The Shari Lewis Show facts for kids

The Shari Lewis Show was a popular children's TV show that first aired on the NBC network in the United States. It ran from 1960 to 1963 and later had a run on the BBC in the United Kingdom. The show was famous for its talented host, Shari Lewis, and her beloved puppet friends, especially the adorable Lamb Chop.

Meet Shari Lewis and Her Puppet Friends

The star of The Shari Lewis Show was Shari Lewis herself. She was not only the host but also the amazing puppeteer who brought her characters to life. Her most famous puppet was Lamb Chop, a sweet and curious little lamb. Shari also had other fun puppets like Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse.

Lamb Chop actually made her first TV appearance even before this show! She debuted on another famous children's program called Captain Kangaroo in 1956. On The Shari Lewis Show, other actors joined the fun too. Ronald Radd played Mr. Goodfellow, and Clive Russell made his first TV appearance on the series. Even Fred Gwynne, who later became famous as Herman Munster, sometimes appeared as Lamb Chop's doctor.

Awards and Popularity

The Shari Lewis Show was very well-liked by viewers and critics. It even won a special award called a Peabody Award in 1961. This award celebrates excellent and important stories told through television. Even though the show was popular and received good reviews, it only ran for three seasons on NBC.

The Show's Journey: NBC and BBC

The Shari Lewis Show first premiered on October 1, 1960, in the United States. It became part of NBC's Saturday morning cartoon and children's show lineup. It took the place of another well-known children's show called Howdy Doody. The NBC version of The Shari Lewis Show continued to entertain children until September 28, 1963.

Across the Ocean: The BBC Series

A few years later, in 1968, the show found a new home in the United Kingdom. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) decided to pick up the series. They aired The Shari Lewis Show from April 13, 1968, all the way until August 28, 1976. At that time, the BBC was trying out new ideas, like having American performers star in their fun entertainment shows.

Where Are the Episodes Now?

It's a bit sad, but most of the original episodes of The Shari Lewis Show from NBC are no longer around today. Back then, TV networks often reused their video tapes to save money. NBC actually used the tapes from many Shari Lewis Show episodes to record important political events in 1964. These events were big meetings where the main political parties in the United States chose their leaders for president.

Shari Lewis herself said many years later that it was a "shame" because the shows were beautifully made and showed off NBC's early color TV work. However, not all is lost! Some episodes and short clips of the show did survive. These existing recordings were carefully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and some episodes can even be found on DVD today.

The BBC series also faced a similar problem, and many of its episodes are missing. But just like the NBC show, a few episodes from the BBC run are still known to exist.