian Jerry Lewis that aired non-consecutively between 1963 and 1984. The original version of the series aired on ABC from September 21, 1963 – December 21, 1963. A second series of the same name aired on NBC from September 12, 1967 – May 27, 1969. A final version also of the same name aired in first-run syndication for one week in June 1984.

References

  1. Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 392. ISBN   978-0823083152 . Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. LoBrutto, Vincent (2018). TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. 299. ISBN   9781440829734.
  3. Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 445–448. ISBN   0-8108-1651-2.