As with the previous episode, “Puppy in the Playhouse” demonstrates how the writing in the series dramatically improved from one season to the next. While the first season had a number of memorable moments, the plot was usually secondary to random bits of fun and chaos. This episode sustains a straightforward plot while incorporating all of the silly elements associated with the series.
The Secret Word of the Day: Over
The King’s Cartoon: To Spring (produced by Bill Hanna in 1936)
Blink and You’ll Miss: Pay careful attention and you’ll see the dinosaur family play with a Pee-wee Herman doll. Additionally, there is a visual reference to the California Raisins when food is taken from the fridge.
Bet You Didn’t Know: According to George McGrath, Reubens hoped the playhouse puppy would become a recurring character in this show after this episode. However, Reubens became uncomfortable with the way the dog was treated by its trainer and held off introducing a regular playhouse animal until the show’s fourth season.
2.03 • Store
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 26, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
After Pee-wee, Cowboy Curtis, and Reba all play inside Magic Screen, Miss Yvonne comes over. She, along with Pee-wee and Cowboy Curtis, decide to pretend the playhouse is Herman’s Department Store, with Pee-wee playing the part of a salesman. The game continues until snack time.
The beginning sequences with Magic Screen are hilarious, especially with S. Epatha Merkerson’s performance as the mail carrier who refuses to believe that two adults were just inside a tiny puppet. I always loved the way she seems both intrigued and confused by Pee-wee’s behavior. Additionally, Cowboy Curtis’s song “More” makes the episode worth a watch.
The Secret Word of the Day: More
The King’s Cartoon: Make ’Em Move (produced by Harry Bailey and John Foster in 1931)
Fun Fact: When MGM/UA aired commercials to promote its 1996 VHS release of the series, a significant number of clips came from the department store sequence in this episode.
Bet You Didn’t Know: This episode marks the first time people other than Pee-wee enter the Magic Screen.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Watch carefully and you’ll notice the frozen fruit cubes keep changing flavors over the course of the episode. Also, while Pee-wee is reading his pen pal letter, there is a quick reference to Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John.
2.04 • Pee-wee Catches a Cold
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: October 3, 1987
[© George McGrath]
When Ricardo discovers that Pee-wee is coming down with a cold, he encourages his friend to take it easy. Pee-wee ignores this advice and spends a lot of time playing. After several activities, he starts to feel worse and heads to bed. Miss Yvonne, dressed as a nurse, and Ricardo come back over to the playhouse at night to check-up on their friend, but Pee-wee is grumpy and snaps at them. Pee-wee falls back asleep after they leave and wakes up the next morning feeling better.
It’s easy to empathize with Pee-wee in this episode. Staying in bed when you’re sick is no fun, especially when there are so many cool toys for you to play with. However, the children in the viewing audience learn a valuable lesson about taking care of their bodies and health. The end sequence, with the food in the fridge talking about the four major food groups, is excellently animated and particularly educational.
The Secret Word of the Day: Out
The King’s Cartoon: The Sunshine Makers (produced by Ed Eshbauch in 1935)
You May Remember: This is the episode with the famous “giant underpants” sequence. Pee-wee’s giant underpants had previously been a staple of his standup comedy routine and the original Pee-wee Herman Show.
Blink and You’ll Miss: When the characters are all sleeping, Globey’s eyes are still open because the puppet was incapable of closing them.
2.05 • Why Wasn’t I Invited?
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: October 10, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
Pee-wee isn’t invited to Cowntess’s birthday party, causing him to wonder why he’s been snubbed. He attempts to cheer himself up by playing and having a snack, but they’re a waste of his time. After seeking the advice of a specialist, Pee-wee calls Cowntess on the picture phone to tell her that he feels hurt and doesn’t want to be friends anymore. Moments later, Reba arrives with his invitation in the mail. Pee-wee apologizes to Cowntess and goes to the party.
Like “Open House,” this episode cleverly creates a plot around production limitations. Because it would be extremely difficult for a puppet like Chairry to leave the playhouse, she is also uninvited to the Cowntess’s party, whereas smaller puppets like Pterri and Globey would have little difficulty getting out through the playhouse door.
The Secret Word of the Day: All
The King’s Cartoon: Piano Tooners (produced by John Foster and George Rufle in 1932)
Fun Fact: This is the only episode in which Chairry walks.
Blink and You’ll Miss: When Magic Screen is trying to cheer up Pee-wee after he finds out he’s not invited to the party, her mouth malfunctions.
2.06 • Tons of Fun
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: October 17, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
The Playhouse Gang comes over to play. After they leave, Cowboy Curtis comes by the playhouse to discover Pee-wee has left. Soon afterward Miss Yvonne arrives, does a clog dance, and makes ice cream pudding with Curtis as a surprise for Pee-wee.
Although the episode does have some funny moments, particularly the shots of Miss Yvonne in the bathtub, the writing is subpar. Pee-wee is absent for the majority of the episode and it’s obvious that the playhouse is a little boring without him.
The Secret Word of the Day: Cool
The King’s Cartoon: The Little Broadcast (produced by George Pal in 1943)
Fun Fact: The song Pee-wee and the puppets lip-synch to is “That Certain Feeling” by George and Ira Gershwin.
You May Remember: Miss Yvonne’s peach cocktail dress was previously worn in “Store.” The frock shows up in various other episodes in the series.
2.07 • School
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: October 24, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
Pee-wee plays school with the Playhouse Gang and teaches them about the discovery of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence with the assistance of the Magic Screen’s visuals and some stellar animation.
While the premise of this episode is simple, the Magic Screen animation, created by Dave Daniels, is worth the price of admission alone. Using a method called strata-cut, Daniels makes learning about history fun and unusually stunning for children and adults alike. The writers enhance those sequences even more by injecting a claymation Pee-wee into these historical events.
The Secret Word of the Day: Easy
The King’s Cartoon: Neptune Nonsense (produced by Burt Gillett in 1936)
Fun Fact: Lil’ Punkin (Alisan Porter) sings “Broadway Baby” by Stephen Sondheim, about a person determined to make it on Broadway. Coincidentally, Alisan did make it to the Great White Way when she starred in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line. Additionally, this episode makes Rapunzel the first person besides Pee-wee to get the secret word from Conky.
You May Remember:
The dinosaur family makes a dancing Pee-wee Herman figure out of pipe cleaners. As it dances, “Tequila” plays in the background, just as in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and the earlier “Party” episode of Playhouse. Also, Pee-wee’s pledge of allegiance is similar to the one at the beginning of the revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
2.08 • Spring
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: October 31, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
Cowboy Curtis comes by the playhouse and shows Pee-wee how to grow a plant in a glass. Soon after, the King of Cartoons arrives along with his wife and new son. Later, Pee-wee tries out for the little league team, but doesn’t make it. Ricardo reminds him there are lots of sports in the world and encourages Pee-wee to find the one that’s just right for his talents.
“Spring” is another episode with a simple, yet well-executed, concept. There isn’t really too much going on, but the parts all add up nicely. The King of Cartoons is given a little character development in this episode and, as one would expect, the educational video about where babies come from is both appropriately vague and comprehensible to children.
The Secret Word of the Day: Begin
The King’s Cartoon: Much Ado about Mutton (produced by Isador Sparber in 1947)
Fun Fact: Randy makes a quick reference to Howdy Doody, the classic marionette who was the inspiration for Randy’s looks.
2.09 • Playhouse in Outer Space
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: November 7, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
The playhouse, along with Reba the Mail Lady, is blasted into outer space. Once it lands, a female alien named Miss Yvona, who bears a striking resemblance to Miss Yvonne, attempts to warn Pee-wee about Zyzzybalubah, the alien with a bad personality who is solely responsible for them being there. Soon Zyzzybalubah comes in, puts an invisible force field in the playhouse, and forces everyone to play with him. Pee-wee tells him that one shouldn’t try to get friends by force, and Zyzzybalubah apologizes. The playhouse characters teach him how to make friends properly and they return with him to Earth to play.
This was one of my favorite Playhouse episodes when I was a kid. Not only do we get to see Pee-wee’s pals in another setting beyond Puppetland, we get to meet new out-of-this-world characters. From an educational standpoint, this episode teaches a great deal about the planets and our solar system in a way that is engaging and might almost be received subconsciously by children. Finally, the opportunity to hear Reba and Pee-wee harmonize on “The Whistle Song” is the cherry on top of the sundae.
The Secret Word of the Day: Zyzzybalubah
The King’s Cartoon: Ship of the Ether (produced by George Pal in 1934)
Fun Fact: Cowboy Curtis’s horse is named Pegasus in this episode, but in the revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show he rides a mare named Ginger.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Although Pluto is no longer classified as a planet, it appears in this episode during Pee-wee’s ride through space.
[© Ken Sax]
2.10 • Pajama Party
Written by: George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: November 14, 1987
[© Ken Sax]
Pee-wee has a pajama party with all of his pals. They spend time playing party games, reading bedtime stories, and making shadow puppets. At the end of the episode, Pee-wee makes a bowl of fruit salad as a midnight snack and, because he loves it so much, gets married to it.
Much has been written about the ending sequence of this episode, where Pee-wee marries the bowl of fruit salad. Is it a dismissal of the sanctity of marriage? Is it a glimpse into the character’s sexual preferences? According to cowriter George McGrath, it’s just good, silly fun: “I am almost positive that if the thought that the fruit salad marriage would be interpreted as some sort of homosexuality reference, Paul would have made sure it was changed. I don’t think anything in the series was ever meant to imply homosexuality, or cater to the gay community, at least in the episodes I was involved with writing. It just happened that a lot of our humor did that just because of . . . well . . . you figure it out!” Regardless of the reasons why this scene was included, the fruit salad marriage marks a moment that many people remember well from the series and cite as an example of the show’s irreverent humor — a mix of cheeky and innocent that plays well for children and adults.
The Secret Word of the Day: Watch
The King’s Cartoon: Musical Memories (produced by Dave Fleischer in 1935)
Fun Fact: The guy that calls the playhouse accidentally is art director and puppeteer Wayne White in his only on-screen cameo.
You May Remember: During the puppet dance, Pee-wee does his big-shoe dance from his standup routine and from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Pee-wee’s reading of Jane Thayer’s Part-Time Dog was repeated in the revival of The Pee-wee Herman Show.
[© Ken Sax]
3.01 • Reba Eats and Pterri Runs
Written by: John Paragon
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 10, 1988
[© Ken Sax]
Pee-wee uses Jambi to transport Reba to the playhouse so she can mail a pen pal letter for him. After his wish is granted, Reba magically appears and immediately expresses her frustration about being inconvenienced on her day off. Pee-wee makes it up to her by preparing an imaginary breakfast. Throughout the episode, Pee-wee yells at Pterri so Randy encourages him to run away. The playhouse inhabitants launch a search for the fugitive pterodactyl and are relieved to find that he was just hiding because he thought no one liked him. Pee-wee reminds Pterri, and the viewing audience, that running away from your problems is never the answer.
This episode is a must-watch for parents with small children. The first half is genuinely entertaining, especially with Reba’s wild reactions to the imaginary breakfast. The second half, however, offers an important lesson for children. There may be days when your parents might seem like they don’t like you, but they still love you.
The Secret Word of the Day: Now
The King’s Cartoon: Farm Foolery (produced by Seymour Kneitel in 1949)
Bet You Didn’t Know: The Image Entertainment DVD release of this episode omits the “My Name Is” song that begins this episode. This song was present in the 1996 VHS release. The reason for the omission is unknown.
Blink and You’ll Miss: During the imaginary breakfast, Pee-wee refers to the puppets as “characters,” a bizarre phraseology if we’re supposed to believe they are all actual and alive.
3.02 • To Tell the Tooth
Written by: John Paragon
Directed by: Wayne Orr and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 17, 1988
[© Ken Sax]
Pee-wee has a toothache, but is afraid to go to the dentist. After trying one of Randy’s dangerous home remedies, Pee-wee listens to the advice of Miss Yvonne and the puppets and he goes to see a dentist. He comes back without pain and with a wisdom tooth in hand.
This episode gets a lot of mileage out of a simple premise. From the opening sequence with Randy’s bad breath, to Pee-wee returning on a gurney after his dentist visit, there are a lot of laughs to be had in one short half hour. If you don’t burst into a fit of giggles watching the dummy dressed as Pee-wee getting dragged across the playhouse floor, you may be lacking a pulse.
The Secret Word of the Day: It
The King’s Cartoon: An Elephant Never Forgets (produced by Dave Fleisher in 1935)
Bet You Didn’t Know: Pee-wee’s Playhouse won six Daytime Emmy Awards for this episode. Charles Randazzo, Peter W
. Moyer, David Pincus, and Steve Purcell won for Outstanding Achievement in Videotape Editing, while Yolanda Toussieng and Jerry Masone won for Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling.
Blink and You’ll Miss: Jambi’s head is superimposed over Abraham Lincoln’s on Mt. Rushmore during the end credits.
[© Ken Sax]
4.01 • Pee-wee and the Del Rubios
Written by: John Paragon
Directed by: John Paragon and Paul Reubens
Original airdate: September 9, 1989
[© Ken Sax]
Reba has a splinter and uses the services of Dr. Pee-wee to have it removed. Later, the Del Rubio Triplets come by to sing a psychedelic rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Were Made for Walking.”
If “Open House” was an excellent way to start a new Playhouse season, this episode was a horrendous one. While the Del Rubio Triplets are certainly kitschy, they seem overwhelmingly out of place in the playhouse. Worse, the break in the middle of the episode, where the trio sings, is awkward and uninteresting to watch.
The Secret Word of the Day: Well
The King’s Cartoon: Hunky & Spunky (produced by Dave Fleischer in 1938)
Fun Fact: This episode is the first to include Chandelier, Roosevelt, and an El Hombre cartoon.
Bet You Didn’t Know: The Del Rubio Triplets were introduced to Paul Reubens by songwriter Allee Willis, who collaborated with Pee-wee Herman on the song “Big Adventure.”
Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse Page 18
