Pee-wee's Playhouse

Pee-wee's Playhouse

Title card
Created by Paul Reubens
Presented by Pee-wee Herman
Starring
Theme music composer George McGrath, Mark Mothersbaugh, & Paul Reubens
Opening theme Mark Mothersbaugh
Ending theme Mark Mothersbaugh
Composer(s)
  • Mark Mothersbaugh
  • The Residents (2.1, 2.9, 3.2)
  • Danny Elfman ("Monster", "Cowboy and Cowntess", "The Gang's All Here" "Store", "Pee-wee Catches a Cold")
  • Mark Snow (5.1, 5.8, "Love That Story")
  • Tom Snow (4.4)
  • Ron Grant (5.6)
  • Todd Rundgren (1.11, 1.13)
  • George S. Clinton (5.5, "Dance Music"; only episode)
  • Gleen A. Jordan
  • Dweezil Zappa (3.1, 4.1, 4.2)
  • Scott Thunes (3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 4.8)
  • Jeff Baxter
  • Bruce Roberts (5.2)
  • Jonathan Sheffer (5.2)
  • Stanley Clarke
  • Van Dyke Parks (Christmas special)
  • Cliff Martinez (2.5)
  • Mitch Froom ("Now You See Me, Now You Don't")
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 45 + Christmas Special (list of episodes)
Production
Location(s)
  • 480 Broadway,[1] New York City, New York (1986)
  • Hollywood Center Studios, Los Angeles, California (1987-1988)
  • The Culver Studios, Los Angeles, California (1989-1991)
Camera setup
  • Film (principal photography)
  • Videotape (post-production)
  • Single-camera
Running time 23-24 minutes
Production company(s)
  • Pee-wee Pictures (entire run)
  • Broadcast Arts Productions (1986)
  • Binder Entertainment (1987-1988)
  • BRB Productions (season 2 reruns)
  • Grosso-Jacobson Productions (1989-1990)
Distributor CBS Television Distribution
Release
Original network CBS
Picture format NTSC (480i)
Audio format
  • Mono (Seasons 1-4)
  • Stereo [CBS Stereosound] (Season 5)
Original release September 13, 1986 (1986-09-13) – July 27, 1991 (1991-07-27)
Chronology
Related shows The Pee-wee Herman Show
External links
Website www.peewee.com

Pee-wee's Playhouse was an American children's television program starring Paul Reubens as the childlike Pee-wee Herman which ran from 1986 to 1991 on Saturday mornings on CBS. The show was developed from Reubens' popular stage show and the TV special The Pee-wee Herman Show, produced for HBO, which was similar in style but featured much more adult humor.

In 2004 and 2007, Pee-wee's Playhouse was ranked #10 and #12 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever.[2][3]

Show creation and format

The Pee-wee Herman character was developed by Reubens into a live stage show entitled The Pee-wee Herman Show in 1980. It featured many characters that would go on to appear in Playhouse, including Captain Carl, Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Pterri the Pterodactyl and Clocky. While enjoying continuous popularity with the show, Reubens teamed with young director Tim Burton in 1985 to make the comedy film Pee-wee's Big Adventure. It became one of the year's surprise hits, costing a relatively modest $6 million to make but taking in $45 million at the box office.

After seeing the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the CBS network approached Reubens with an ill-received cartoon series proposal.[4] In 1986, CBS agreed to sign Reubens to act, produce and direct his own live-action Saturday morning children's program, Pee-wee's Playhouse, with a budget of $325,000 per episode, (comparable to that of a half-hour prime-time sitcom)[5] and full creative control (although CBS did request a few minor changes over the years).[6]

Reubens assembled a supporting troupe that included ex-Groundlings and cast members from The Pee-wee Herman Show, including Phil Hartman, John Paragon, Lynne Marie Stewart, Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson. Production began in New York City in the summer of 1986 in a converted loft on Broadway, which one of the show's writers, George McGrath, described as a "sweatshop". Reubens moved the production to Los Angeles for season two in 1987, resulting in a new set and a more relaxed work atmosphere[7]

Playhouse was designed as an educational yet entertaining and artistic show for children, and its conception was greatly influenced by 1950s shows Reubens had watched as a child, like The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, The Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Kangaroo, and Howdy Doody. The show quickly acquired a dual audience of kids and grownups.[8][9][10] Reubens, always trying to make of Pee-wee a positive role model, sought to make a significantly moral show that would teach children the ethics of reciprocity.[10] Reubens believed that children liked the Playhouse because it was fast-paced, colorful and "never talked down to them", while parents liked the Playhouse because it reminded them of the past.[10]

Plot

The premise of the show was that host Pee-wee Herman went to play in a fantastic house (situated in Puppetland) known as the Playhouse, which was filled with toys, gadgets, talking furniture and appliances (e.g., Magic Screen and Chairy) and puppet characters such as Conky The Robot, Pterri the baby Pteranodon and Jambi the Genie (John Paragon), a disembodied genie's head who lives in a jeweled box. The Playhouse was also visited by a regular cast of human characters, including Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart), Reba The Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson), Captain Carl (Phil Hartman), Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne) and a small group of children, The Playhouse Gang.

Although primarily a live-action comedy, each episode included segments featuring puppetry, video animation and prepared sequences using Chroma-key and stock footage, e.g., when Pee-wee jumps into the Magic Screen, as well as inserted clay animation sequences (some made by Richard Goleszowski and Nick Park, creators of Wallace & Gromit) and excerpts from cartoons from the Golden Age of American animation, usually presented by the character "The King of Cartoons".[4] Each episode also featured specially written soundtrack music by noted rock/pop musicians such as Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Todd Rundgren, Mitchell Froom and The Residents. The show's theme song performance was credited to "Ellen Shaw", though in her autobiography, Cyndi Lauper admits to being the actual singer.[11]

Each episode usually contained a running gag particular to that episode, and/or a specific event or dilemma that would send Pee-wee into an emotional frenzy. The show had many recurring gags, themes, and devices. For example, at the beginning of each episode, viewers were told the day's "secret word" (often issued by Conky the Robot) and were instructed to "scream real loud" every time a character on the show said the word. Pee-wee would often say the word himself at the end of the episode, just before launching himself and his little scooter out of the playhouse through a hidden exit. During the closing credits, images of him were chroma-keyed together with footage of various roads and highways to make it appear that he was traveling along them. At the beginning of each episode he is seen travelling into the house, on the same scooter.

CBS and Reubens mutually agreed to end the show at the end of the 1990-91 season after 5 seasons and 45 episodes.[12] The last original episode aired on November 17, 1990. In July 1991, Reubens was arrested for exposing himself in a Sarasota, Florida adult movie theater, prompting CBS to immediately stop airing its Playhouse re-runs, which were originally intended to air until Fall of that year.[13][14] The show was replaced by reruns of The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy.

The art of the playhouse

The creative design of the show was concocted by a troupe of artists including Wayne White, Gary Panter, Craig Bartlett, Richard Goleszowski, Gregory Harrison, Ric Heitzman, and Phil Trumbo. The first day of production, right as Panter began reading the scripts to find out where everything would be situated, set workers hurriedly asked him, "Where's the plans? All the carpenters are standing here ready to build everything." Panter responded, "You just have to give us 15 minutes to design this thing!"[15] When asked about the styles that went into the set design, Panter said, "This was like the hippie dream...It was a show made by artists ... We put art history all over the show. It's really like ... I think Mike Kelley said, and it's right, that it's kind of like the Googie style - it's like those LA types of coffee shops and stuff but kind of psychedelic, over-the-top."[16] Several artistic filmmaking techniques were featured on the program including chroma key, stop-motion animation, and clay animation.

Soundtracks

The music for the show was provided by a diverse set of musicians, including Mark Mothersbaugh, The Residents, Todd Rundgren, Danny Elfman (who provided the score for both of the Pee-wee movies), Mitchell Froom, Van Dyke Parks, George S. Clinton and Dweezil Zappa with Scott Thunes (spelled 'Tunis' in the credits).

Mothersbaugh, who later went on to become a fixture in composing music for children's shows like Rugrats, joined the show on hiatus from recording with Devo:[17]

The opening prelude theme is an interpretation of Les Baxter's "Quiet Village". The theme song, which originally followed the prelude, was performed by Cyndi Lauper (credited as "Ellen Shaw"), imitating Betty Boop.[11]

For the final season in 1990, a new version of the prelude theme was recorded, and the opening theme was slightly edited. This plastered the season 2 opening on the season 4 episodes in all post-1990 airings and video releases.

Cast and crew

Many now-well-known TV and film actors appeared on the show, including Sandra Bernhard, Laurence Fishburne, Phil Hartman, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jimmy Smits, and Lynne Stewart. Future heavy metal musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie was also a production assistant, and future filmmaker John Singleton was a security guard.

Season 3 (which consisted of only three episodes) included an all-star Christmas special featuring the regular cast, with appearances by Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Magic Screen's Cousin played by Magic Johnson, Dinah Shore, Joan Rivers, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, Little Richard, Cher, Charo, k.d. lang, the Del Rubio triplets, and Grace Jones.

Human characters

Character Played by Description
Cowboy Curtis Laurence Fishburne A "cowboy" in the 1950s' pop culture sense with a jheri curl mullet.
Captain Carl (first season) Phil Hartman A gritty, unshaven sea captain with a gruff voice, but a somewhat shy demeanor, he came by the playhouse to show Pee-wee interesting things from the ocean. His tolerance for Pee-wee's antics was often tested whenever he stopped by. Captain Carl was more adult-oriented in the HBO special and Miss Yvonne appeared to have deep feelings for him.
Miss Yvonne Lynne Marie A woman obsessed with beauty and cosmetics, who often flirted with Pee-wee and many of the other male characters on the show, she was given the title "the most beautiful woman in Puppetland" by the puppet characters (especially Mr. Window, who would usually introduce her). Yvonne wore a large brown bouffant-style wig, gaudy dresses and heels, and her appearance was always accompanied by some sort of theme music. She, like Ricardo, also has a medical background, as evidenced by her nurse get-up and actions in "Pee-wee Catches a Cold". Unlike many regulars, Yvonne appeared in almost every Playhouse episode, and in a few episodes, she even danced with Pee-wee herself. Pee-wee appeared to have a slight crush on Miss Yvonne in some episodes, and most of the time commented on how beautiful she looked upon greeting her.
Reba the Mail Lady S. Epatha Merkerson A mail carrier who was often confused by the rules of the playhouse, over time, she gets really annoyed at having to be screamed at in her ears. She also had a pet dog which Pee-wee recovered when she lost him. She rarely acknowledged the viewing audience.
The King of Cartoons Gilbert Lewis (first season);

William H. Marshall (subsequent seasons)

 He showed a brief cartoon clip during his segment. His catch phrase was "Let the cartoon begin!" The original King of Cartoons used a film projector to show the cartoons (which he would aim at the lens of the camera shooting the actual show). On later seasons, the King would turn on a television set with a remote control. The king sometimes appeared unsure of what to do, and people like Pee-wee would have to remind him it was time to show a cartoon.
Tito

(first season only)

 Roland Rodriguez The playhouse lifeguard, he usually came into the house during snack time or during a gathering.
Ricardo Vic Trevino A Spanish-speaking soccer player with an apparent medical background, he replaced Tito after the first season.
Mrs. Steve (first season only; mentioned in "Fire in the Playhouse" of season 4) Shirley Stoler A frequent visitor to the playhouse during the first season, she enjoyed eating and "snooping around" when Pee-wee was not seen.
Mrs. Rene Suzanne Kent A neighbor of Pee-wee's, she replaced Mrs. Steve after the first season. She is the polar opposite of Mrs. Steve, being much more tolerant and fun-loving.
Dixie (first season) Johann Carlo A taxi driver, she introduced the King of Cartoons in the first season by playing her trumpet (frequently referring to him as "King Cartoon").
The Playhouse Gang (first season) Natasha Lyonne (Opal);
Shaun Weiss (Elvis);
Diane Yang (Cher)		 Three children who interacted with Pee-wee during the first season, they were replaced by three other children for the subsequent second season.
The Playhouse Gang (second season) Vaughn Tyree Jelks (Fabian);
Alisan Porter (Li'l Punkin);
Stephanie Walski (Rapunzel)		 Three children who interacted with Pee-wee, but only in two episodes of the second season, their only notable personality trait is that Li'l Punkin never spoke out loud by herself, instead whispering in Pee-wee's or other characters' ears. She spoke occasionally, but only in unison with the other two, and once she sang a song.

Puppet and object characters

Character Voiced by Description
Jambi John Paragon A blue-faced (later green) genie who lived in a jeweled box, he usually appeared once per show to grant Pee-wee a wish, often with unexpected results. Sometimes, he appeared more than once per show or not at all. His head was the only feature that always showed. His catchphrases included "Wish? Did somebody say 'Wish'?", and the magic words "Mecca lecca hi, mecca hiney ho" (which grew more complicated as the show progressed).
Chairry Alison Mork A bluish-green armchair with eyes on the chair back, a mouth between the seat cushions, and armrests that flapped around, she occasionally hugged Pee-wee when he sat on her.
Magic Screen Alison Mork A screen on wheels that slightly resembled an Etch-A-Sketch, it flashed in an array of colors when not in use; it also showed films, and Pee-wee would frequently jump into the screen itself to interact with a fantasy land inside, usually to "connect the dots" (see below). Magic Screen once mentioned having a relative, Movie Screen. In the Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special, Magic Johnson stated that Magic Screen and he were cousins. Magic Screen is addressed as "she" and "her" in the puppeteers' commentary, indicating that Magic Screen is actually female.
Pterri John Paragon (seasons 1, 3 — 5);
George McGrath (season 2)		 A green Pteranodon and one of Pee-wee's closest friends, he usually acted like a young child. Pterri was afraid of thunderstorms (as revealed in "Rainy Day") and was very sensitive. He was often picked on by Randy and sometimes hung out with Globey. In the HBO special, The Pee-wee Herman Show, he worked for Captain Carl as a sort of "talking parrot" element.
Mr. Window Ric Heitzman The window to the left of the playhouse door when inside the playhouse, he had googly eyes and talked by moving his yellow window pane up and down. His role on the show was to introduce other characters (usually Miss Yvonne), and occasionally serve as a means for Pterri to enter and exit the playhouse (though Mr. Window would only open up his "mouth" about half to two-thirds of the time).
Clockey Kevin Carlson A yellow and red clock shaped like a map of the United States, he often introduced "Penny" cartoons and the like by asking Pee-wee, "Do you know what time it is?... Time for a Penny cartoon (etc.)!." He originated in the HBO special acting in a similar manner.
Conky 2000 Gregory Harrison (Season 1);
Kevin Carlson (subsequent seasons)		 The playhouse robot, he gave Pee-wee the "secret word" each week and served as a "brain" element in the show. He spoke with a stutter, and was made from various parts of old electronics, including old camera attachments (eyes), a boombox (chest), phonograph (torso), and a cash register with no keys (head), and a vacuum cleaner hood as the top skull. The robot referred to himself as "Conky 2000" (after the first season, though he used this in episode #3 in the first season) when Pee-wee turned him on. According to evidence suggested in the episode "Conky's Breakdown", there may be more than one Conky robot. Further evidence of this is that Pee-Wee has a different model of Conky in the 2010 Broadway show based on the series, which has an updated design and refers to himself this time as "Conky 3000".
Globey George McGrath A spinning globe with a pair of arms at the base and a large face in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Globey spoke with a French-sounding accent and often helped Pee-wee out with geography, language, astronomy, or history questions. He sometimes hung out with Pterri, and, like Pterri, acted in the manner typical of a young child.
Puppet Band Wayne White (Dirty Dog);
Ric Heitzman (Cool Cat);
Alison Mork (Chicky Baby)		 Three animal puppets who comprise a 1950s'-style jazz combo, they live in a corridor of the Playhouse designed to resemble an alley. They normally spoke in rhyme, parodying Beat generation poetry.
Mr. Kite Wayne White A pink kite, he occasionally appeared in one of the playhouse windows. Pee-wee would ask for weather reports and Mr. Kite would tell Pee-wee what the weather was going to be like.
Randy Wayne White A red-headed marionette who served as the playhouse bully, usually making life miserable for Pee-wee and the playhouse characters, he once talked Pee-wee into prank-calling a woman (Alison Mork) who was the wife of the police officer "Daryl" (George McGrath) on the Picturephone, suggesting that he might be a juvenile delinquent.
Billy Baloney Paul Reubens A ventriloquist dummy, he slightly resembled Randy in appearance (but blonde), which Pee-wee himself operated on occasion.
Dog Chair George McGrath A white chaise longue, which was similar to Chairry but resembling the face of a dog, he sat next to Chairry, but was used and referred to much less often.
Ant Farm Miscellaneous Occasionally, Pee-wee would check to see what the ants were up to; a short close-up animated sequence would follow depicting the ants engaged in some "human" activity. On one occasion, they actually managed to get out of the farm.
The Dinosaur Family George McGrath (Red);
Alison Mork (Light Blue);
Ric Heitzman (Blue);
Kevin Carlson (Pink)		 A den of miniature, clay-animation dinosaurs, they lived in a mouse hole in the playhouse. The camera view frequently zoomed in on the dinosaurs to see what they were doing. In the Christmas special, they are revealed to be Jewish, as they are shown celebrating Hanukkah.
Food Miscellaneous The contents of Pee-wee's refrigerator, these clay-animation food items included pizzas, vegetables, french fries and others that would dance and juggle to Pee-wee and friends' amusement.
Flowers Ric Heitzman;
George McGrath
Wayne White		 These were three flowers living in a flowerbed in the window to the right of the playhouse door. After Dixie left the show in season 2, they introduced the King of Cartoons. They originally had distorted and robotic voices, but they were replaced with normal-sounding falsetto voices, beginning with season 2. Casting rotated.
Fish Ric Heitzman (Purple);
George McGrath (Yellow)		 The fish lived in the playhouse aquarium. Their trademark was that often when something happened, the purple fish would make a snide remark regarding the situation, which the yellow fish would follow up with a witty comment. Both fish would then cackle, an act reminiscent of Muppets Statler & Waldorf.
Penny Avriel Hillman[18] A clay animation short featuring a blonde girl with pennies for eyes, who described some situations in her life and daily activities. She reappeared later outside the show on public service commercials. About 37 different clay-animation shorts were featured on this show.
Knucklehead Gregory Harrison (season 1);
Kevin Carlson (season 2)		 A large image of a side view of a fist, with "googly eyes" and lipstick, he told bad knock-knock jokes. He had a bit part in the HBO special, The Pee-wee Herman Show, but as a sock puppet who acted and sounded differently.
Cowntess George McGrath A life-sized, talking cow that spoke in an elegant accent. In one episode she shows "home movies" of her visit to Venice Italy, and a long shot of her riding in a gondola shows her to actually be a bull.
Salesman Ric Heitzman A caricatured salesman, dressed in a tacky suit and a humongous head, he rang the doorbell and shouted "I'm going door to door to make you this incredible offer!" (occasionally he could be heard starting another sentence, "I'm sure by now you have realized-") while a horror movie-style effect played in the background. This caused Pee-wee to slam the door and scream, occasionally frustratedly saying, "Salesmen!" Pee-wee once let him in during a party, saying, "What's your incredible offer?", to which the salesman replied "Free foil!", which Pee-wee gladly accepted for his foil ball. This character was retired after the first season.
Floory Kevin Carlson A section of the playhouse floor that stood up and talked, for the first season, he was covered by Pee-wee's tepee. After Pee-wee and his friends remodeled the playhouse, though, he emerged and the tepee was placed in a different part of the playhouse.
Chandelier Alison Mork A talking chandelier with a French accent, she appeared in later seasons.
Exercise Belt Ric Hetizman A vintage vibrating belt exercise machine, Pee-wee would sometimes get on it, turn it on, then get stuck on it. Conky would usually have to get him out.
Toys Miscellaneous These are Pee-wee's strange toys he keeps in a smiley face-shaped window, with movable shelves inside. For the season two redecorating of the playhouse, their space on the wall was taken over by Clocky, and they were relocated to the back wall of the playhouse behind a door that looked like a tire.
El Hombre Unknown A Spanish language cartoon, it was shown toward the later run of the series; it is about a superhero who stops crime, thwarts strangers, saves people's lives, and rights any other wrongs. Six different clay animation shorts were featured on this show, and were usually used as a substitute for the Penny cartoon, but two episodes ("Miss Yvonne's Visit" and "Mystery") featured both.

One-time characters

Character Played by Description
Roger Wayne Moss A large, green monster that invaded the playhouse, he resembled a giant eyeball, had two mouths and one leg, and spoke in a language incomprehensible to Pee-wee until he wished he could understand the monster (at which point he learned his name in English). During this episode, Roger talked to his mother on the Picturephone; during the conversation, Roger's mother said the Secret Word in their language, at which point they both screamed while a bunch of symbols appeared on the screen. At the end of the episode, Roger left the playhouse with Pee-wee on the back of Pee-wee's scooter. Roger made his second and final appearance in the "Pajama Party" episode.
Rusty Calvert DeForest A strange old man, he hung out with the Playhouse Gang in the first season - and acted exactly like them, if not more childish. Oddly enough, he wears a "Playboy" pin on his hat, among others.
Yvona Lynne Marie Stewart An alien, she was captured by Zyzzybalubah and locked in a cage as his personal slave. She bears a striking facial and bodily resemblance to Miss Yvonne and has similar theme music. It is implied by her in "Playhouse in Outer Space" that Zyzzy has kept Yvona as his slave for years (when she says "It's always been like this."). Pee-wee seems to develop feelings for her, probably due to her similarities to Miss Yvonne, for whom he also had apparent feelings.
Zyzzybalubah George McGrath A malevolent alien, he hypnotized Conky into making his own name the secret word and launched the playhouse into space. He calls anyone he captures his "friend", but Pee-wee sets him straight.
Dr. Jinga Janga Bernard Fox The genie doctor whom Pee-wee called when Jambi fell ill, he helped Pee-wee learn to appreciate Jambi and others.
Authorized Conky Repairman Johnny Wilson Jimmy Smits He fixed problems with Conky, the playhouse robot.
Rhonda Sandra Bernhard The Picturephone operator, she has a crush on Pee-wee.
Derek Steve James Reba's boyfriend, a fireman, he was going to take Reba to the firemen's ball, but after it got canceled because of a fire at the ballroom itself, they do not know where else to go. So, Pee-wee allows Derek and Reba to have their date right there at the playhouse; they played "drive-in", with Magic Screen as the screen and Pee-wee and Miss Yvonne as Derek and Reba's chaperones (possibly for a double date).

Production

At the start of season two, the show moved from its New York City warehouse studio to facilities at the Hollywood Center Studios, creating changes in personnel and a change to the set that allowed the show to take advantage of the additional space. The show changed production facilities again in 1989 during its fourth season, this time at the Culver Studios, also in Los Angeles.

Critical praise

As soon as it first aired, Pee-wee's Playhouse fascinated media theorists and commentators, many of whom championed the show as a postmodernist hodgepodge of characters and situations which appeared to soar in the face of domineering racist and sexist presumptions.[19][20] For example, Pee-wee's friends, both human and not, were of diverse cultural and racial origins. In its entire run, Pee-wee's Playhouse won 15 Emmys, as well as other awards.[21] Captain Kangaroo's Bob Keeshan hailed the show's "awesome production values". Adding, "with the possible exception of the Muppets, you can't find such creativity anywhere on TV."[22]

"I'm just trying to illustrate that it's okay to be different — not that it's good, not that it's bad, but that it's all right. I'm trying to tell kids to have a good time and to encourage them to be creative and to question things," Reubens told an interviewer in Rolling Stone.[23]

On November 1, 2011, in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the show, a book by Caseen Gaines called Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon, was released by ECW Press.[24][25]

Awards and nominations

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
113September 13, 1986 (1986-09-13)December 6, 1986 (1986-12-06)
210September 19, 1987 (1987-09-19)November 21, 1987 (1987-11-21)
32 + SpecialSeptember 17, 1988 (1988-09-17)December 21, 1988 (1988-12-21)
410September 16, 1989 (1989-09-16)November 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
510September 15, 1990 (1990-09-15)November 17, 1990 (1990-11-17)

Golden Age cartoons

During the show's run, many cartoons were shown from the "Golden Age" of animation, usually courtesy of the King of Cartoons. However, they were not featured with their respective titles, nor credited, and generally only brief clips were shown. As Reubens stated in a 2004 radio interview, almost all of the cartoons they obtained were in the public domain.

First Season: 1986 Title Year Director
1 Fresh Vegetable Mystery 1939 Dave Fleischer
2 Ants in the Plants 1940 Dave Fleischer
3 Summertime 1934 Ub Iwerks
4 Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! 1931 Rudolf Ising
5 Old Mother Hubbard 1935 Ub Iwerks
6 The Three Bears 1935 Ub Iwerks
7 Molly Moo-Cow and the Butterflies 1935 Burt Gillett, Tom Palmer
8 Flip the Frog: Puddle Pranks 1931 Ub Iwerks
9 Jack Frost 1934 Ub Iwerks
10 Mary's Little Lamb 1935 Ub Iwerks
11 Somewhere in Dreamland 1936 Dave Fleischer
12 Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! 1931 Rudolf Ising
13 Bunny Mooning 1937 Dave Fleischer
Second Season: 1987 Title Year Director
1 / 14 Philips Broadcast of 1938 1938 George Pal
2 / 15 To Spring 1936 Bill Hanna
3 / 16 Making 'Em Move 1931 Harry Bailey, John Foster
4 / 17 The Sunshine Makers (44 sec) 1935 Ted Eshbaugh
5 / 18 Piano Tooners 1932 John Foster, George Rufle
6 / 19 Philips Broadcast of 1938 1938 George Pal
7 / 20 Pagan Moon 1932 Rudolf Ising
8 / 21 Svatba v korálovém moři 1943 Horst von Möllendorff
9 / 22 Ship of the Ether 1934 George Pal
10 / 23 Musical Memories 1935 Dave Fleischer
Third Season: 1988 Title Year Director
1 / Special Christmas Comes But Once a Year 1936 Dave Fleischer
2 / 24 Farm Foolery 1949 Seymour Kneitel
3 / 25 An Elephant Never Forgets 1935 Dave Fleischer
Fourth Season: 1989 Title Year Director
1 / 26 Hunky and Spunky 1938 Dave Fleischer
2 / 27 The Stork Market 1949 Seymour Kneitel
3 / 28 Spring Song 1949 Isadore Sparber
4 / 29 To Spring 1936 Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising
5 / 30 None
6 / 31 The Kids In the Shoe 1935 Dave Fleischer
7 / 32 The Song of the Birds 1935 Dave Fleischer
8 / 33 None
9 / 34 Little Lambkins 1940 Dave Fleischer
10 / 35 None
Fifth Season: 1990 Title Year Director
1 / 36 One More Time 1931 Rudolf Ising
2 / 37 Farm Frolics 1941 Bob Clampett
3 / 38 The Little Red Hen 1934 Ub Iwerks
4 / 39a* Freddy the Freshman 1932 Rudolf Ising
4 / 39b* Humpty Dumpty 1935 Ub Iwerks
5 / 40 Fin'n Catty 1943 Chuck Jones
6 / 41 Sinkin' in the Bathtub 1930 Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising
7 / 42 Freddy the Freshman 1932 Rudolf Ising
8 / 43a* Allegretto 1936 Oskar Fischinger
8 / 43b* Balloon Land 1935 Ub Iwerks
9 / 44 None
10 / 45 None

* These episodes had more than one classic cartoon each

Later airings and home video releases

VHS and laserdisc releases

Hi-Tops Video releases
Vol. 1 - Ice Cream Soup
Vol. 2 - Luau for Two
Vol. 3 - Rainy Day/Now You See Me, Now You Don't/Cowboy Fun (Just Another Day)
Vol. 4 - Beauty Makeover
Vol. 5 - Restaurant
Vol. 6 - Ants in Your Pants
Vol. 7 - Monster in the Playhouse
Festival of Fun - The Gang's All Here/Stolen Apples/Party/The Cowboy and the Cowntess/Monster in the Playhouse
Vol. 8 - Open House
Vol. 9 - Puppy in the Playhouse
Vol. 10 - Pajama Party
Vol. 11 - Pee-wee's Store
Vol. 12 - Pee-wee Catches a Cold
Vol. 13 - Tons of Fun
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special
Vol. 14 - School
Vol. 15 - Why Wasn't I Invited?

Hi-Tops Video laserdisc releases
Fun-o-Rama - Ice Cream Soup/Luau for Two/Rainy Day/Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Potpurri - Just Another Day/Beauty Makeover/The Restaurant/Ants in Your Pants
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (Also released by MGM/UA Home Video in 1996)

MGM/UA Home Video Releases
Vol. 1 - Open House/Pee-wee Catches a Cold
Vol. 2 - I Remember Curtis/Conky's Breakdown
Vol. 3 - Store/Playhouse in Outer Space
Vol. 4 - Pajama Party/To Tell the Tooth
Vol. 5 - The Gang's All Here/Party
Vol. 6 - Luau for Two/Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Vol. 7 - Fire in the Playhouse/Love That Story
Vol. 8 - Sick? Did Somebody Say Sick?/Miss Yvonne's Visit
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special
Vol. 9 - Dr. Pee-wee and the Del Rubios/Rebarella
Vol. 10 - Let's Play Office/Mystery
Vol. 11 - Front Page Pee-wee/Tango Time
Vol. 12 - Playhouse Day/Accidental Playhouse
Vol. 13 - Ice Cream Soup/Puppy in the Playhouse
Vol. 14 - The Cowboy and the Cowntess/Reba Eats and Pterri Runs
Vol. 15 - Tons of Fun/School
Vol. 16 - Why Wasn't I Invited?/Ants in Your Pants

DVD releases

Image Entertainment has released all 45 episodes of Pee-wee's Playhouse on DVD as NTSC Region 0 discs.

DVD name Ep # Release Date Notes
Pee-wee's Playhouse #1 23 November 16, 2004 Includes all episodes from Seasons 1 and 2
Pee-wee's Playhouse #2 22 November 16, 2004 Includes all episodes from Seasons 3-5
Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special 1 October 19, 2004
Pee Wee's Playhouse - The Complete Collection 45 + 1 October 19, 2010 Includes all episodes from Seasons 1-5 plus the Christmas Special
Pee-wee's Playhouse Seasons 1 and 2 (Special Edition) 23 October 21, 2014 Includes all episodes from Seasons 1 and 2 (Remastered)
Pee-wee's Playhouse Seasons 3-5 22 March 10, 2015 Includes all episodes from Seasons 3-5 (Remastered)

Blu-ray releases

On July 3, 2013, Shout! Factory announced that they had acquired the rights to the entire series from Paul Reubens to release on Blu-ray. In addition, the entire series will be digitally remastered from the original 35mm film elements and original audio tracks.[27][28][29][30]

Blu-ray name Ep # Release Date Notes
Pee-wee's Playhouse The Complete Series 45 + Special October 21, 2014 Includes all 45 episodes plus the Christmas Special (Remastered)

References

  1. ↑ "Pee-wee's Playhouse". September 13, 1986 – via IMDb.
  2. ↑ TV Guide's 25 Top Cult Shows - TannerWorld Junction TannerWorld Junction: May 26, 2004
  3. ↑ TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever - Today's News: Our Take TV Guide: June 29, 2007
  4. 1 2 Lloyd, Robert (July 10, 2006). "Inside Pee Wee's Playhouse". Media World. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
  5. ↑ Phillips, Stone (April 5, 2004). "Pee-wee Herman creator speaks out". MSNBC.com. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  6. ↑ Robinson, Tasha (July 26, 2006). "Paul Reubens". A.V. Club. Retrieved October 12, 2008.
  7. ↑ Raftery, Brian M. (September 1, 2006). "Pee-wee Turns 20". Entertainment Weekly. p. 1. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  8. ↑ La Ferla, Ruth (May 20, 2007). "The once and future Pee-wee". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  9. ↑ Fear, David (October 20, 2014). "Pee-wee Herman Returns: Paul Reubens on Rescuing ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’". RollingStone. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "Pee-wee's Small Adventure". Time. July 13, 2006. Retrieved October 6, 2008.
  11. 1 2 Lauper, Cyndi (2012). Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. Atria Books. p. 129. ISBN 978-1439147856. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  12. ↑ Christopher Short (July 20, 2006). ""Pee-wee's Playhouse" comeback aimed at adults". The Gazette (Colorado Springs).
  13. ↑ Jill Vejnoska (July 10, 2006). "Pee-wee back with bizarre appeal intact". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. 1D.
  14. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20041213192022/http://www.rugratonline.com/1991tv.htm (Citation incorrectly states that this took place at a local Sarasota, FL bookstore, other points in citation are accurate though.)
  15. ↑ VBS.tv, ART TALK! - GARY PANTER - Part 2 of 4 (documentary). Timestamp: 01:07-01:30.
  16. ↑ VBS.tv, ART TALK! - GARY PANTER - Part 2 of 4 (documentary). Timestamp: 02:29-03:00.
  17. ↑ "Interview: Mark Mothersbaugh", Cinematical, July 7, 2006
  18. ↑ "The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy and the Great Campaign". September 6, 1991.
  19. ↑ "Pee-wee's Bad Trip". The Nation. August 26, 1991. p. 213.
  20. ↑ P. Wilkinson (October 3, 1991). "Who killed Pee-wee?". Rolling Stone. p. 36.
  21. ↑ ""Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986) - Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  22. ↑ Keeshan, Bob (November 22, 1996). "Pee-wee's Playhouse". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
  23. ↑ T. Gertler (February 12, 1987). "The Pee-wee perplex". Rolling Stone. p. 36.
  24. ↑ Gaines, Caseen (November 1, 2011). "Inside Pee-Wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon". ECW Press – via Amazon.
  25. ↑ Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse - Book Website Retrieved July 29, 2011
  26. ↑ "adult swim schedule". adult swim. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  27. ↑ "Pee-wee's Playhouse DVD news: Re-Release for Pee-wee's Playhouse - Christmas Special - TVShowsOnDVD.com".
  28. ↑ "Pee-wee's Playhouse DVD news: DVD and Blu-ray Plans for Pee-wee's Playhouse - TVShowsOnDVD.com".
  29. ↑ "Shout! Factory Nabs 'Pee-wee’s Playhouse' Distribution Rights".
  30. ↑ "Pee-wee's Playhouse DVD news: Press Release about Pee-wee's Playhouse on Blu-ray Disc - TVShowsOnDVD.com".
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