Not Into Charlie Brown? Get Into This Offbeat Kids' Christmas Special Instead

2 days ago 2

There's plenty of holiday-themed programming to dig into during this festive season. You've got the Charlie Brown Christmas special at Apple TV Plus and Sabrina Carpenter's recently released variety show on Netflix. But if you're interested in an outside-of-the-box idea that you can view with the youngsters in your life, I have a suggestion. Why not watch Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse instead?

Yes, I am telling you to go ahead and enjoy an episode of Pee-wee's Playhouse — that wild, off-kilter, Emmy-winning children's show. Just hear me out.

If you need a refresher, Pee-wee's Playhouse was inspired by the gray suit–clad, hyperenergetic man-child character created by Paul Reubens. Pee-wee Herman was introduced to audiences everywhere with Tim Burton's feature film debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. From there, Pee-wee became a household name. That movie spawned a sequel, Pee-wee hosted an episode of SNL, and his Saturday morning children's show on CBS won 15 Emmys during its five-year run.

He was so popular that the JCPenney department store even had its own Pee-wee clothing line.

Season 3 of Pee-wee's Playhouse saw the show at its peak popularity. It was the season that introduced this subversive and festive holiday special to young eyes everywhere. I was 12 years old on Dec. 21, 1988, when the episode premiered on CBS. You best believe this was appointment television in my household.

Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse is a variety special that throws it back a bit to the classic holiday variety shows of the '60s and '70s.

Nearly an hour long, the holiday variety special runs the gamut from doling out educational tidbits for kids to lobbing a cornucopia of innuendos for the adults to eat up, while topping it all with a heaping helping of pop culture schlock and heartwarming nostalgia. There's a plotline threading it all together, but it's the least important aspect of the whole thing.

For clarity, though, I'll give it to you anyway. After the show opens with a musical number performed by the UCLA men's choir (dressed in military attire, for reasons unknown), we find Pee-wee preparing the Playhouse for Christmas. His list to Santa is the length of a novel, and every visitor gives him a fruitcake, his least favorite thing in the world. Throughout, the audience gets a peek at different holiday traditions and learns the real meaning of Christmas. Ultimately, Pee-wee has to reconcile with his oversize greed and decides that helping others is the best gift he could give.

All the Pee-wee's Playhouse regulars are here, including Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Miss Yvonne, the King of Cartoons, Reba the Mail Lady, Jambi, Chairry, Conky, Floory and the rest. But it's the roster of guest stars who come through that really makes this holiday special pop. And I'm not just talking about Santa Claus.

Just take a look at this wonderfully bizarre list of celebs that stop by: There's Little Richard, Whoopi Goldberg and Joan Rivers. You've got Magic Johnson, Charo and k.d. lang. It's a Beach Blanket Bingo reunion with the appearance of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, who are forced to craft holiday cards for the entirety of the special. Let's not forget the Del Rubio Triplets, Dinah Shore, Grace Jones, Cher and Oprah Winfrey.

Shore performs the Twelve Days of Christmas over a pre-Zoom video call; lang sings a bopping rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. Both performances are fun in their own unique way. But it's Grace Jones, making her entrance into the Playhouse by way of a giant crate meant to be delivered to the White House (sure, why not?), who delivers the most memorable number of the episode: A slithering, avant-garde performance of Little Drummer Boy that will surely stay with you for some time.

The entire special exudes an air of gentle silliness, inviting you to sit back and enjoy a cup of cocoa — while maybe blowing bubbles in it with a straw. This here is a pop culture time capsule chock full of big hair, loud colors and glittering winks to the camera. Its campy iconography, endearing nostalgia and festive energy are contagious.

Looking back on this now, it's easy to see how Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse was a gift we never truly deserved. Thankfully, we got it anyway. But don't take my word for it; you can check it out on Peacock right now.

Read Entire Article