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Remembering Paul Reubens: How to watch all of Pee-wee Herman's beloved shows and movies
Paul Reubens, famous for portraying the character of Pee-wee Herman in such movies as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, and in the Emmy-winning CBS children’s series Pee-wee's Playhouse, died this week at the age of 70. The actor had been privately battling cancer for the past six years. The announcement of his death included a personal statement from Reubens regarding his decision to keep his diagnosis private.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years," he wrote. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Looking to celebrate Paul Reubens life by remembering his art? Let’s take a bike ride down memory lane. Here’s how to watch all of Pee-wee Herman’s shows, movies and stage performances... and be sure and tell ‘em Large Marge sent you!
How to watch all the Pee-Wee movies (and shows):
The Pee-wee Herman Show (TV special, 1981)
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-1990)
Big Top Pee-wee (1988)
Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016)
Where to watch The Pee-Wee Herman Show
Pee-wee Herman’s first appearance in an official capacity began onstage at The Groundlings Theatre in 1981 with The Pee-wee Herman Show, an adult satire of ’50s kiddie programs. The sold-out stage show was then recorded at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles and turned into an HBO special.
Where to watch Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
Pee-wee’s big screen debut, directed by Tim Burton, follows Pee-wee on a cross-country road trip in pursuit of his missing bicycle.
Where to watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse
Following the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Pee-wee returned to the small screen for five seasons of the Emmy-winning series Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Guest stars of this beloved series included Laurence Fishburne and Oprah Winfrey. You can stream past seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse on Hoopla (a free streaming service you can access with your local library card) or purchase episodes on Amazon. You can also find some episodes of Pee-wee’s Playhouse uploaded for free on YouTube.
Stream free with a library card Buy episodes on Amazon
Where to watch Big Top Pee-wee
The 1988 sequel to Pee-wee’s Big Adventure picks up with Pee-wee living on a farm with his fiancée. When a storm blows a traveling circus into his backyard, Pee-wee’s life gets turned upside down (with the help of a trapeze artist).
Where to watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
Pee-wee rings in the holiday season with the help of his pals in this 1988 Christmas special, currently only available to legally stream by purchasing through Apple TV. You can also find the special uploaded online.
Where to watch The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway
In 2011, Pee-wee returned to the stage — this time to make his Broadway debut! HBO filmed the Pee-wee stage show for another special, but unfortunately, it’s currently not streaming on Max. You can purchase a DVD copy of The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway on Amazon.
Where to watch Pee-wee’s Big Holiday
In 2016, Netflix brought everyone’s favorite pal Pee-wee back again for a brand new adventure. Pee-wee's Big Holiday follows Pee-wee on a trip to New York City to attend his new friend actor Joe Manganiello’s birthday party.
What else was Paul Reubens in?
Post-Pee-wee, Paul Reubens appeared in many other projects, though none reached the level of popularity that his Pee-wee oeuvre did.
The actor appeared in movies including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Batman Returns (1992), Matilda (1996) and Blow (2001).
Reubens also made some TV appearances on shows such as Murphy Brown, 30 Rock, The Blacklist, Reno 911! and What We Do in the Shadows.
