The Surprising Untold Story of Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop

If the name “Lamb Chop” makes you smile, you’re not alone. That wide-eyed, goofy grin you get when you spot the iconic sock puppet? Mallory Lewis, daughter of the late Shari Lewis and now the hand behind Lamb Chop, has a name for it: The Lamb Chop Face.

“It’s this stunned joy,” Mallory says, Zooming in from Portugal. “Like someone just gave you a puppy and a cupcake at the same time.” She holds up Lamb Chop mid-interview, and sure enough, I made the face. “He made the face!” Lamb Chop squeals. Same cooing voice. Same sass. Just like you remember from PBS.

But there’s way more to the story than nursery rhymes and cuddly puppets. A new documentary, Shari & Lamb Chop, pulls back the curtain on the woman who built an empire out of ventriloquism, charm, and a whole lot of grit. And yes, it turns out Shari Lewis wasn’t just the sweet lady in overalls. She was a firecracker—with a sharp sense of humor, control over every aspect of her productions, and, apparently, a thing for ordering lamb in restaurants just to mess with people.

“She used to say, ‘Lamb has been feeding this family for years,’” Mallory laughs.

In Shari & Lamb Chop, Emmy-nominated director Lisa D’Apolito (best known for Love, Gilda) dives into Shari’s life and legacy—from her Bronx childhood surrounded by magicians and ventriloquists, to her TV debut at 27, to her eventual comeback in the ‘90s. Shari’s father, in case you’re wondering, was literally New York City’s “official magician.” You can’t make this stuff up.

“She was doing what Mr. Rogers and Jim Henson did before they were household names,” D’Apolito says.

But the doc doesn’t just highlight her squeaky-clean image. It gleefully digs into the weird, wild corners of her career—including that time she took Lamb Chop on Playboy After Dark. Yes, the puppet wore a bunny costume.

“You’re far too young to be a bunny,” Shari tells her. “Shari,” Lamb Chop replies, “you still see me as a child, but to millions of hot-blooded American men, I’m a three-page foldout.”

Turns out, Lewis had a nightclub act where Lamb Chop got drunk. Mallory still performs it—for adults only. “Some woman came up to me once, furious, saying, ‘Your mother would be horrified!’” Mallory says. “And I told her, ‘My mother WROTE that routine.’”

Lewis wasn’t just a performer—she was in full control. At a time when almost no women had power behind the scenes, she was calling the shots. “Her and Lucille Ball were probably the only women at the time who had full control,” D’Apolito says. Shari hired her writers, controlled the finances, and ran the show from top to bottom.

Mallory tells a story from the film about a producer who asked, “Where’s the power in this studio?” Without missing a beat, Shari raised her arm, pointed at herself, and said, “Right here.” Turns out he meant electrical power, but the moment stuck.

“She had to fight to stay relevant and for respect,” Mallory says. “But no one made the mistake of f—ing with her twice.”

Believe it or not, Lamb Chop is still going strong—now with over 300,000 TikTok followers and counting. She’s been named “America’s Hottest Dog Toy” by The New York Times. Yes, seriously.

And no matter how much time passes, the effect is the same. D’Apolito recalls filming in New York City with Lamb Chop, watching grown adults abandon their own kids on the sidewalk just to get a selfie with the puppet. Even the NYPD couldn’t resist.

“They’ve got these giant guns and everything,” Mallory says. “But when they saw Lamb Chop, they were like, ‘Lamb Chop!!’”

Behind the pigtails and playful songs was a trailblazer. Shari Lewis broke barriers, cracked dirty jokes, and stood up in Congress to demand better programming for kids—with Lamb Chop testifying, of course.

“She was the sweetest steamroller,” Mallory says. “People didn’t see her coming. But once she showed up, you felt it.”

Whether you loved Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, got freaked out by that “This is the song that doesn’t end…” anthem, or had no clue a puppet once did stand-up in a nightclub, Shari & Lamb Chop promises to surprise you. And probably make you do The Lamb Chop Face, too.