Lamb Chop, as some may recall, was a creature designed by puppeteer Shari Lewis, who was a part of many of our childhoods with her televised program.
Shari Lewis was a ventriloquist and her puppets, Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy and Charley Horse, made many appearances on television shows in the 1950s including Ed Sullivan's variety show and the popular Captain Kangaroo. She then had her own children's television program which was broadcast nationally.
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| Photo: Wikipedia |
In 1992, Shari's beloved character, the sweet little Lamb Chop (which some say was Lewis' alter ego), returned to public television in a series called Lamb Chop's Play Along. I remember the show as being quite delightful and very interactive, with lots of participation opportunities for kids.
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| A sceme from Lamb Chop's Play Along on PBS |
And that's how this Lamb Chop came into my life! I went to one of the PBS annual meetings when the show was being launched one of the take-aways we were given was this sweet puppet, which, as you can see, made quite an impression with our first baby grand!
We also got a little finger puppet, which now sits atop my Easter Egg tree!
And bonus points, a meeting with Shari Lewis, as she signed the baseball caps we were given.
Shari Lewis died at the age of 65 in 1998 from pneumonia developed while she was undergoing chemotherapy. I will remember her as a charming and gracious woman who brought delight to several generations of youngsters.
Including this one!
