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UPI
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Lamb Chop' doc highlights Shari Lewis feminism, glass ceiling
1 of 5 | Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop are the subject of "Shari & Lamb Chop," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) -- The documentary Shari & Lamb Chop, in theaters Friday, tells the story of ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her most famous character, the puppet Lamb Chop. Her daughter, Mallory Lewis, who has performed as Lamb Chop and other characters since her mother's death in 1998, appreciates filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito showing the woman behind the characters. When Shari first got into ventriloquism, she was shut out by the male-dominated industry. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Mallory said women remain the minority in ventriloquism, even decades after Shari. "There's always been a glass ceiling for women and there continues to be one," Mallory said. "Nina Conti is one of my favorites but she's a comic as well." Shari and Lamb Chop also raised awareness for political issues that remain relevant today. A black and white clip from 1953 shows Lamb Chop asking Shari why there hasn't been a female president. "It is telling that in 1953 Lamb Chop said, 'Why isn't there a woman president? 32 men have been president and they've done it all wrong,'" Mallory said. Shari performed live television shows with Lamb Chop and other characters like Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and Wing Ding. Mallory said her mother's strength was distinguishing each of her characters. "You never felt that it was Mom putting on an affect," Mallory said. "Lamb Chop would not say the same thing Charlie would say. Lamb Chop would be horrified at injustice and Charlie Horse would be rooting for the bad guy. Hush Puppy would just want everyone to stop fighting. Then Mom would come in and explain the ethical issues and suggest a moral outcome." The documentary shows how live children's shows like Shari's got pushed off the air by animated series. The animated shows were designed to advertise the toys that inspired the series. Shari and Lamb Chop even testified before Congress in 1993 to advocate for moral children's television. "Mom, of course, sold Lamb Chop toys but the show was not about the toys," Mallory said. "The show was moral stories. They learned be nice, be inclusive, don't be mean. I don't know why those are now radical concepts." Lamb Chop did work blue in a Las Vegas act Shari performed. Shari & Lamp Chop includes clips of that show. "People have a very narrow image of Mom as a nice little lady who played with puppets," Mallory said. "Mom did not have a dark side, but she was a feminist. She was an activist. She was a businesswoman back when women weren't businesswomen. She was a wife. She was a mother. She was actually a fully formed human being." Shari also had many other endeavors that did not make it into Shari & Lamb Chop, such as her appearances on Hollywood Squares, or the Season 3 Star Trek episode she wrote with her second husband, Jeremy Tarcher. "Mom created this place called Memory Alpha which was the repository of all the knowledge in the universe," Mallory said. "They still use Memory Alpha as the Wikipedia name [for Star Trek]." In the documentary, Shari says she found herself in Lamb Chop. Mallory has a similar relationship with Lamb Chop, with one difference. "Mom was Lamb Chop's mom," Mallory said. "I am Lamb Chop's sister so we have a different relationship. She has a great deal less respect for me than she did for Shari but we are besties." Mallory said she is still using the same Lamb Chop puppet Shari used. "I never did the puppets until Mom died," Mallory said. "Mom was a major part of my world but the rest of that was Lamb Chop. I couldn't let it all go away. I put her on, I never had to learn how to not move my lips. I never had to learn her voice. She just continued." She even gives Lamb Chop a voice in interviews, as Lamb Chop weighed in on life after Shari. "I miss Shari every day but I'm so grateful that Mallory is here because she's my sister and my bestie," Lamb Chop said. Mallory, her husband, Lamb Chop and the gang moved to Portugal this year. They perform at political rallies and charity events, often held at the Cascais Jazz Club. "I am a firm believer in the power of Lamb Chop to raise money," Mallory said. "We have raised millions of dollars over the years together, she and I. So we are hosting charity events regularly in Cascais and the expats have been very kind and generous." Lamb Chop and Mallory also appear daily on TikTok and respond to fans. Charlie Horse has even made appearances by request. "TikTok is where the artists are," Mallory said. "You can just ignore all the ads to buy stuff. Just keep scrolling."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Museum Seeks To Close Funding Gap After Loss Of Federal Humanities Grant For Game Show Exhibit
As networks continue to dot their schedules with revivals of Match Game and Hollywood Squares and other mainstays, an exhibit to examine game show history and impact is looking to close a funding gap after a federal grant was pulled. The Strong Museum of Play, located in Rochester, NY, has been awarded a grant of almost $400,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to create an exhibit called Beyond the Buzzer: Game Shows in America. More from Deadline MSNBC Hires Politico's Sudeep Reddy As Washington Bureau Chief Bruce Springsteen Says Trump Is Running "A Corrupt, Incompetent And Treasonous Administration" Judge Hears Arguments In Corporation For Public Broadcasting's Challenge To Donald Trump's Removal Of Three Board Members While game shows often are dismissed as part of cultural histories, the 5,200-square-foot exhibit is meant to show their impact. The NEH grant description read, 'Game shows in America emerged in the 20th century from the confluence of several key cultural factors: the centuries-long dream that anybody with enough pluck and luck can strike it rich; the rise of mass media as the unifying glue of American culture; and the unique power of fans to actively shape the cultures they are consuming.' In addition to sets and props, the exhibit would include 'digital formats and online exhibit elements' to 'extend the exhibit's educational value while broadening its reach and accessibility.' The grant was awarded last year, but it was among the many humanities grants that were canceled following a series of President Donald Trump's executive orders that have seen the NEH rescind funding for documentary filmmakers and many other projects. The agency has continued to award grants, but has re-shifted its priorities, including to 'projects related to the nation's semiquincentennial and American exceptionalism.' Among other things, the NEH has now launched a grant program to support the design and creation of statues for Trump's National Garden of American Heroes. Per Trump's executive order, the agency has canceled projects related to diversity, equity and inclusion and environmental justice. The agency also noted that under the order, all 'federal grantmaking agencies, including NEH, must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and are consistent with each agency's mission.' An NEH spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on why the Museum of Play grant was pulled. The Strong Museum of Play launched the National Archives of Game Show History in 2021, along with producers Bob Boden and Howard Blumenthal. Shane Rhinewald, a spokesperson for the museum, said, 'Despite the funding setback, the museum still intends to complete the exhibit, though the size, scope, and timeline may be affected if the funding gap isn't closed through other means, including donations, other grant opportunities, and industry support. The museum's priority now is to work with donors, supporters, and others to ensure the exhibit is completed as envisioned.' Best of Deadline Where To Watch All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies: Streamers With Multiple Films In The Franchise Everything We Know About 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 So Far 'Bridgerton' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Hollywood Squares' Renewed For Season 2 By CBS
Hollywood Squares will return for another go-round. Just ahead of its Season 1 finale, CBS announced Thursday it has renewed the popular revival series for a second season. The reboot has drawn solid ratings in its freshman season. It's estimated to deliver 5.4 million viewers in live plus 35 days of multi-platform viewing, based on its season-to-date live plus 7 average. More from Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery CBS Renews 'Tracker,' 'Elsbeth,' 'Fire Country,' and 'NCIS' Dramas CBS Lawyers Say They Will Seek Donald Trump's Personal Financial Information If President's '60 Minutes' Lawsuit Proceeds To Discovery Phase Hosted by NFL analyst (and CBS Mornings co-host) Nate Burleson, the game show features Drew Barrymore in the center square, joined by celebrity guests in every episode. The Season 1 lineup has included Jay Leno, Whitney Cummings, Pete Holmes, Chaka Khan, Thomas Lennon, Nelly, Patton Oswalt, Nicole Byer, Drew Carey, Jeff Dunham, Max Greenfield, Lil Rel Howery, Rita Moreno and JB Smoove. In addition to airing on CBS, Hollywood Squares streams on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). RELATED: Hollywood Squares is produced by Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment and Drew Barrymore for Flower Films. The original show aired on NBC in the 1960s. The series piloted in 1965 and debuted in its entirety on the same network in 1966. Best of Deadline The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office 'The Last Of Us' Season 2: Everything We Know So Far The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Box Office
