Discover the incredible story behind Shari Lewis, one of the most beloved children’s entertainers of our time with Shari & Lamb Chop.
Before there was Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, there was Shari Lewis and her lovable cast of puppets, including Hush Puppy, Charlie Horse, and the most beloved puppet of all time, Lamb Chop. In 1960, while still in her early 20s, NBC gave Shari her first national network show, The Shari Lewis Show, replacing The Howdy Doody Show. Lewis quickly became a pioneer in television and changed the face of children’s entertainment.
Over five decades, she was able to straddle two very different worlds as a performer, conquering both children’s and more mature entertainment; from her Saturday morning program to her late-night talk show performances and Las Vegas club act. Then, after years of working to stay relevant, Shari defied ageism by having her biggest comeback in her 60s, endearing her to a new generation with Lamb Chop’s Play-A-Long. Shari used her renewed popularity to reinforce her commitment to children’s education. At its heart, Shari & Lamb Chop is the empowering story of a multi-talented, continually underestimated woman who refused to give up in the face of myriad obstacles, who lost her voice for a time, and by finding it again, wound up enriching the lives of multiple generations of children.
Lisa D’Apolito’s heartfelt doc charts the life, loves, and career hits and misses of the spunky perfectionist whose talent and perseverance stand as a testament to women’s power and forever changed the landscape of children’s entertainment. Featuring interviews with ventriloquists inspired by Lewis alongside nostalgia-rich clips and home movies, this vibrant portrait brims with the same warmth, wit, and magic that defined her, celebrating the power of imagination and the inner child within.
