Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse

Pee Wee Herman and friends join in the holiday spirit tour de force in what might be the greatest holiday special ever. The regulars are all there, from Capt. Carl (the late, great Phil Hartman) to Reba the Mail lady. In addition to the already sensational cast, numerous guests are in attendance including (but in no particular order by any means) Frankie and Annette, the Derubial Triplets, Charro, Grace Jones, and Little Richard (and I'm positive I'm forgetting a few, and I'm sorry for that [I want to say k.d. lang, but don't quote me on that]).

Now, the special does focus its attention on Christmas, but it also brings Hanukah into light for a moment (hence my persistence on dubbing it as a 'holiday special') - and it does so both educationally and entertainingly (if that's a word).

This single episode of Pee Wee's Playhouse is forever held dear to me, not only because of the sheer amount of comedic goodness, but also because I feel it best sums up entirely the greatness of what was arguably one of the greatest shows ever!

Pee Wee Herman, many of the Playhouse regulars and a load of celebrities celebrate the holidays in a grand and glorious way. Among the many funny skits is an interminable rendering of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' by Dinah Shore on Pee Wee's multi-media phone device.

The celebrities are too numerous to mention, and all are very good sports. In the end, Pee Wee (and the viewers) learn a wonderful lesson about selflessness and sharing.

Regardless of his press in recent years, Pee Wee is a comic genius who tickles the funny bones of children as well as adults. Well worth viewing.

Remember as a kid in the 5th grade watching this TV Christmas special I liked Pee Wee and watched his Saturday morning show. And again this special was funny and wacky with crazy like entertainment. The humor was jolly like as it filled and rubbed off on the holiday season just super. Plus the guest were delightful and entertaining just as they were on his TV series! Great old fashioned Christmas special one that long has stuck out in memory!

Watching Pee-wee Herman's Christmas special 21 years after it first aired, many thoughts go through the viewer's mind as to what transpired in comedian Paul Reubens' life and career up to this point--and what has happened since (indeed, in his DVD commentary, Reubens is soft-spoken and even contrite concerning the past two decades). Reubens' creation was originally a naughty one-act for grown-ups, his material laced with innuendo, so it has always stumped me why he chose to be a kiddie entertainer. Apparently, his heart was really in it, and the results are there on the screen...yet when hunky construction workers are seen building the fruitcake room, one may sense a wink and a nudge from the old days. Many guests join Pee-wee at his Playhouse to help usher in the Christmas cheer, including a fleeting Cher, a colorful Little Richard, a tormented Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello, a very young k.d. lang, a scarily elegant Grace Jones, a saucy Charo, and all of Herman's friends from his weekly television program (including co-writer John Paragon as Jambi, with incredible make-up). It's very light and easy, obviously put together rather quickly, and lacking a bit in high-end laughter. Pee-wee's newfound penchant to be educationally sound detracts from the fun, as does the proverbial meaning-of-Christmas speech which comes off a little heavy. Still, it moves along at a merry pace, Pee-wee is occasionally a funny jerk, and the celebrities all seem remarkably in step with the fanciful humor at hand.

Let me start by saying I have very fond memories of watching Pee Wees Playhouse when I was younger, so needless to say this has been a staple in our family since the year it came out. Staying tried and true to the quirkiness that is Pee Wees Playhouse, come join Pee Wee, Globey, Chairry, Randy and the rest of the magical objects, characters, celebrities, and musical guests as they take you through a world of imagination, love, comical quips and enjoy being a kid again through the wonder world that is Pee Wees Playhouse. Teaches kids a great lesson about the gift of Christmas. Another thing I like about this show is it has the right amount of adult humor (Nothing over the top, though) that makes it just as enjoyable to watch it as an adult as it was to watch when I was a kid. Admit it, you know you want to travel through the wonderful wacky world of Pee Wees Playhouse!