Why Did Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop Disappear From TV in the ’60s?

LAMB CHOP and SHARI LEWIS as they appeared on the Family Channel's AMERICAN BABY series — Everett Collection

Shari Lewis and her woolly sidekick Lamb Chop delighted generations of children with wholesome, imaginative antics for decades and audiences from the 1950s through the ’90s remember Lamb Chop as a cherished friend (I know I do!). Now, the story behind this iconic duo’s meteoric rise to fame is being celebrated anew in a documentary titled Shari & Lamb Chop, reminding us why their legacy still endures. For now, let’s focus on their rise and fall (then resurgence!) in fame.

Born Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz in 1933, Shari grew up in New York City practically destined for showbiz. Her father was a professor by day and a magician by night, even designated NYC’s “official magician” by Mayor LaGuardia, and her mother was a music teacher. While recovering from a broken leg as a child, her parents gave her a book on ventriloquism, sparking a lifelong passion for puppetry. By 17, she had perfected a puppet act and won first prize on the TV talent show Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts in the early 1950s.

PBS/Everett Collection

After that big break, Lewis hosted several local children’s TV programs in New York, honing her craft with various characters. In March 1956, she introduced a feisty little lamb puppet, aptly named Lamb Chop, during a guest spot on Captain Kangaroo, and the character quickly stole the show. Lamb Chop became Lewis’s trademark alter ego, a sweet but sassy sock puppet with long eyelashes. By 1960, Shari had her own NBC program, The Shari Lewis Show, which ran until 1963 and made Lamb Chop (along with pals Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse) household names. Children adored the gentle humor and sing-along fun, and Shari earned numerous accolades including multiple Emmy Awards for her imaginative television work.

Shari Lewis, with Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy, ca. early 1990s

Everett Collection

For a time, it seemed Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop could do no wrong. But by the late 1960s, the rise of cartoons and new trends in kids’ entertainment left puppets temporarily out of fashion. So, Shari pivoted away from TV for a while, taking her act to live venues in Las Vegas and even guest-conducting symphony orchestras. She ultimately found her way back to the small screen in the early ’90s. In 1992, she launched Lamb Chop’s Play-Along on PBS, introducing her beloved characters to a new generation. That interactive series ran five years and proved that Lamb Chop still had plenty of play left, delighting kids (and nostalgic parents) alike.

Lewis never really slowed down, even when faced with serious illness. In June 1998, Shari was diagnosed with uterine cancer but continued working, reportedly insisting on taping a final episode of her new show The Charlie Horse Music Pizza despite her condition. Sadly, she developed pneumonia during chemotherapy and passed away on August 2, 1998, at age 65. Fans mourned around the world, and many wondered if Lamb Chop had died with her. Thankfully, Shari’s daughter Mallory stepped in to keep Lamb Chop’s legacy alive, performing with the puppet in live shows so the beloved character could live on and ensuring that the song of Lamb Chop never ends.