Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special is a 1988 prime-time special in Pee-wee's Playhouse. It aired on December 21, 1988 (just four days before Christmas Day) on CBS.

It's the wildest holiday ever when some V.I.P.'s (Very Important Persons) stop by to wish Pee-wee a V.M.C. (Very Merry Christmas)! Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon are off the beach and on Pee-wee's floor making Christmas cards, Magic Johnson joins Pee-wee for a wild sleigh ride in the Magic Screen, and Dinah Shore sings the "12 Days (or so) of Christmas!" Joan Rivers, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg wish Pee-wee a merry Christmas and a happy new "year." Pee-wee shows Little Richard how to ice skate, and Charo, K.D. Lang, the Del Rubio triplets, and Grace Jones perform fun yuletide carols! However, Pee-wee's got a problem larger than his mounting fruitcake collection when perhaps the M.I.P. (Most Important Person), Santa Claus, drops by to tell him that his Christmas wish list is just too long, and no one else will get presents if he doesn't shorten it! Will he keep the gifts, or will he help Santa deliver?

Episode Plot[]

The special begins in a snowy landscape, as we pan to the title card. We then move on to the Playhouse. Inside, the UCLA Men's Glee Club, as a Marine Choir, sings the introduction. Pee-Wee welcomes the viewer to the special, and introduces the cast and guest stars. As Pee-wee finishes the song, the choir lifts him above their heads.

Next, while Pee-Wee goes through his really, really long list of gifts, he lists a yo-yo, but Conky points out that he already has a yo-yo. Looking inside his toy closet, Pee-wee discovers that he does have a yo-yo. He does tricks with it, like walking the dog and flying around the world. He accidentally breaks a camera with it, making him decide to add a new camera to the gift list.

Pee-wee concludes his list with a really long closing, and a really long postscript. While Conky goes crazy rapidly printing it out, Pee-wee brings in a large envelope, when Miss Yvonne visits, with her hair styled like a Christmas Tree with a mistletoe on it, under which she kisses Pee-wee. She gives him a present - a fruitcake! Then Pee-wee gives her a present - Eau de Pee-wee Perfume. As Pee-wee goes to put his first fruitcake in the refrigerator, he sees the food celebrating Christmas. The freezer food fish out another present for Pee-wee - a teeny-tiny fruitcake.

Then, someone calls on the Picturephone. Pee-wee receives a call from Whoopi Goldberg, who asks him if she can star in his Christmas special, but Pee-wee has already booked too many stars to his limit, as well as next year's Christmas special. He hopes to be able to see Whoopi in the next two years. After saying goodbye, Magic Screen invites Pee-wee to play Connect the Christmas Dots with her. The dots form a sleigh. Magic Johnson, Magic Screen's human cousin, joins in the ride with him.

Back in the Playhouse, Pee-wee realizes that he forgot about the decorations! He wishes he hadn't been too selfish when suddenly Jambi appears. Pee-wee tells him his problem, and then asks if he can have an extra wish for later. Jambi is mad at first, but then gladly accepts it. After chanting the magic words, Jambi magically decorates the Playhouse festively.

Reba enters the house with a bag of Christmas cards, along with another present for Pee-wee - another fruitcake! Pee-wee then gives Reba his envelope and a present for her: press-on toenails. It reminds Reba that she has a great big package delivered to the house. Grace Jones comes out of the box. When she meets Pee-wee, she is surprised to see that he's not the President. Reba reads the label that the package was supposed to be delivered to the White House, not the Playhouse. Pee-wee asks Grace to go back in the box, but Grace decides to perform a musical number right here in the Playhouse, singing "Little Drummer Boy".

After a break, Pee-wee introduces us to his next guests - Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, making Christmas cards. Pee-wee orders them to make 500 cards before sundown. Next, Pee-wee sees Cher decorating Conky like a Christmas tree. It reminds Pee-wee that he forgot to ask Conky what today's secret word is. So, Conky prints out the secret word for the special, which is "year". After Pee-wee explains the secret word rules, he asks Cher how she likes Christmas so far. Cher replies that it's her favorite time of year, and everyone screams. After Cher leaves, the King of Cartoons arrives. He has a present for Pee-wee - two more fruitcakes! As the King turns on the TV, Joan Rivers appears, playing Hollywood Squares. Pee-wee, the King, and Annette (the latter wanting to watch with Pee-wee) wish Joan a Merry Christmas, before they watch a Christmas-themed cartoon.

After that, Billy Baloney wants to sing on the Christmas special, when Pee-wee decides to save it for next year. Then outside, Mr. Kite announces that it's snowing. Pee-wee, reacting excitedly, puts on his winter outfit, but firmly urges Frankie and Annette to continue working with the cards before going out with him. Out in the snow, Pee-wee makes a snow angel and makes mystery tracks. When Cowboy Curtis comes and wonders who made those footprints, Pee-wee surprises him, saying it was him. Then they hear the Del Rubio Triplets singing "Winter Wonderland".

After that, Pee-wee and Curtis build a snowman, which talks, scaring them away. Later, Pee-wee meets Little Richard at the skating pond. While Richard is having trouble skating, Pee-wee demonstrates by performing amazing skating feats. However, Richard is left surprised when he sees Pee-wee's stunt double, Hans, dressed in the same outfit he's wearing.

Back in the Playhouse, while everyone warms up with some hot chocolate, KD Lang sings "Jingle Bell Rock". After that, Pee-wee hangs stockings, but Randy doesn't believe in Santa Claus. Pee-wee hangs up two giant stockings. Then Clocky announces that it's time for a Penny Cartoon. After the cartoon, Frankie and Annette are starving, so Pee-wee gives them bread and water. Next, the Cowntess gives Pee-wee a present - another fruitcake. Pee-wee then gives the Cowntess a present - a cowbell that plays "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Then Zsa Zsa Gabor visits Pee-wee to give him a Christmas kiss.

Then the Picturephone rings again. Dinah Shore calls him and sings him "The Twelve Days of Christmas". While she was singing, Oprah Winfrey calls from another phone line to wish Pee-wee a Merry Christmas. Not wanting to stay for the whole song, Pee-wee sneaks out of the phone and places a lookalike dummy in his place.

Then, Ricardo comes to visit and says "Feliz Navidad" and allows Pee-wee to play piñata, a Mexican Christmas tradition. While Pee-wee plays, Spanish singer Charo sings "Feliz Navidad". At the end, the piñata breaks open with toys and sweets. Then, Charo gives Pee-wee another pastel de fruta - fruitcake.

Next, Renee comes to visit, but because she's Jewish, she celebrates Hanukkah, and gives Pee-wee eight fruitcakes, one for each night. Then they sing "The Dradel (sic) Song" with on-screen lyrics, before they play dreidel. The dreidel spins into the Dinosaur Family's home. It breaks open with chocolate gelt. Later, a tired, worn-out Frankie and Annette are finished with the cards. Pee-wee asks them to make envelopes.

After another break, Pee-wee and his friends are putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree. Pterri puts the star on the top of the tree, and then it lights up. Then Randy unplugs the tree, thinking that Christmas is nothing but buying and giving. Pee-wee assumes that he forgot about the True Meaning of Christmas. Magic Screen plays a video of the Nativity of Jesus, making Randy feel touched by the true tale of Christmas and give Pee-wee a small fruitcake. When Cowboy Curtis gives him another one, Pee-wee shows his friends a new wing in the Playhouse, made entirely out of fruitcakes.

Then, while everyone sings "Pee-Wee's Christmas Medley", he hears sleigh bells, signaling the arrival of Santa Claus! Pee-wee gives him a plate of milk and cookies, but Santa has one problem: Pee-wee's list is so big that he just doesn't have enough presents for the other children. He wants every present on his list. Pee-wee then remembers what he said earlier: "Christmas is the time we should be thinking about what we can do for others." This makes him decide to let Santa have his presents. Santa then lets Pee-wee ride in his sleigh and help him deliver the presents to the children. Pee-wee says goodbye to his friends, before Jambi asks Pee-wee about that extra wish. Pee-wee decide to wish everybody the Merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year! Everyone screams, and Pee-wee leaves on Santa's sleigh. The credits roll while Dinah reprises "The Twelve Days of Christmas", but at the end, she sees that Pee-wee isn't responding, as the dummy's still in place of him.

Characters[]

Trivia[]

This was a one hour special.
This special was divided into two shows, and several parts were cut, during Fox Family airings.
It is revealed that Pee-wee moved his toys to a rotating shelf behind the tire artwork on the wall.
This episode reveals that Magic Screen and Magic Johnson are cousins.
The secret word is displayed in the middle of the episode, unlike other episodes.
Cher responds to the secret word instructions by screaming.
Pee-wee's skating double "Hans" is played by Charlie Tickner, who won bronze at the 1980 Winter Olympics in figure skating.
Pee Wee & his friends sing "Pee-Wee's Christmas Medley":
- Jingle Bells
- It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
- Deck The Halls
- O Come All Ye Faithful
- Winter Wonderland
This special reveals that Mrs. Rene is Jewish, and so is the Dinosaur Family.
- Ironically, several other Jews appear in this special: Paul Reubens himself (birth name Paul Rubenfeld), Joan Rivers (birth name Joan Molinsky), and Dinah Shore (mother's maiden name was Stein).
This is the only episode where Pee-Wee doesn't ride the scooter eject at the end (but still said the secret word for a final time before the credits), and instead helps Santa deliver presents. The credits show Pee-wee and Santa riding the sleigh.
- A similar effect happened later in the 2010 revival of The Pee-Wee Herman Show, where there is no scooter eject, but Pee-wee said the secret word for a final time before the curtain call - he says "Goodbye, boys and girls! Hope you all had fun!"
Dinah Shore is still on the phone at the end.
Fourth Wall (and Camera Lens) Broken: Pee-wee breaks the camera with his yo-yo. He asks Conky to put a new camera on the list.
This special was included in the final episode Playhouse for Sale in the form of a short clip in the "Memories (The Way We Were)" montage, confirming its events as canon to the series.
Out of all characters, Globey is the only character in the special without a speaking role.
Accommodations for the special were provided by the (now-defunct) Los Angeles Registry Hotel.
The snowman's line - "Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer!" - is said earlier in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.
In the opening credits, Annette appears and says her name, much like the Mouseketeer Role Call on The Mickey Mouse Club, which is where Annette first appeared on screen.
When Pee-wee tells Santa he is the greatest, Santa responds with Pee-wee's classic comeback, "I know you are, but what am I?"
The first shot in the closing credits of Pee-wee and Santa flying past an Airplane was replaced with a repeat of the shot of the two flying out of the Playhouse after its original broadcast, likely to avoid having to pay a hefty fee to American Airlines for reruns.
This is the last of the six episodes to feature the letter Y in a secret word.
This is the only episode to premiere in the postmeridian time, in this case, 8:00 pm.

Notes[]

Secret word: "year".
Connect-the-dots: sleigh (w/ Magic Johnson).
Snack: hot chocolate.
First Wish: Playhouse was decorated.
Second wish: Everyone would have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

Contents

Episode Plot[]

Characters[]

Guest Stars[]

Trivia[]

Notes[]