Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

December 17, 2023 7:52 AM

Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

Old and newly improved

posted by y2karl (16 comments total)

If you like it so much, why don't you marry it...
posted by Czjewel at 9:03 AM on December 17, 2023 [3 favorites]

If you like it so much, why don't you marry it...
posted by y2karl at 9:17 AM on December 17, 2023 [5 favorites]

Sorry Grace, back in the box!
posted by wats at 10:02 AM on December 17, 2023 [4 favorites]

This was a posthumous gift from Ruebens. Really touching for him to do this.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:14 AM on December 17, 2023 [9 favorites]

It's an amazing cultural artifact. So many cameos, such different people. Not just Grace Jones but Little Richard. Not just kd lang but Dinah Shore. And so on.
posted by adamrice at 12:51 PM on December 17, 2023 [3 favorites]

Terrific! Thanks y2karl!
posted by JHarris at 2:27 PM on December 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

For anyone playing the LDB game (where you try to avoid hearing "Little Drummer Boy" as long as possible between Thanksgiving and Christmas) this year, be aware that this does contain "Little Drummer Boy"!

I love this special so much that bought it standalone on BluRay when it stopped being available on streaming, so to be clear, I am always happy to intentionally lose the game by watching it. But just so's you know, if you care.
posted by rhiannonstone at 3:07 PM on December 17, 2023 [1 favorite]

between Thanksgiving and Christmas) this year,

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:00 PM on December 17, 2023 [9 favorites]

The only good thing about having lost the LDBC yesterday to the most atrocious adult contemporary version of the song is now I can watch Grace Jones's rendition here (and the David Bowie Bing Crosby Christmas special) as much as I want now.
posted by EvaDestruction at 4:40 PM on December 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

For anyone playing the LDB game (where you try to avoid hearing "Little Drummer Boy" as long as possible between Thanksgiving and Christmas) this year, be aware that this does contain "Little Drummer Boy"!

Considering who was singing it, her armor and delivery plus how he put her back in the box, I think this gets a pass. Man, I must be a fanboy but this show was and is a 13 on the Spinal Tap amp dial in production values to me to this day.
posted by y2karl at 4:56 PM on December 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

I used to own this on laser disc. And before that taped off air vhs. Family tradition for me.
posted by creiszhanson at 6:47 PM on December 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

Owned the full series on vhs. My daughter and I watched them 100s of times. She loved nothing more. Her arm could have been severed and gushing blood but once that theme song started, she would be giggling. It’s been like 20 years… Can’t wait to play for her on Xmas.
posted by pmaxwell at 6:10 PM on December 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

I forgot about their fondness for jokes designed to go over kids' heads, like the "here's a couple more fruitcakes" toward the end that it felt, in retrospect, like they had clearly been building to it the entire time
posted by DoctorFedora at 7:26 PM on December 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

I forgot about their fondness for jokes designed to go over kids' heads...

Not to mention Floory's Hey Miss Yvonne, come stand over me! at around 7:57...
posted by y2karl at 4:14 AM on December 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

oh my GOD yes that was a hell of a thing
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:15 PM on December 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

From his 1981 Pee-wee Herman Show at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles -- Pee-wee and his next door neighbors, The Jelly Donuts (Brian Seff and Monica Ganas), perform a musical salute to Sly and the Family Stone.
posted by y2karl at 9:58 AM on December 22, 2023