Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series Remastered and Now Out on Blu-ray

Experience Pee-wee’s Playhouse like never before! It’s been a long wait, but every episode of this Saturday morning TV classic is finally available on high definition Blu-ray.

“All 45 wacky episodes, plus Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special, have been meticulously remastered from the original film elements — and now you can see this ground-breaking series for the first time in beautiful high-definition!

“Scream along to the secret word with Pee-wee Herman and his pals – Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Reba the mail lady, Captain Carl, Magic Screen, Conky, Globey, Chairry, Pterri, Randy and many more! Aaaaarrrrrrrrr!!! I know you are, but what am I?! Mecka-lecka hi… Mecka-hiney ho!”

If you’ve ever watched Pee-wee’s Playhouse, you know how hard it is to explain the wacky, offbeat style and sense of humour. There’s a little bit (okay, a LOT) of everything in this show – live action, puppetry, vintage Golden Age animation, claymation, and green screening. The entire show has a chaotic, psychedelic feel that somehow just works.

Watching Pee-wee’s Playhouse as an adult was really interesting. I’ve just discovered the multiple levels and all the jokes that went way over my head as a child. I had totally forgotten about claymation Penny, and when she made her first appearance on screen, it was like running into an old friend. Another thing? I had no idea that Phil Hartman and Laurence Fishburne were Pee-wee’s Playhouse regulars before they became famous. Laurence Fishburne in full cowboy getup with Jheri curls is pretty awesome!

During its run from 1986 to 1991, Pee-wee’s Playhouse won an amazing 22 Emmy Awards, and in 2004, the show was named #10 on TV Guide‘s List of Top 25 Cult Television Shows Ever. Even now, Pee-wee’s Playhouse holds up surprisingly well. It doesn’t feel dated, and certainly not 28 years old. Frankly, I was a little surprised by just how much Tee and Kay love watching Pee-wee’s Playhouse with me. They ask to watch a new episode every day. Chairry and Pee-wee Herman himself seems to be their favourites right now.

The quality of this Blu-ray transfer is really impressive and, by all accounts, a significant upgrade. The sharp, detailed picture and bright colours really do justice to Pee-wee Herman, his Playhouse, and all of the colourful characters that populate this magical world.

Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series Blu-ray box set contains ten featurettes with over four hours of brand-new interviews with the cast and crew and never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage. My only disappointment was no interview with the man behind the Pee-wee, Paul Reubens. Bonus material includes:

• Building the Playhouse
• Opening the Playhouse
• Writing for the Playhouse
• The Look of the Playhouse
• Music of the Playhouse
• The Cast of the Playhouse
• Puppets of the Playhouse
• Animating the Playhouse
• A Very Merry Christmas Special
• Fans and Memorabilia of the Playhouse

This 8-disc Blu-ray set is highly recommended for fans and collectors alike! Pick up your copy of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.

Disclosure: I received a sample item for review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ. This post contains affiliate links. This West Coast Mommy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.