Lamb Chop's Play-Along
Lamb Chop's Play-Along! | |
---|---|
Genre | Children's television series |
Written by |
Lan O'Kun Bernard Rothman |
Directed by |
Michael Watt Stan Jacobson |
Presented by | Shari Lewis |
Opening theme | "It's Lamb Chop's Play-Along!" |
Ending theme | "The Song That Doesn't End" |
Composer(s) |
Bob Golden John Rodby |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 86 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Production location(s) | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company(s) |
Paragon Entertainment Corporation WTTW |
Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution (on behalf of DreamWorks Classics) |
Release | |
Original network | PBS |
Original release | January 13, 1992 – September 22, 1995 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | The Charlie Horse Music Pizza |
Lamb Chop's Play-Along! is an American half-hour preschool children's television series that was shown on PBS in the United States from January 13, 1992 to September 22, 1995. It was created and hosted by puppeteer Shari Lewis, and featured her puppet characters Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy.
Production
PBS commissioned the show from Shari Lewis in May 1991, and the show premiered in January 1992.[1] This marked Lewis' return to television after about 15 years (following the BBC version of The Shari Lewis Show in 1975). Lamb Chop's Play-Along was shot at the CBC Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The series honoured Lewis's father, college professor Abraham Hurwitz - "the official magician of New York City".[2]
Ellensburg Daily Record explains: "each half hour is filled with jokes, games, songs, and tricks".[3]
Philosophy
Shari Lewis said her goal for the audience is "participation, not passive observance". She said: "our goal is, don't just sit there - come play with me".[3] 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 (their children) are interested, but what they really are is [bored]".[4]
Lewis testified that making smart content for children was not that hard to produce and should be done with increasing frequency. She said that if children are challenged, they will be productive members of society.[5] 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".[6]
Synopsis
Appropriately, Lamb Chop is an anthropomorphic sheep; other characters are puppets of other farm animals, including Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy.
Cast
- Shari Lewis - Host/Lamb Chop/Hush Puppy/Charlie Horse
- Pat Brymer - head puppeteer
- Gord Robertson - Buster the Bus, featured puppeteer
- Norma McKnight - additional puppetry
- Bonnie Martin - Big Lamb Chop
- Mark Gamez - Big Charlie Horse
- Lamb Chop's playmates
- Brian Ito
- Amanda McAdam
- Sabrina Sánchez
- Emma Pollard
- Annick Obonsawin
- John Creery
- Bryan Robinson
- Ramon Choyce
- Phillip Boutte
- Jade Schwartz
- Talia Gilboa
- Darren Doran
- Jason Guadalajara
- Zack McLemore
- Katie Orm
- Toni White
- Kevin Yee
- Rachel Sandor-Gough
- Zack Moses
- Emily Harrison
- Andrew Francis
Episodes
86 half-hour episodes produced.
Season 1 (1992)
- Air Charlie
- Stop Biting Your Nails
- Too Sick to Go to the Circus
- The Bully
- Hiccups
- Charlie's Magic Show
- Lamb Chop Works Out
- The Charlie Newspaper
- Robin Hoof
- Charlie's Toothache
- The Baseball Show
- The Planet Yzarc
- Maurice
- Charlie Horse Western
- Runaway
- The Lemonade Wars
- Have I Got A Girl For You
- Lamb Chop's Make-over
- The Ring
- Charlie Horse's Birthday
- Grown Up For A Day
- Charlie Horse For Class President
- Obedience School
- The Necklace
- The Chicken Show
- Lamb Chop's Allowance
- Talent-Less
- On Thin Ice
- Bigger is Better
- Lamb Chop: Star
- The Lamb Chop Show
Season 2 (1993)
- So Long Freddy
- Shari Makes a Beanstalk
- School Daze
- The Circus
- I'm Back!
- What's Your Name?
- Farnsworth
- A Cat By Any Other Name
- Born To Dance
- Super Angelo
- I Write The Songs
- United We Stand
- Lucky Puppy
- The Wallet
- Trading Bases
- Return to Zarc
- Fear of Biking
- Segnorita Lamb Chop
- Forget It
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Chicken Pox
- The Guys
- Get Up & Dance
- Trading Bases
- When You Grow Up
- Lamb Chop's Cold
- Musical Chopsticks
- Principal Swanson
- Gold Diggers
- The Story of How Baby Lamb Chop Learned to Walk
- Peer Pressure
- Toulouse La Chop
- Anchor Desk
- The Dark
- Lamb Chop's Lullaby
Season 3 (1994)
- The Horse of a Different Color
- Monopoly
- Tattle Tale
- So Mad
- Lamb Chop's Pet
- Togetherless
- What A Mess
- Buster and Butch the Bully
- Busted-Up Buster
- Lamb Chop Practicing Violin
Season 4 (1995)
- Charlie Horse Tells a Lie
- Shari's Favorite?
- Lamb Chop's Art Embarrasses Charlie Horse
- A Yo-Yo for Hush Puppy
- Lamb Chop's Glasses
- Counting on Your Knuckles
- Your Mitt or Mine
- Fighting Fair
- The Job
- Sea Creatures
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
Introduced in Season 2
- BUSter the Bus
- Alphatoons
- Something Unusual/Fascinating
- A Baby Shari Lewis Story
- A Teddy Bear Tale
- A Baby Hush Puppy Story
Introduced in Season 3
- Any Kid Can Draw
- Take a Look at a Book
- Buster's Brain Busters
- Magic is the Thing for You
- You Can Do It
Introduced in Season 4
- Clip from The Shari Lewis Show
Production notes
WTTW 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.
Opening and closing
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, 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. Finally, at the end of the song, Charlie Horse returns and tries to get to sing it again. But Lewis, she successfully stops him; by grabbing his mouth. She tells him to go away. Charlie leaves as she asks; but slams the door. He slams the door before Lewis could tell him don't.
An instrumental version of the show's theme song was used for a most recent show of Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop.
Critical reception
The show received a rating of 8.0 based on 128 votes, at TV.com,[7] and score of 7.8/10 at IMDb based on 407 ratings.[8] Greensboro News & Record said of this show, "she (Lewis) made the sort of mischief that gave a vicarious thrill to millions of children watching at home".[9]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis | Won |
1992 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design | Molly Harris Campbell | Nominated |
1992 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series | Bernard Rothman, Jon Slan, Richard Borchiver, Shari Lewis | Nominated |
1992 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series | Bernard Rothman, Shari Lewis | Nominated |
1993 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis | Won |
1993 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis, Ken Steele, Bernard Rothman, Mallory Tarcher, Lan O'Kunx, Aubrey Tadman | Won |
1993 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction | Carl Gibson | Nominated |
1994 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis | Won |
1994 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series | Richard Borchiver, Shari Lewis, Bernard Rothman, Jon Slan | Nominated |
1994 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series | Mallory Tarcher, Ken Steele, Steve Edelman, Bernard Rothman, Lan O'Kun, Shari Lewis, Aubrey Tadman, Tibby Rothman, Jeremy Tarcher, Michael Lyons, Kimberley Wells | Nominated |
1995 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis | Won |
1995 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series | Shari Lewis, Bernard Rothman, Jon Slan, Richard Borchiver | Nominated |
1995 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series | Bernard Rothman, Shari Lewis, Mallory Tarcher, Ken Steele, Lan O'Kun, Aubrey Tadman | Nominated |
1996 | Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series | Shari Lewis | Won |
1996 | Daytime Emmy Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series | Jon Slan, Richard Borchiver, Shari Lewis, Bernard Rothman | Nominated |
1996 | Daytime Emmy Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series | Mallory Tarcher, Shari Lewis, Aubrey Tadman, Ken Steele, Tibby Rothman, Lan O'Kun, Bernard Rothman | Nominated |
Funding
Funding for this program was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by Viewers Like You.
External links
References
- ↑ "Daily Union - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "The Daily Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- 1 2 "Ellensburg Daily Record - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "Philadelphia Inquirer: Search Results". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "Daily Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "Star-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ TV.com. "Lamb Chop's Play-Along". TV.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ↑ "Lamb Chop's Play-Along". Retrieved 12 July 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
- ↑ "Search The News & Record Archive". nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.