Pee-wee's Playhouse #2 - Seasons 3-5

Rating:
Summary: Great stuff.. but beware the double-dip
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A wild mix of Mr. Rogers, The Wizard of Oz and MTV
Review: A must have for any DVD library, this groundbreaking, innovative series, Pee-wee's Playhouse, was created and produced by the genius of Paul Reubens who also stars as pop culture icon, Pee-wee Herman. Pee-wee's Playhouse is marked by a campy sensibility and frequent use of double entendre, engaging viewers of all ages.

Incorporating clips from vintage cartoons, 3-D animation, hand puppets, marionettes, and a cast of endearingly eccentric memorable characters, Pee-wee's Playhouse is non-stop fun that might best be described as a wild mix of Mr. Rogers, The Wizard of Oz and MTV. Each episode, Pee-wee Herman welcomes you into his kaleidoscope, fantasy clubhouse for adventure through a labyrinth of zany characters and sci-fi inventions. Music for the shows was provided by cutting edge artists such as Mark Mothersbaugh, Todd Rundgren, Danny Elfman, and Van Dyke Parks.

This set of DVD releases divides all 5 years (45 episodes) of the Playhouse into 2 affordable box sets (which includes 8 lost episodes) in all their side splitting hilarity sparkling in never before seen DVD clarity.

Also, check out the newly released DVD of Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special -- a charming, star-studded Christmas classic.

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Rating:
Summary: cant f-n wait
Review: finally the show i loved as a kid and still love today will soon be released on dvd all i can say is FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: At Long Last...Pee Wee
Review: Forget "Seinfeld." I was much more excited about the playhouse coming out. Paul Ruebens is a comic genius and I'mm sorry that his career was cut short because of one incident at an adult movie theater. What was the big deal really, I mean what else does one do with your hands in that type of place? I mean he wasn't at the local moviehouse doing that so lets ALL get over it. Pee Wee was a masterfully created character. The show itself was well ahead of its time, and gave careers to Laurence Fishburne and others. Pee Wee made learning fun, he always taught us right from wrong, the importance of manners and generally always try to do the right thing and think of others. Its great to see them again, and there are new episodes that have never been seen. The secret word today is: ENJOY. Every time you play a DVD you will enjoy it so scream real loud. HA, HA!!!

Rating:
Summary: The final three seasons of a truly landmark series
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great collection, but deceptive wording
Review: I agree with everything that's been said so far. I loved this show when I was young, ans I'm glad that I had a tape with many episodes to watch from around season 3 after they pulled it from the air waves. Thatnk god they released this set as the tape was starting to get old and the quality was dropping at an increasing rate. My only problem with the set is the use of the term "lost episodes". I'm not sure if it just means they were ommited from the VHS set, but I know at least Heat Wave and Chairry Tee Drive were aired as they are on the tape that I have that was taped directly from their original airings.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOMENESS
Review: I LOVE IT! I can't wait until I can get a copy of this! Pee-Wee revolutionzed children's programing. As somewhat of a pee wee cult follower...I can only scream AWESOMENESS AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!!!

Rating:
Summary: Pee -wee ROCKS!
Review: I loved Pee-wee's playhouse as a teenager. I would get up every Saturday to watch it when it was on tv. Now I have a few episodes and my 4 year old loves it! He can't get enough of them and I don't have that many. I am so excited to see that 4 seasons of this wonderful kids show is coming. THANK YOU!