As the title suggests, “Just Another Day” is light on plot, but it is pretty impressive when it comes to memorable sequences. This is one episode that parents might have wanted to shield their children from, simply due to the amount of loud and crazy things kids might be inspired to do as a result of watching. The sight of Pee-wee and Cowboy Curtis pogo dancing is extremely funny, especially with the bright wigs the two wear. There’s nothing that screams ’80s more than the sight of Pee-wee Herman jumping around in a mosh-pit with a vibrantly colored punk wig on. As fun as this episode must have been for children watching, one can almost imagine parents collectively covering their ears when, at the end of the episode, Pee-wee instructs the viewing audience to get “anything that makes noise” and start banging loudly.
The Secret Word of the Day: Back
The King’s Cartoon: Old Mother Hubbard (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1935)
Fun Fact: Although he is not credited, Dog Chair is portrayed in this episode by George McGrath.
Bet You Didn’t Know: When this episode was released on VHS by MGM/UA in 1996, the title was inexplicably changed to “Cowboy Fun.” The 2004 Image Entertainment DVD release reinstated the proper title.
Blink and You’ll Miss: We learn that Mr. Kite is married, though we never meet Mrs. Kite. They are the only married puppet characters.
1.06 • Beauty Makeover
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: October 18, 1986
Miss Yvonne, Mrs. Steve, and Pee-wee with Sid Bartholomew [© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Miss Yvonne gives Mrs. Steve a makeover, which Pee-wee expects to be disastrous. After a lengthy process, Mrs. Steve is revealed to be physically unchanged, but leaves the playhouse happy. Miss Yvonne tells Pee-wee, and the viewing audience, that Mrs. Steve was happy because she feels beautiful, “and when you feel beautiful, you are beautiful.”
This episode is arguably the best from the show’s first season. It’s great to see an episode centered on Mrs. Steve, and Shirley Stoler shines. The episode scores extra points for producing the most genuine laughs from the viewing audience during the show’s first season. When Pee-wee falls on the ground laughing after finding out Mrs. Steve is the recipient of Miss Yvonne’s makeover offer, it is impossible to not do the same at home. Go ahead: watch it and tell me you didn’t laugh. Finally, this episode earns extremely high marks for hitting home one of the show’s central themes: you should be tolerant of everyone regardless of how they look and who they are.
The Secret Word of the Day: Time
The King’s Cartoon: Goldilocks and the Three Bears (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1935)
Blink and You’ll Miss: Some of Martin Denny’s sound effects from the opening titles turn up in the dinosaur sequence — although, I suppose this really is more of a “cover your ears and you’ll miss it” sort of thing!
1.07 • The Restaurant
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: October 25, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Captain Carl and Pee-wee pretend the playhouse is a restaurant. After Carl orders a steak, Pee-wee informs him that the only thing on the menu is a very expensive peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Carl gets annoyed and takes off. Later on, Tito comes over and, with the help of Conky, teaches Pee-wee about scuba diving in the ocean.
“The Restaurant” really shines during the underwater sequence at the end, and during the restaurant scene with Captain Carl. Phil Hartman’s character is at his best when he grows frustrated with Pee-wee’s antics. Captain Carl and Pee-wee share their best scene together during the whole series’ run. Even though the character only appears in a few Playhouse episodes, “The Restaurant” shows just why he’s remembered so fondly among Pee-wee fans. While it is fun to watch, Hartman’s scene serves as an unfortunate reminder of talent that was gone too soon.
The Secret Word of the Day: Day
The King’s Cartoon: Molly Moo-Cow and the Butterflies (produced by Burt Gillett and Tom Palmer in 1935)
You May Remember: The temper tantrum Pee-wee throws after wasting his wish is reminiscent of the fit he has during the original Pee-wee Herman Show.
Blink and You’ll Miss: As Pee-wee and Tito swim underwater, they forget one important piece of equipment — the scuba gear!
1.08 • Ants in Your Pants
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: November 1, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Pee-wee and the Playhouse Gang notice the ants have escaped from their farm and are wreaking havoc all over the playhouse. Thankfully, Jambi uses his powers to return them to their container. Later in the episode, Conky detects smoke and Pee-wee sets off to extinguish the fire. It’s discovered to be Randy, with a cigarette in his hand, because he believes “smoking makes you look cool.” Pee-wee and the crew convince Randy he is cool enough without cigarettes.
Maybe I’m just twisted, but there’s something kind of funny about seeing Randy smoking a cigarette. I wonder where the smoke would go in his little wooden body and exactly what the health risks would be. Regardless, what is most beneficial to kids and parents about Randy’s experimentation with cigarettes is that the problem is corrected through positive peer-pressure. Pee-wee and his friends don’t lecture Randy about the dangers of tobacco use, but instead appeal to his ego by telling him that he is cool and acceptable without it. This not only teaches the viewing audience to steer clear of cigarettes, but also to be nice to bullies like Randy, even if they aren’t always nice to you in return.
The Secret Word of the Day: What
The King’s Cartoon: Flip the Frog: Puddle Pranks (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1931)
Blink and You’ll Miss: A claymation Pee-wee and some of the mutant toys make a cameo in the Penny cartoon.
1.09 • Monster in the Playhouse
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: November 8, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Pee-wee doubts the reports that a monster has broken loose in Puppetland until the giant, green, jibberish-growling cyclops makes his way to the playhouse. Although scared, Pee-wee asks Jambi for the ability to understand what the monster is saying. Jambi grants Pee-wee’s wish and, within moments, Pee-wee learns that the monster, Roger, is just looking to make friends and shouldn’t be judged by the way he looks. Throughout the rest of the episode, Pee-wee treats Roger as a respected guest.
Although Roger only appears in two episodes, he is a fan favorite. Many Pee-wee enthusiasts have noted that Roger looks remarkably like Mike Wazowski of the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. The dramatic tone of the episode’s first half is fun to watch and may actually seem scary to some of the younger viewers in the audience. Despite the suspense, the episode should go a long way to helping those tykes who are afraid of creatures under their beds.
The Secret Word of the Day: Look
The King’s Cartoon: Jack Frost (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1934)
Fun Fact: This is the only episode in the show’s run in which Pee-wee doesn’t ride his scooter alone during the end credits.
You May Remember: The Penny cartoons featured in this episode and the preceding one were edited together and shown during the Broadway run of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
Bet You Didn’t Know: This is the first episode where Pee-wee and Magic Screen don’t play connect-the-dots.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Watch Reba closely as she leaves the playhouse. Whe
n she’s visible through Mr. Window, you can see a different color blue on the sky backdrop. It’s a door to exit the playhouse set which Reba reaches for right before the camera cuts to the next shot.
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
1.10 • The Cowboy and the Cowntess
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: November 15, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
If you have a friend who hasn’t seen Pee-wee’s Playhouse and wants to know why people find it interesting, tell them to start with “The Cowboy and the Cowntess.” The episode has Pee-wee and Magic Screen scatting with the Puppet Band, the dinosaur family reviewing slides from their family vacation during which they met Ronald Reagan, and even some suggestive humor (“big feet, big boots”).
This episode has gone down in Playhouse infamy for the way it plays with gender norms. Miss Yvonne asks Cowboy Curtis on a date, causing him to laugh at the idea of a woman asking a man out. Soon after, the Cowntess coaches Curtis on how to treat a woman while on a date, with Pee-wee filling in for Miss Yvonne. As Pee-wee and Curtis get close to sharing a kiss, Pee-wee exclaims that he’s had enough and doesn’t want to play anymore.
The Secret Word of the Day: Good
The King’s Cartoon: Mary’s Little Lamb (produced by Ub Iwerks in 1935)
Fun Fact: Although Cowboy Curtis and Miss Yvonne are not romantically involved throughout the series’ run, this episode serves as a nice companion piece to the revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show, where the two express their feelings for one another.
Bet You Didn’t Know: While Playhouse is revered for its visuals, this episode’s score, which incorporates Western music themes, is particularly great to listen to. This may be because the music for this episode was composed by Danny Elfman, the musical genius that scored Pee-wee’s first two feature films.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Ever wondered what the playhouse looks like from inside Magic Screen? Watch closely at the end of the connect-the-dots segment and you’ll get a peek.
1.11 • Stolen Apples
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: November 22, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Randy gets Mrs. Steve angry by stealing her apples and hiding them under Pee-wee’s bed. After much back-and-forth, Mrs. Steve gets an apology from the puppet, but after she leaves, Randy tells Pee-wee his fingers were crossed as he was saying sorry.
While it’s fun watching the playhouse bad-boy square off against the neighborhood snoop, this episode feels flat. Pee-wee’s Playhouse can hardly be considered plot-driven entertainment, but the substance of this episode is particularly thin, with its best moments frontloaded in the first half.
The Secret Word of the Day: There
The King’s Cartoon: Somewhere in Dreamland (produced by Dave Fleisher in 1936)
Fun Fact: The connect-the-dots sequence shares a few similarities with the plot of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
You May Remember: A version of the “Pee-wee Herman Had a Farm” song in this episode is also in Big Top Pee-wee.
Blink and You’ll Miss: When Pee-wee tosses Globey a treat, it changes from beige to red mid-throw. Also, careful observers will see a cigarette in the mouth of one of the members of the dinosaur family. Additionally, watch closely as the secret words are said while Pee-wee and Captain Carl are near the playhouse door and you’ll see Pterri pop his head through the window, surprising both Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman.
1.12 • The Gang’s All Here
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: November 29, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
The Playhouse Gang arrives with Rusty, an old man they’ve befriended. The Gang plays with Pee-wee and helps him after his head gets stuck in the dinosaur family’s hole.
This is another charming episode in the first season due largely to the presence of Calvert DeForest as Rusty. The juxtaposition between Rusty’s actions and his age remind me of Edith Massey’s bizarre performance as Divine’s egg-loving mother in John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. His age is never addressed and his character acts just as young, if not younger, than his prepubescent counterparts. It’s a surreal experience to watch, but one that must be seen to be believed. Another episode highlight is Natasha Lyonne as Opal bugging Pee-wee with a barrage of “why” questions as he makes grilled cheese during snack time.
The Secret Word of the Day: Okay
The King’s Cartoon: Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (produced by Rudolf Ising in 1931)
Fun Fact: Calvert DeForest worked with Paul Reubens previously on the unreleased short film Pee-wee’s Lemonade Stand.
You May Remember: Pee-wee gives each member of the Playhouse Gang a secret name, their name with an “o” sound following it, which is also borrowed material from his standup routine.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Despite his youthful demeanor, Rusty’s hat has a Playboy bunny pin stuck in it.
1.13 • Party
Written by: George McGrath, John Paragon, Paul Reubens, Max Robert, and Michael Varhol
Directed by: Stephen R. Johnson
Original airdate: December 6, 1986
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
Pee-wee invites his friends over for a party. They play “Pin the Tail on the Conky” and spend lots of time dancing. Everyone has a good time celebrating their friendship and partying without due cause.
Although the set-up is simple, it’s nice to see all the Playhouse characters under the same roof. This episode is the last of the first season and marks the final appearances of Mrs. Steve, Captain Carl, Dixie, and the original Playhouse Gang. For this reason alone, this episode is worth viewing — at least so you have a chance to say goodbye.
The Secret Word of the Day: This
The King’s Cartoon: Bunny Mooning (produced by Dave Fleisher in 1937)
Fun Fact: Captain Carl and Miss Yvonne arrive together to the party, a reference to their relationship in the original The Pee-wee Herman Show.
You May Remember: The fridge in the dance pays homage to Pee-wee’s big shoe dance in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure by dancing to The Champs’ song “Tequila.” Later, Pee-wee calls himself “the luckiest boy in the world,” a reference to The Pee-wee Herman Show.
[© John Duke Kisch / CBS]
[© Ken Sax]
2.01 • Open House
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Guy Louthan and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 12, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
Miss Yvonne suggests that Pee-wee have an open house so his friends can help him redecorate the playhouse. Ricardo and Cowboy Curtis are invited over and Pee-wee spends the majority of the day tricking them into cleaning for him. Along the way, Floory is discovered, Clocky arrives in the mail, and Mrs. Rene, the newest resident of Puppetland, appears for the first time.
“Open House” is an excellent moment in the series’ run. The episode is the longest in the series, thanks to a truncated opening credits sequence, and it puts a creative spin on the logistic problem of the production changing shooting locations between the first two seasons. The entire set and the majority of the puppets received an upgrade, but with the playhouse in disarray, the changes become acceptable, and even expected, for the viewing audience.
The Secret Word of the Day: House
The King’s Cartoon: The Little Broadcast (produced by George Pal in 1943)
Fun Fact: Although “playhouse” is not exactly the secret
word, the characters scream just as many times in this episode for that word as they do for “house.” Additionally, this episode is the only to not have the full theme song.
Bet You Didn’t Know: “Open House” is the first episode to show Pee-wee in clothing other than his signature gray suit.
Blink and You’ll Miss: The Image Entertainment DVD release of this episode begins with a warning about the dangers of making sun tea, which Pee-wee is shown doing in one scene. According to the Center for Disease Control, warming tea with the sun can facilitate the growth of bacteria that can be hazardous if consumed. Because of the health risks, this scene was cut from the 1996 MGM/UA VHS releases and 1988–1989 Fox Family airings.
2.02 • Puppy in the Playhouse
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 19, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
The King of Cartoons finds a puppy outside Pee-wee’s playhouse, which Pee-wee decides to look after until he can find its owner. Throughout the day, the puppy wins over the hearts of Pee-wee and his friends, with the temporary exception of Pterri, who becomes jealous that the puppy is monopolizing Pee-wee’s attention. When Reba comes by to deliver the mail, it’s discovered that the lost puppy is hers, and Pee-wee promptly returns it.
Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse Page 17
