[© Ken Sax]
Scott Chester, associate producer for the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Big Top Pee-wee and personal assistant to Paul Reubens from 1987 to 1988: “People ask me all the time if I think we could make Pee-wee’s Playhouse now and my answer is always no. They’d make you use computers and wouldn’t allow us to have the freedom to do time-extensive, expensive animation. The animation would probably be outsourced to a company overseas and it wouldn’t have the originality that we had.”
Dave Daniels, animator for all five seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “The show still resonates because it was an interesting, free-form collage of very eclectic stuff that was somehow held together by Paul Reubens’ personality and character. As an artistic piece, it wasn’t confining. There was always something original or weird right around the corner, and it didn’t fall apart. A lot of shows that try to do that fail because they don’t have enough of a through-line that holds the audience together, or because the separate pieces aren’t all energetic enough, but the show’s producers found a way to unleash all this creativity in lots of individuals. I’m surprised that formula hasn’t been pulled off again.”
Prudence Fenton, animation and effects producer for all five seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and 1986 Daytime Emmy Award winner for producing the show’s opening titles: “It was such an amazing, creative experience. The whole message of the show and all the images and the design were perfect. When I would work on commercials during the hiatuses of the show, I can’t tell you how many times I’d walk into an agency and they’d say, ‘Okay, we’re looking for something really hip and cool like Pee-wee’s Playhouse.’ It really left its mark on the culture. Creatively it just opened tons of doors.”
Monica Ganas, Mrs. Jelly Donut in the 1981 production of The Pee-wee Herman Show: “There’s something more timeless about the show than anyone could have imagined and I think it’s because of all the artistry in it. Artful material holds up, period. What I love about Pee-wee is that he doesn’t edit anything. He comes right out and says what people wouldn’t dare say. He’s a perfect example of how we really are, not how we pretend to be. To have a character that does that for us in one minute, and in the next minute be showing us big underwear and making us laugh, is so truthful. No matter what any character does on that show, no one is above being forgiven and accepted back into the family. Nobody gives up on anybody.”
Troy Hughes-Palmer, animator for seasons four and five of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “The show’s lasting success probably has more to do with Paul and his artistic vision than anything else. His lasting appeal probably speaks more of his vision as an artist than anything.”
Vaughn Tyree Jelks, Fabian of the Playhouse Gang on the second season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “The show had that sense of fantasy we all love. It took us to a world where chairs can talk and grown men can have a timeless quality about them. It stuck around because of that. Pee-wee meant a lot of different things to different people. When I was thirteen, the set intrigued me, but to older people who knew him from his movies, he meant something different. You’d be watching the same guy, but having a different experience and I think that’s one of the reasons why Paul Reubens has worked for so long. It’s kind of like Sesame Street, but on a more mature level. It appeals to adults just as much as it does to kids.”
Dawna Kaufmann, executive in charge of production of the 1981 production of The Pee-wee Herman Show: “I’m not surprised the concept, in its various formations, has endured for three decades. Give an audience a colorful environment, actors who are fun to watch, and quick-moving story lines that seem naughty yet familiar, and it’s a pretty solid bet for success.”
Pee-wee and Suzanne Kent [© Ken Sax]
Suzanne Kent, Mrs. Rene from the second through fifth seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “It was ahead of its time. The show was just fun and colorful and wacky and it appeals to grown-ups in grown-up ways and it appeals to kids in kid ways. It’s a great cross-section. Sometimes the kids don’t understand exactly what the grown-ups understand and sometimes the grown-ups don’t understand exactly what the kids understand because of the ways the jokes are played out. The writing was ingenious like that. The show clicks with any age group during any time; when we did it in the late ’80s, early ’90s, up until today. It’s never dated.”
John Duke Kisch, still photographer for the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “It’s unique. It makes you smile. He’s a great character and we need that in our lives. You know, there aren’t a lot of great characters in our history, but the ones that last are endearing. For those of us who were a part of it, the show remains on the top shelf of our hearts, but for those who are complete fans from watching on TV, he’s of this upper-echelon of greatness that will live on forever.”
Glenn Lazzaro, animation editor for the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “The man-child thing was absolutely brilliant. That idea that when you’re a child you can get away with anything, you can dream anything, almost like a cartoon character. There was so much adult content in it, but he was still a sort-of child saying these sarcastic and ironic things. He had this innocence that made you wish you were that smart when you were a kid.”
Steve Oakes [© Steve Oakes]
Steve Oakes, supervising coproducer of the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “Pee-wee’s Playhouse has had its imitators, but none have stepped up to move beyond what was accomplished. It was a pretty unique coming together of talent that transcended a kids’ entertainment show to be grounded in an aesthetic that goes deeper into our cultural mix of references. I’m not saying the show is high art, but it ended up having staked out some territory that was pretty unique.”
Wayne Orr, codirector with Paul Reubens on the second season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Pee-wee’s Christmas Special: “The show is charming. It’s not hateful. Some of children’s television today is very low-brow, but there were so many bright things that went on in Pee-wee’s Playhouse. There’s nothing in the show that can be taken as hateful or nasty in any way. Somebody might be the butt of a joke or something once in a while, but it’s never anything that lingers, and people certainly didn’t hold grudges. I don’t know how many times I’ve had people tell me their whole fraternity would get around the TV on Saturday morning and watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse. The show speaks to people if they’re young, or even if they are a little older, because there were things in there for older people, fun things that the kids weren’t going to get, but their older brothers or their fathers or mothers would. We never talked down to people and weren’t overly concerned about making sure the episodes played well with kids. We knew they would, and that if we did our jobs, everybody will enjoy it.”
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Judy Price, vice president of children’s programming at CBS during the time Pee-wee’s Playhouse was on air: “There’s something special about the character. Believe me, if we could have captured and bottled it, we would have done so a long time ago. There are characters that come along that just have that ingredient. He’s engaging, he’s charming, he’s childlike, and he’s innocent. It’s a combination that works and is very effective. It stands the test of time. If you look across the canon of classic characters, whether from literature or cinema or television, there are some that just stand the test of time and Pee-wee Herman is one of them. He’s got a dose of nostalgia. He’s like Peter Pan. He takes us off into another world of imagination.”
Ken Sax, still photographer for the second season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “Paul was definitely a genius. To come up with such an ensemble show like that, you’ve got to be a genius. It was epic.”
Phil Trumbo, animation director for the first season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and 1986 Daytime Emmy Award winner for directing the show’s opening titles: “What’s really cool is to have been involved with something that has touched so many generations, an entertainment property that’s so iconic. Wh
en the DVDs came out, Paul sent me a complimentary set, which was very nice. My daughter, who’d never even seen the show, was suddenly watching them and running around screaming the secret word. The show is classic.”
Michael Chase Walker, west coast director of children’s programs at CBS during the time Pee-wee’s Playhouse was on air: “Essentially you have a character in contrast. You have a dichotomous character embodied in one figure, the boy-man, and it’s probably one of the greatest archetypes in comedy. Whether it’s Charlie Chaplin in The Kid or Laurel and Hardy, they’re physical men as innocent, foolish characters where they encounter things with childlike reactions and innocence. How many of us are boy-men? We have these bodies and these jobs and so much is expected of us, but we constantly fuck up in our jobs and with our girlfriends and don’t always have the wherewithal and maturity to handle things in a proper way. Pee-wee is no exception. He has this wonderment about sexuality, girls, toys, and he represents that Peter Pan quality that is a part of all of us.”
Stephanie Walski, Rapunzel of the Playhouse Gang on the second season of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: “Pee-wee’s Playhouse was something that will never be replicated. It was such a breakthrough show. It used these old kid’s shows as a jumping-off point and took those concepts to an entirely different level. They haven’t been able to recreate it, nor do I think they ever will. Its staying power and popularity speaks to how magical and educational the show was. It was literally a child’s imagination come to life.”
John Paragon turns into Jambi in 1981 [© Abe Perlstein], 1986 [© John Duke Kisch / CBS], and 2010 [© Steven Perfidia Kirkham]
8: Episode Guide
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
1.01 • Ice Cream Soup
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: September 13, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
The inaugural episode of the series finds Pee-wee establishing some of the features that came to define the series, including connect-the-dots, the secret word of the day, and snack time. Pee-wee makes ice cream soup by putting ice cream in a bowl and mixing it with chocolate syrup, but Randy ruins the snack by throwing off the chocolate-to-vanilla ratio. Pee-wee and his friends solve the problem by adding more ice cream.
While the episode is low on plot, “Ice Cream Soup” has a pretty high dosage of fun. Captain Carl’s adventure through the Sandwich Islands is great to watch, especially with Phil Hartman’s stellar commitment to character as buckets of water crash against his face. Although the episode is put together well, it becomes obviously a pilot when Pee-wee uses his wish to ensure that everyone tunes in for next week’s episode. There’s no better way to ensure good ratings than to have a genie pull some strings. Although I always thought ice cream soup was made by just letting it melt in your bowl, I credit this episode for teaching me the real recipe.
The Secret Word of the Day: Door
The King’s Cartoon: The Fresh Vegetable Mystery (produced by Fleisher Studios in 1939)
Blink and You’ll Miss: Check out the Frankenstein doll in Pee-wee’s toy collection. Look familiar? It’s similar to the kinds of toys made by Sid, the destructive kid in Toy Story.
1.02 • Luau for Two
[© George McGrath]
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: September 20, 1986
After winning a Hawaiian dinner for two from a television game show, Pee-wee faces the tough decision of who to take with him. Over the course of the day, nearly every one of his pals attempts to brown-nose him into being his guest. With the help of Randy, Pee-wee gets wise to everyone’s faux acts of kindness and reprimands them for trying to use him. Jambi rectifies the situation by having a luau in the playhouse that everyone can join.
“Luau for Two” is an excellent episode, especially with Captain Carl’s declaration that “there’s nothing [he] wouldn’t do for a platter of pupu.” Watching the characters lobby for Pee-wee’s plus-one is truly entertaining, as is the loose shooting style of the final party sequence. The episode’s lesson, where Pee-wee instructs those in the viewing audience to not betray their good friends, makes this episode worthwhile. It’s a valuable moral delivered in pure Pee-wee Herman style.
The Secret Word of the Day: Fun
The King’s Cartoon: Ants in the Plants (produced by Fleisher Studios in 1940)
Fun Fact: This episode marks the only appearance of the talking Comedy and Tragedy masks.
You May Remember: Pee-wee covers his face with scotch tape, just as he did during his morning routine in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Also, fanatics may notice this episode’s secret word was recycled for the 2010 revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Miss Yvonne isn’t only the most beautiful woman in Puppetland; she’s also the thriftiest! She wears the same blue dress from the pilot episode. Also, the wacky camera angles during the luau enable you to see the top edges of the playhouse set and the stage equipment high above.
1.03 • Rainy Day
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: September 27, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
When Pee-wee’s plans get derailed by the weather, he and his pals demonstrate how to have fun on a rainy day. By camping indoors, telling ghost stories, and making hot chocolate, they make the most of what could have been a gloomy day.
While the episode’s plot sounds thin, it is actually quite entertaining. Reba makes her first appearance in the series and the prank-calling sequence is a true delight to watch. In a twenty-first century age of Skype and video-conferencing, this episode serves as a reminder of how forward-thinking the Playhouse creative team was for their picture phone idea. The episode also wins bonus points for being practical. What child doesn’t need some tips to have fun when the weather outside is frightful?
The Secret Word of the Day: Help
The King’s Cartoon: Summertime (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1935)
Fun Fact: Pee-wee’s “shaving just like daddy” bit was also part of his standup routine in the early 1980s.
You May Remember: When the lights go out in the playhouse, the animation is similar to the scene in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure when Pee-wee uses his headlight glasses. With the assistance of clever puppetry, this same gag was included in the Broadway run of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
Blink and You’ll Miss: The secret word appears in red during the whipped cream explosion, marking the only time it appears a different color. Also, if you blink during the end credits, you might not realize that the couple Randy and Pee-wee prank call is series puppeteers Alison Mork and George McGrath.
1.04 • Now You See Me, Now You Don’t
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: October 4, 1986
Ric Heitzman and Globey [© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Pee-wee uses a magic kit to produce a show for his friends that ends up making him disappear. He enjoys his time as an invisible body, but panics when he realizes that to make himself reappear he has to purchase another magic kit and wait several weeks for it to be delivered. Before the episode’s end, Jambi makes Pee-wee’s body visible again.
This episode stands out for its show-within-a-show plotline, especially with all of the magic tricks that go wrong, and is reminiscent of old Our Gang comedies. The failed magic act sequence adds an air of charm to the episode and also offers some glimpses of Pee-wee Herman’s origin as a bad standup comedian. The sheer number of Playhouse charac
ters present in this episode provide another reason for you to give this one a watch. Despite the episode’s charm, the writers lose a point for missing an obvious joke. When Pee-wee lifts Miss Yvonne’s dress and says, “I see London, I see France,” Globey could have said, “They’re over here!”
The Secret Word of the Day: Little
The King’s Cartoon: Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (produced by Rudolf Ising in 1931)
You May Remember: Pee-wee’s foil ball was a routine part of the 1981 and 2010 productions of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Pee-wee’s name appears misspelled twice. On the card advertising his magic show, the hyphen is missing. Then later, when his name appears on the Magic Screen, the hyphen is missing again and the “w” is capitalized.
1.05 • Just Another Day
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: October 11, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Cowboy Curtis teaches Pee-wee how to square dance and Pee-wee reciprocates by teaching Cowboy Curtis how to pogo, which involves jumping up and down to rock music while wearing a Mohawk wig. With the help of some clever animation, Pee-wee invites the audience at home to see inside his head, while his brain rests in an easy chair. The episode continues on a series of random yet funny vignettes.
Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse Page 16
