MovieChat Forums > Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986) Discussion > TONS OF FUN---where was Pee Wee?

TONS OF FUN---where was Pee Wee?


In the 2nd season episode "TONS OF FUN", a little way through the show Cowboy Curtis shows up and finds a note from Pee Wee saying he's out playing with the Playhouse Gang. Curtis and Miss Yvonne run the show for a while and then Pee Wee shows up again briefly at the end. That seems VERY unusual. Was he sick or something? Why was Pee Wee REALLY missing from the bulk of this episode? Anyone know?

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I just asked your other question but here goes:

I don't know the specific answer (it's just an educated guess) but most shows have an episode every now and again that allow the major actors to take a break. Some shows just do clip shows, sometimes they'll focus on supporting characters more than usual (there are several "X-Files" episodes like this) but it's pretty common.

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I think it was just laziness -- a filler episode. "Tango Time" is another episode I won't be rewatching because it is just a bunch of filler.

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I could be wrong but I think Paul Reubens was working on Big Top Pee-wee at the time, which might explain his absence. I believe he let John Paragon and George McGrath do most of the writing at this time too.

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Reubens was starring, writing, directing, supervising... Sometimes he'd have them do episodes like this so he didn't have to be in every scene.

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It was during the third season that he was doing the movie. That's why he only made two new episodes that season. Reubens was often exhausted doing the show. That's why he left the show and ... found ways to relax.

George Carlin: It's all bullsh-t and it's bad for ya.

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Well, yes and no. Reubens was indeed often exhausted, but the third season only had two episodes because of a industry-wide writers' strike.

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This became a big issue in the show's last 20 episodes. Throughout those episodes, Pee Wee was missing quite a bit. Rubens was just just exhausted really.

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Long ago men competed on a show to date a woman who competed on a show to date Flava Flav.

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Completely agree. Season 5 is almost unwatchable. We're constantly watching videos on the Magic Screen, random cartoons even when the King doesn't show, etc. Most of these episodes have no real point or plot as well.

I did read the book and I know he was exhausted. But we watch the show for him, not 99% filler. IMO seasons 1-3 are the best.

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