Playhouse in Outer Space

Series Name
Season 2, Episode 9

Air date	November 14, 1987
Written by	George McGrath, Paul Reubens, and Max Robert
Directed by	Wayne Orr & Paul Reubens
Episode Guide
previous Spring	next Pajama Party

Playhouse in Outer Space is the 9th episode of Pee-Wee's Playhouse season 2.

Episode Plot[]

Conky is hypnotized by a mysterious but powerful humanoid creature, who makes today's secret word Zyzzybalubah. Pee-wee gets a Picturephone call from the tyrannical ruler of another planet (unbeknownst to him, he is the very being that hypnotized Conky earlier), and the playhouse and everyone in it (including Reba) take a trip through space against their will. When they land on another planet, a member of the planet named Yvona warns them of the ruler, named Zyzzybalubah, or Zyzzy for short, who intends to capture and enslave them. Zyzzy arrives and tells them they will be his friends (his slaves, really, as demonstrated by him ordering them to "entertain him; make him laugh"), but later everyone tells Zyzzy that in order to make friends, he should be a friend—that is, not be so domineering, abusive and forceful, and not to treat everyone like slaves. After realizing that he made a huge mistake, Zyzzy agrees to send the playhouse back to Earth; Yvona stays behind, however. When they get back, everyone shows Zyzzy what friends do together, then Zyzzy goes back home to be with Yvona.

Characters[]

Trivia[]

Miss Yvonne and Reba visit in this episode. Cowboy Curtis is mentioned, but doesn't appear.
This is the first time that 'Silence!' is yelled by a character, in this case by Zyzzybalubah. The second and final time is in Love that Story by Herman himself when they're playing library.
The flowers did not announce The King of Cartoons arrival in this episode. This is because the King calls from his palace on the Picture Phone.
- Thus, the Picture Phone is used to show the cartoon instead of the TV, making it have a secondary function.
George McGrath played Zyzzybalubah, the evil villain of this episode. He first appeared in Rainy Day, played the housewife's husband, Daryl, the police officer who threatened to have Pee-Wee arrested for making prank phone calls.
The irony is that Herman himself acts tyrannical and abusive when Role Playing with his friends back on Earth. The instances are Love that Story, Heat Wave and Let's Play Office.
This episode indicates that, in the Pee-wee's Playhouse universe, space has a breathable atmosphere.
Feature Cartoon: Ship of the Ether (1934).
The secret word is said and screamed at a grand total of 14 times. This is the largest number of times that a Secret Word is used in the series.
Lynne Marie Stewart, who played Miss Yvonne, also played Yvona in this episode. Her voice was electronically modified in post-production to sound more alienesque.
Only time where the King of Cartoons calls from his palace.
This is the only episode where the secret word is spelled with a Z.
- The secret words in other episodes don't have the letters J, Q, or X.
A two-part fan fiction was made that serves as a spiritual sequel to this episode titled Conky's Newest Feat. Zyzzybalubah is revealed to have never truly reformed after all, and has instead tricked Herman, making him feel stupid for ever trusting him. In a planned scene, Herman even stated "I never should have trusted you!", to which Zyzzy responds with "That's the problem with you humans! You're much too trusting!". Herman then replies to this statement with "I can't believe I fell for your trick!" (referring to Zyzzy's sob speech in this episode about everyone hating him). The fan fiction crosses over with the 1996 series Power Rangers Zeo, and makes reference to the events of Front Page Pee Wee.^[1]^[2] In this fan fiction (and implied in Playhouse itself), Herman is his real first name and "Pee-wee" is really just a nickname that his friends call him due to the fact that his iconic glen plaid suit is sometimes called a pee-wee suit.
- The story's sequel is called Conky's Newest Feat 2, The Rescue.
This is the episode in which the secret word cannot be found in any dictionary.
Globey stated that our solar system has 9 planets (at least during the time when the episode was first aired). As of August 24, 2006, astronomers have reclassified Pluto (the former 9th planet) as a dwarf planet.
This episode marks "Zyzzybalubah" the longest secret word of the series, according to Herman.
This is the first time the King of Cartoons showed a cartoon, at the end of the episode. The King admitted to Pee-wee, he was there, when the playhouse had took off to another planet.
This is the fourth time (in the same season), a Penny Cartoon was shown before The King of Cartoons shows a cartoon. The three episodes that featured both of those before (in the same season) was: Store, Pee Wee Catches a Cold and Tons of Fun. The same thing would happen again with Pajama Party.
At the beginning of the episode, this is the only time where Zyzzybalubah announced "Conky 2000," before he said the secret word, instead of Conky.
When Pee-wee learned that the transport rays of Zyzzybalubah's would end at his playhouse, his place would later begin his journey towards another planet.
This marks the first time somebody other than Pee-wee answers the picture phone in this episode, who in this case, was (of course) Zyzzybalubah.
In a scene where Miss Yvonne enters the playhouse, she thanked both Cowboy Curtis and Pegasus for giving her a ride.
This is the first episode in which the Dinosaur Family is absent. They weren't even seen screaming for the secret word, nor screaming in terror when the entire playhouse is launched into outer space.
This is the only episode in which the entire playhouse leaves Earth to go into outer space.
It was mentioned by Zyzzybalubah that he had had been watching Herman, as he says, for a long time.

Quotes[]

Pee-Wee: Hey, flowers!
Flowers: Yes, Pee-Wee?
Pee-Wee: What's the longest secret word we've ever had here in the playhouse?
Flowers: Zyzzybalubah. (Everyone screams as "Zyzzybalubah" flashes on the screen while Herman rolls his eyes.)

Zyzzybalubah: [contacting Pee-wee via picture phone] Earthling, listen to me. I speak to you from the furthest reaches of outer space.
Pee-wee Herman: Hmm, good connection. You sound next door.
Zyzzybalubah: SILENCE!! You are under my power! My transport ray is aimed at your playhouse, and in a moment, you will begin your journey to my planet.
Pee-wee Herman: Let me get this straight: are you saying we're going into outer space?
Zyzzybalubah: Duh!
Pee-wee Herman: [emerging from the picture phone booth] Transport ray, I'm so sure.
(Suddenly, the playhouse begins to quake violently; it's being lifted right off of its foundation.)Pee-wee Herman: Whoa! AHHHHHH!

('Everyone begins panicking. Reba gasps in fear.) Reba: PEE-WEE!!
(Everyone continues to panic as the playhouse is suddenly launched into outer space. Overwrought with emotion, Reba faints.)

Zyzzybalubah: Alright, my new friends. I'm ready for some more fun. Entertain me! Make me laugh!
Reba: We don't feel like laughing, Zyzzybalubah. (Everyone except for Herman and Yvona scream as "Zyzzybalubah" flashes on the screen. Zyzzy's espression then goes from false concern to anger on his next line.)
Zyzzybalubah: Well that's not a very friendly attitude. You're no friends of mine!
Pee-wee Herman: (flatly) That's right, we're not.
Zyzzybalubah: How dare you! I brought you here to be my new friends!
Pee-wee Herman: (angrily) Well, you got the wrong idea! Friends are people that you care about and who care about you! You brought us here without even asking us if we wanted to come! And you haven't exactly been treating us the way friends should be treated!
Zyzzybalubah: (sadly, presumably faking it) You're right. I don't know how to make friends. The reason I didn't ask you come is because I knew you'd say no. Nobody likes me.

(Herman begins to feel badly for Zyzzy despite his story not being sincere enough. He approaches him, but the force field is blocking him from moving any closer.) Pee-wee Herman: I'll tell you what. If you turn off the force field, we'll show you how to make friends.

Miss Yvonne: Why don't we all go to Puppetland?
Pee-Wee: May I take your Zyzzybalubah? (Everyone screams as "Zyzzybalubah" flashes on the screen. Yvonne looks confused.)

Miss Yvonne: (confused) May you take my what?
Pee-Wee Herman: Your Zyzzybalubah? (Everyone screams as "Zyzzybalubah" flashes on the screen while Herman rolls his eyes.)

Herman: It's a long story Miss Yvonne, and a really long secret word.
Miss Yvonne: (giggles) Oh, Pee-Wee.
Pee-Wee Herman: Shall we?
Miss Yvonne: Yes, we shall.
Reba: (singing her whistling song)

If your friends are contrary, or when you're feeling blue. Even when things get too scary, there is one thing you can do. You'll feel better when you whistle. It will brighten up your day. It's better when you whistle. It makes everything okay. Your first day at a new school, or a big dog barks at you. If there's noises in the dark, just remember what to do. You'll feel better when you whistle. It will brighten up your day. It's better when you whistle. It makes everything okay.

Home Videos[]

Volume 3

References[]

↑ [1]
↑ [2]

Notes[]

Secret word: Zyzzybalubah (Conky is hypnotized into making it the secret word)
Connect-the-dots: none (due to Magic Screen's fear)
Snack: none
Wish: none
John Ward Nielsen won the 1988 Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Videotape Editing" for this episode.
Feature Cartoon: Ship of the Ether (1934)

Allusions[]

Herman's comment on how Zyzzybalubah's planet does not look like Kansas is a reference to a line heard in The Wizard of Oz (1939). It is spoken by Dorothy, played by Judy Garland in the film.

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