The comedian behind Pee-wee Herman all but vanished from the public eye in the 1990s and 2000s. In his absence, a rising generation of comic talents illustrated that his influence was vast.
July 31, 2023, 9:01 PM UTC“Pee-wee’s Playhouse” was a jarring departure from typical television programming when it premiered in 1986. The show, centered on the antics and misadventures of Pee-wee Herman, a bow-tied man-child in a three-sizes-too-small suit, played like an acid trip spin on “Howdy Doody” and “Captain Kangaroo.
Pee-wee’s anarchic and gleefully absurd spirit stretched across the comedy landscape in recent decades, appearing to inform the surreal humor of everything from Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show and Tim and Eric’s cult sketch series to Tina Fey’s satirical sitcom “30 Rock.” The powerhouse producer Judd Apatow made no secret of his fandom, and filmmaker Greta Gerwig has cited “Big Adventure” as a touchstone in the making of her smash hit “Barbie.
The dreamlike imagery of the Pee-wee TV series and movies left an impression on viewers and filmmakers alike. Gerwig, whose “Barbie” is set partly in a joyously artificial-looking dollhouse, pointed to “Pe-wee’s Big Adventure” as a key influence and put it on a list that included “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris.”
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