It’s that time of year again when streaming services and television channels get into the holiday spirit. Lifetime, Hallmark, and now Netflix are the titans of churning out holiday fare, which all seem to be set in the same small snowy town. This is also the time of year to revisit annual favorites. That time when family and friends gather to watch movies like Home Alone or Die Hard, but it’s additionally the time for holiday specials.
The Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the one with the Peanuts crew specials get a lot of attention, but what about Pee-Wee Herman? The Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special premiered on CBS in 1988, and it is a Christmas special I try to watch every year. The beauty of it is that it contains the beats of any Pee-Wee’s Playhouse episode, with a bit of Christmas flavor thrown in. Let’s have a look at what makes this special so charming.
Cameo Appearances
Since this is a Christmas episode it needs to be, well, special. Along with the usual cast of characters like Cowboy Curtis, Miss Yvonne, or The King of Cartoons, many celebrities stop by to get into the holiday season. Many, of course, would be an understatement. It looked like a cameo per shot!
The celebs that show up all performing something holiday-related. Pee-Weehelps Little Richard learn to ice skate, Charo stops by to sing Feliz Navidad ( K.D. Lang and Grace Jones also stop by to sing Christmas songs), Magic Johnson shows up to ride a sleigh with Pee-Wee inside the magic screen (readers of a certain age will understand), and Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello make Christmas cards. Even Whoopi Goldberg calls Pee-Weeasking to appear on the show.
Additionally, these celebs also participate in regular segments of the show, like Cher wanting to know the secret word (if you say the word, you scream. I’m sure parents everywhere loved this one). The events in the show contain many actions that would make kids laugh, but like the cameos, some are here for the adults in the room. This really is a special for everyone to enjoy.
Something For Everyone
There are specials out there that are strictly for kids, like a Barney program that would make adults groan. Then there are ones just for adults, and definitely not for kids ( Trailer Park Boys: Live at the North Pole, I laughed). The Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special is entertainment for the whole family.
The kids get to enjoy the cute puppets with funny voices, and Pee-Wee’sman-child antics, like the secret word bit. The adults get to catch jokes that are over the heads of kids. Pee-Weeacknowledges that he used a skating double during the ice skating scene, there’s a recurring fruitcake gag and a reference to yellow snow. In addition to all of these humorous moments, viewers of all ages can learn something along the way.
In the Charo segment, Pee-Weelearns that Feliz Navidad is Spanish for Merry Christmas, and about the use of pinatas. The recurring characters Miss Rene and the claymation dinosaur family are Jewish, so teach viewers about Hanukkah. Finally, the overall plot of this special contains an important message for the holiday season.
Positive Lesson
Within all of these songs and appearances, the main plot is about Pee-Wee writing a Christmas list for Santa. A list that far exceeds any proper wish list; he just wants as many presents as possible. His stocking even takes up the entire length of the fireplace. Pee-Wee is getting a bit greedy during this time of year.
Toward the end of the story, Santa Claus shows up at the Playhouse. Pee-Wee even withholds milk and cookies if there are any presents missing. Santa ultimately tells Pee-Wee that because he asked for too many presents, all the children of the world won’t get presents for Christmas. Pee-Wee sacrifices his presents so the children can have a great Christmas.
Inside all of this holiday grandeur, the special gives the message of the joy of giving. Christmas is about making people happy, not being greedy. It’s a positive message for viewers young and old alike. One that, unfortunately, gets forgotten from time to time, so I appreciate this Christmas program for its reminder of this message for the holiday season.
Final Thoughts on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable Christmas special that belongs up there with other past TV specials. We get to see all of our favorite characters of the show get into the Christmas mood, and the bonus of visitors stopping by to join in on the fun. Not only that, it’s longer than the average episode of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, so that adds a bit more excitement.
Everyone can laugh together at Pee-Wee’s bizarre antics and get a kick out of the random claymation that pops up in this program. However, the most important point is viewers can walk away with a lesson learned.
With the joy of giving a message, I hope it inspires viewers to put action into words. Whether it’s donating toys to a charity, or sending gifts to troops stationed overseas during the holidays. Go out and make another person smile. To close, I hope everyone has a safe and healthy holiday season.
Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special is available on YouTube and Netflix
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