Lamb Chop's Play-Along


Lamb Chop's Play-Along! is a half-hour children's television series aimed at toddlers that was shown on PBS in the United States from January 13, 1992, until September 22, 1995, with reruns airing on PBS until January 4, 1998, and on KTV FAVE - KIDZ in 2019. It was created and hosted by the puppeteer Shari Lewis, and featured her puppet characters Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy. The series was based on several home videos Lewis created throughout the 1980s, particularly the 1988 video Lamb Chop's Sing-Along, Play-Along. Lamb Chop's Play-Along! was followed by the short-lived spin-off series, The Charlie Horse Music Pizza.

Premise

is an anthropomorphic sheep puppet who lives with her guardian Shari Lewis and her two siblings, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy. In each episode, Lewis encourages the audience to participate or interact in a number of activities through several segments, including those involving crafts, songs and stories. The shows are wrapped around with a multiple-act segment known as At Home With Lamb Chop, which typically revolves around a situation involving one of the puppet characters.

Production

PBS commissioned the show from Shari Lewis in May 1991, and the show premiered in January 1992. This marked Lewis' return to television after about 15 years. Lamb Chop's Play-Along was shot in Canada, first in Burnaby, British Columbia and then at the CBC Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The series honored Lewis' father, college professor Abraham Hurwitz, who died in 1981. He is referred to as "the official magician of New York City".
Ellensburg Daily Record said "each half hour is filled with jokes, games, songs, and tricks".

Broadcast

jointly distributed it with Paragon Entertainment Corporation to PBS stations across the country. The rights to the show are currently owned by Universal Television on behalf of DreamWorks Classics.

Format

Philosophy

Shari Lewis explained her goal for the audience is "participation, not passive observance". She said: "our goal is, don't just sit there - come play with me". She wanted to "attack the shorter attention span of today's children with a fast-paced show using colorful electronic effects". She said in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer: "I know that when children watch TV, they go into a stupor. Parents think are interested, but what they really are is ".
Lewis testified that making smart content for children was not that hard to produce and should be done with increasing frequency. She explained that if children are challenged, they will be productive members of society. She said, "I don't care if you tack a prosocial message at the end of the show. You have not done a quality show".

Opening and closing sequences

Both the opening and closing songs were written by Broadway composer Norman Martin. Other songs were written by Square One TV songwriter, John Rodby. Two versions of the opening song with different lyrics have been used; one involves bouncing, and the other strength. The ending theme song is "The Song That Doesn't End", as sung by the children and puppets while Lewis frantically attempts to stop them. The children and puppets eventually leave at Shari's urging, and the song fades even before beginning a sixth verse. Finally, at the end of the end credits sequence, Charlie Horse returns and tries to get to sing the song again but Lewis successfully stops him. She then orders him to go away and not let the song back in her sight again. As Charlie leaves, he slams the door before Lewis could tell him to close the door properly. Despite Charlie slamming the door, her only consolation is that everything is now silent. However, she glares at the viewers at fade-out.
An instrumental version of the show's theme song was used for a most recent show of Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop.

Cast

  • Shari Lewis as Herself/Lamb Chop/Charlie Horse/Hush Puppy
  • Pat Brymer as the head puppeteer
  • Gord Robertson as Buster the Bus, featured puppeteer
  • Norma McKnight as additional puppetry
  • Bonnie Martin as Big Lamb Chop
  • Mark Gamez as Big Charlie Horse

Lamb Chop's Playmates

  • Andrew Francis
  • Brian Ito
  • Amanda McAdam
  • Sabrina Sánchez
  • Kevin Yee
  • Rachel Sandor-Gough
  • Talia Gilboa
  • Bryan Robinson
  • Zack Moses
  • Phillip Boutte
  • Annick Obonsawin
  • John Creery
  • Ramon Choyce
  • Jade Schwartz
  • Emma Pollard
  • Maddie Lewis

Episodes

85 half-hour episodes produced.

Season 1 (1992)

  1. Air Charlie
  2. Stop Biting Your Nails
  3. Too Sick to Go to the Circus
  4. The Bully
  5. Hiccups
  6. Charlie's Magic Show
  7. Lamb Chop Works Out
  8. The Charlie Horse Newspaper
  9. Robin Hoof
  10. Charlie's Toothache
  11. The Baseball Show
  12. The Planet Yzarc
  13. Maurice
  14. Charlie Horse Western
  15. Runaway
  16. The Lemonade Wars
  17. Have I Got A Girl For You
  18. Lamb Chop's Make-Over
  19. The Ring
  20. Charlie Horse's Birthday
  21. Grown Up For A Day
  22. Charlie Horse For Class President
  23. Shari's Obedience School
  24. The Necklace
  25. The Chicken Show
  26. Lamb Chop's Allowance
  27. Talent-Less
  28. On Thin Ice
  29. Bigger Is Better
  30. Lamb Chop: Star

Season 2 (1993)

  1. So Long Freddy
  2. Shari Makes a Beanstalk
  3. School Daze
  4. The Circus
  5. I'm Back!
  6. What's Your Name?
  7. Farnsworth
  8. A Cat By Any Other Name
  9. Born To Dance
  10. Super Angelo
  11. I Write The Songs
  12. United We Stand
  13. Lucky Puppy
  14. The Wallet
  15. Twinkle, Twinkle
  16. The Return of Zark
  17. Fear of Biking
  18. Segnorita Lamb Chop
  19. Forget It!
  20. Little Red Riding Hood
  21. Chicken Pox
  22. The Guys
  23. Get Up & Dance
  24. Trading Bases
  25. When You Grow Up
  26. Lamb Chop's Cold
  27. Musical Chopsticks
  28. Principal Swanson
  29. Gold Diggers
  30. The Emperor's New Clothes
  31. Peer Pressure
  32. Toulouse La Chop
  33. Anchor Desk
  34. The Dark
  35. Lamb Chop's Lullaby

Season 3 (1994)

  1. The Horse of a Different Color
  2. Monopoly
  3. Tattletale!
  4. So Mad!
  5. Lamb Chop's Pet
  6. Togetherless
  7. What A Mess
  8. Buster and Butch the Bully
  9. Busted-Up Buster
  10. Lamb Chop Practicing Violin

Season 4 (1995)

  1. Charlie Horse Tells a Lie
  2. Shari's Favorite?
  3. Lamb Chop's Art Embarrasses Charlie Horse
  4. A Yo-Yo for Hush Puppy
  5. Lamb Chop's Glasses
  6. Counting on Your Knuckles
  7. Your Mitt or Mine
  8. Fighting Fair
  9. The Job
  10. Sea Creatures

Specials

2 one-hour episode specials were produced:
  • Special: Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah
  • Special: Shari's Passover Surprise

Segments

Introduced in Season 1

  • At Home with Lamb Chop
  • Comedy Barn
  • Knock! Knock!
  • A Baby Lamb Chop Story
  • Betcha
  • Riddles
  • Funny Little Poem
  • Animals from the San Diego Zoo
  • Tongue Twisters
  • Story Time
  • Sing a Little Sing-Along Song
  • Playtime With Emma
  • More Playtime With Emma
  • A Whale Of A Tale

Introduced in Season 2

  • Buster the Bus
  • Alpha-Toons
  • Something Unusual/Fascinating
  • A Baby Shari Lewis Story
  • A Teddy Bear Tale
  • A Baby Hush Puppy Story
  • Sing a Little Sing-Along Song

Introduced in Season 3

Introduced in Season 4

Critical reception

The show received a rating of 8.0 based on 128 votes, at TV.com, and a score of 7.8/10 at IMDb based on 407 ratings. Greensboro News & Record said of this show, "she made the sort of mischief that gave a vicarious thrill to millions of children watching at home".
In 2025, the documentary Shari and Lamb Chop was set to be widely released by Kino Lorber.

Awards and nominations

YearAwardRecipientResult
1992Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's SeriesShari LewisWon
1992Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Costume DesignMolly Harris CampbellNomitated
1992Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's SeriesBernard Rothman, Jon Slan, Richard Borchiver, Shari LewisNomitated
1992Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's SeriesBernard Rothman, Shari LewisNomitated
1993Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's SeriesShari LewisWon
1993Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's SeriesShari Lewis, Ken Steele, Bernard Rothman, Mallory Tarcher, Lan O'Kunx, Aubrey TadmanWon
1993Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting DirectionCarl GibsonNomitated
1994Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's SeriesShari LewisWon
1994Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's SeriesRichard Borchiver, Shari Lewis, Bernard Rothman, Jon SlanNomitated
1994Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's SeriesMallory Tarcher, Ken Steele, Steve Edelman, Bernard Rothman, Lan O'Kun,
Shari Lewis, Aubrey Tadman, Tibby Rothman, Jeremy Tarcher, Michael Lyons, Kimberley Wells		Nomitated
1995Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's SeriesShari LewisWon
1995Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Pre-School Children's SeriesShari Lewis, Bernard Rothman, Jon Slan, Richard BorchiverNomitated
1995Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's SeriesBernard Rothman, Shari Lewis, Mallory Tarcher, Ken Steele, Lan O'Kun, Aubrey TadmanNomitated
1996Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's SeriesShari LewisWon
1996Daytime Emmy Outstanding Pre-School Children's SeriesJon Slan, Richard Borchiver, Shari Lewis, Bernard RothmanNomitated
1996Daytime Emmy Outstanding Writing in a Children's SeriesMallory Tarcher, Shari Lewis, Aubrey Tadman, Ken Steele, Tibby Rothman, Lan O'Kun, Bernard RothmanNomitated