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| Pee-wee's Playhouse #1 - Seasons 1 and 2 | 
 enlarge | Directors: Paul Reubens, Bill Freiberger, Guy J. Louthan, Stephen R. Johnson, Steven Johnson
Actors: Paul Reubens, John Paragon, Phil Hartman, Laurence Fishburne, Johann Carlo
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $15.48
You Save: $14.51 (48%)
New (43) Used (15) from $11.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  60 reviews
Sales Rank: 2069
Format: Box Set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 575
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.4 x 1.4
MPN: IMED2509D
UPC: 014381250923
EAN: 0014381250923
ASIN: B0002IQB3A
Theatrical Release Date: September 13, 1986
Release Date: November 16, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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Product Description
Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 09/04/2007
Amazon.com
The secret word is overdue in regard to a DVD release of the delirious Pee-Wee's Playhouse, but this boxed set, packaged with the assistance and approval of series creator and star Paul Reubens, brings back all the bizarre charm and energy of this terrific Saturday-morning series. In creating Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Reubens blended the innocence of early children's television shows with the surreal visual style of music videos and Reubens' own gleefully manic creation (Pee-Wee grew out of Reubens's stint with the legendary comic improv group the Groundlings). The end result was the rare '80s children's program that encouraged creativity and individuality (and screaming, which was the proper response whenever the "secret word" was uttered) in its younger viewers, and delivered sly, subversive humor for Pee-Wee's older fans that had seen his live shows and movies. Critics were tickled by his antics as well, and gave the show the Television Critics Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1987 (it would also pick up numerous Emmy awards and nominations for writing, editing and art direction through its five-season run). The five discs in Playhouse #1 include all of Pee-Wee's first- and second-season adventures (including two unaired episodes) with his puppet pals Chairry, Conky the Robot, and Pterry, as well as a host of offbeat human performers like the late Phil Hartman (who played Captain Carl and served as one of the show's writers), Laurence Fishburne (Cowboy Curtis), Natasha Lyonne (the precocious Opal), William (Blacula) Marshall as the King of Cartoons (Marshall replaced Gilbert Lewis, who reigned as the King from 1986-87), Shirley Stoler from The Honeymoon Killers as Mrs. Steve, and Law and Order's S. Epartha Merkerson as Reba the Mail Lady. Highlights include the first episode, "Ice Cream Soup," which introduces most of the Playhouse crew; "Playhouse in Outer Space," which teaches a sweet (if thoroughly cracked) lesson in friendship; and the frantic "Party," which culminates in a rousing game of Pin the Tail on the Globey. PW faithful, take note: the 1988 Christmas Special is not included here, but fret not--it's available as a separate disc. This set has no supplemental features. --Paul Gaita
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| Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...
Don't Rush Out to Buy It Just Yet September 14, 2004
197 out of 213 found this review helpful
This years edition of the show may have all the episodes but it's lacking in the special features department. According to the site TVSHOWSONDVD.com there will be another edition coming out in 2005. The 2005 edition will be chocked full of heavenly goodness. It is being produced with the help of the great Paul Reubens. The 2005 addition will contain all 5 seasons in one handy-dandy boxed set and will.....is everybody listening..........have audio commentary with Paul Reubens himself. Woo-hoo! If you are a hard-core fan of the show you may want to just wait till next year when the better edition is released. Until then, thanks for reading my review.
American TV's great experiment in surrealism November 7, 2004
61 out of 64 found this review helpful
Has there ever been a more surreal and bizarre opening sequence to any show ever made in America than that of PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE? The Surrealists felt that one of the keys of art lay in our dreams, and the intro to this show seems like a happy nightmare of sorts. The music, Pee Wee's odd vocal interjections, the variety of visual images, the introduction of the strange group of inhabitants living in the playhouse, all combine to announce to the would-be viewer that his was a show that wasn't going to go down any path that had been traveled by any previous show.
For five seasons beginning in 1986, this was simply one of the most amazing shows TV has ever produced. Paul Reubens was amazing as Pee Wee Herman, literally a child with the appearance of an adult, who was a veritable encyclopedia of irritating habits that kids can assume, with every annoying verbal come a kid has ever used. Armed with a great group of writers, a stellar cast, and some remarkable set and character designers, this show did things that no kid's show had ever done before or has done sense, though the influence on the more anarchistic line of kid's cartoons can still be detected. I would be willing to be that the makers of shows like SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS are fans of Pee Wee.
Unfortunately, this all came crashing to an end when a sex scandal caused CBS to pull the show off TV. In fact, before the scandal they had already ceased making new episodes of the show. But the incident did two things: 1) it caused CBS to cease showing the show in reruns and 2) killed off any future use of the Pee Wee character by Reubens. The series has been re-released on video, though it has been out of print for a number of years, and because of the sexual nature of Reubens demise, few networks have been willing to rebroadcast the show. Until this DVD release, PEE WEE has been more or less unavailable to the public.
Although Paul Reubens dominated the show as Pee Wee, the show is amazing today for the remarkable amount of talent on the show. Over the years I have been amazed at how many people remember Cowboy Curtis from the show, but are unaware that Laurence Fishburne portrayed him. Captain Carl was played by Phil Hartman before he went on to star on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for years. The second actor to play the King of Cartoons was William Marshall, star Blaxploitation cult classic vampire film BLACULA. Natasha Lyonne, who played Opal, went on to additional success as a child actress and as a young adult, including THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS and BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER. S. Epatha Merkerson, who played Reba the letter carrier, has gone on to a long career on LAW AND ORDER. And of course the woman who made Pee Wee's heart skip a beat, the beautiful Miss Yvonne, was played by Lynne Marie Stewart, who has gone on to plays a host of supporting roles on TV and in film. All in all, you have to acknowledge that this was far from a normal children's cast.
But it wasn't merely the human cast that made this show so remarkable. Inhabiting Pee Wee's playhouse were an extraordinarily odd group of denizens, from Pterri the Pterodactyl to Mr. Kite to Mr. Windows to Cool Cat and talking chairs, flowers, and fish. Conky the Robot would each week dispense that show's secret word, a stunt seemed designed to irritate parents' as much as possible. One of my favorite recurring characters was the Salesman, whose appearance at Pee Wee's door would cause panic and disconcerted screaming each week. And how could you describe Jambi to someone who hadn't seen the show before? A disembodied genie's head who each week could solve whatever problems facing either Pee Wee or his friends with those amazing words, "Mekka Lekka Hi-Mekka Hiney Ho!"
I'm delighted that these are available now on DVD. A whole generation of kids has passed not knowing what a great thing they missed. Kids who are in high school today have only a vague idea about Pee Wee, though they might know his two movies. For many he was someone whose career ended because he did something very, very bad, though not many seem to know what that was. Now we get to see all of these great shows again, and they get to discover him for the first time.
 Great stuff.. but beware the double-dip November 11, 2004
25 out of 27 found this review helpful
A box set containing all 45 episodes PLUS audio commentary, behind-the-scenes footage and other extras is scheduled for next year. Real fans will want to wait, if they can stand it.
By the way, this was an EXCELLENT show for kids July 11, 2005
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I will not waste your time explaining why this show is objectively a great TV show, experiment, artistic achievement, etc. If you don't already know that, just skim through the other hundreds of rave reviews.
For what it's worth, I want to point out that this was one of the best children's shows ever, possibly the single best. This show created a generation of youth that was not content with the intellectual status quo and questioned everything. Look at how the Pee-Wee's Playhouse generation of children went on to embrace alternative rock and alternative culture and shows like "The X Files." If you are around the age of 24, you can probably pick out which of your friends watched Pee-Wee and which didn't. Those who are uncomfortable with embracing diversity and the strangeness of life, and instead like to always stay in some social circle of comfort, probably didn't watch Pee-Wee. You can also tell because they probably tolerate the awful state of current media, because they were brought up on bland garbage like Barney and Blue's Clues. (Blue's Clues and Teletubbies, I predict, mark the beginning of bad times for the future.) In grasping Pee-Wee's surreal world, kids become better prepared to be truly intelligent, to become better able to grasp a reality which is often much much weirder than anything on the show. Other children's programs, like Blue's Clues (which I have no problem bashing again and again), instead try to cow-tow to children's comfort zones and not broaden their horizons. Pee Wee, on the other hand, introduced children to surrealistic stop-motion animation, comlicated spatio-temporal issues, and sweet music by Todd Rundgren, The Residents, and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo. Even adult programs don't try to do that.
One might say Pee-Wee's Playhouse used guerilla tactics to make future generations smarter. It was a valient effort, Paul. Thank you.
This is such a great idea to put on DVD! November 1, 2004
10 out of 16 found this review helpful
My little brothers and I watched Pee Wee's Playhouse every Saturday during my childhood. It was great, it was hilarious, and it was Pee Wee at his best. I remember when my mother bought the VHS tapes/boxset and we watched all those and it was hilarious again!
It is about time that this was released onto DVD because this set deserves it tons!!!! Pee Wee is so absolutely hilarious. For all the drama in his life his kickass coolness has been overlooked which isn't fair 'cause Pee Wee's awesome!!! Unfortunately for me, this comes out the same day as Buffy and Smallville which means I'm going broke!!
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