When I was a child coming home from school, I wound down watching cartoons and children’s television. One of my favorite shows was Lamb Chop's Play-Along, a quirky puppet based show. I knew a few kids who were turned off by puppets and women with questionable hair. Ronald McDonald hair or not, Shari Lewis was an entrepreneur. She was a comedian with a television show.
By the time I grew out of Lamb Chop and moved over to Cartoon Network’s Tonnami block, the show got canceled. I stopped paying too much attention to the PBS children’s lineup except for watching a few episodes of Reading Rainbow and Sesame Street for nostalgia’s sake. There were just some things as a kid that were over my head when I watched Lamb Chop.
First of all, growing up in a Catholic family and going to Catholic school I never realized that Shari Lewis was Jewish. Thinking about it now, the Afro and slight Yiddish accent would give it away. She was a very positive Jewish role model, even having the Chanukah special. The only other positive Jewish family I remember were from The Rugrats.
As an adult, I realize now how hard it must have been to puppeteer and do ventriloquism. She even sang. There are days I can barely walk correctly and there’s this amazing woman out there entertaining little children with knock-knock jokes and interesting magic tricks.
I never realized that Shari Lewis was popular since the ‘60s. With her running The Shari Lewis Show and appearing on Captain Kangaroo I find her longevity to be very praiseworthy and commendable. I also now understand the very vaudeville-styled dancing and shtick. She won an Emmy for Lamb Chop’s Play-Along.
Recently there were reruns played on television. I laughed at the ‘90s clothing and haircuts and I decided to look up what happened to Shari. I was saddened to hear that she was diagnosed with cancer in June, 1998. She died at the age of 65 after developing viral pneumonia while she was being treated. Her legacy continues with her daughter Mallory Tarcher. In 2000, she began to perform with Lamb Chop. I’m happy to hear that Lamb Chop is still alive and well and entertaining children.
Article comments
1 - Anna
look up Qubo, they're showing re-runs since Shari Lewis passed.