Re: Shari Lewis, 1933-1998

[PUBLICREF3 <norwood@mln.lib.ma.us>]

You have probably heard that puppeteer/TV hostess Shari Lewis died
today at age 65.

What you might not have known about her was:
 
(1) She made her TV debut as a stand-up comedienne on Arthur Godfrey's
"Talent Scouts". She awitched to puppetry because she didn't have much
stand-up comedy material.

(2) When she got her weekly Saturday show on NBC in the fall of 1960,
it replaced "Howdy Doody" on the Saturday-morning schedule (ironic in
light of "Buffalo" Bob Smith's death last week).

(3) Shari, along with husband Jeremy Tarcher, co-wrote an episode of
the original "Star Trek" series (titled "The Lights of Zetar") that
aired in the fall of 1968. They were both devout fans of the original
"Trek" and reportadely pleaded with Gene Roddenberry to get the chance
to write a script.

Thus, Ms. Lewis was far more than just a puppeteer, and was a multi-
talented woman as well.

Joseph Gallant

<notquite@hotmail.com>

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