Pee-Wee's Playhouse The Complete Series Coming to Blu-Ray on October 21, 2014

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation has been provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

Okay, I am about to give away my age now, but one of my favorite things to do as a kid was watch episodes of Pee-Wee's Playhouse. This was the most fun at my Grandma's, since my very cool Uncle Greg would do funny impersonations along with the TV. And anyone who knows my Uncle Greg can attest that he, just like Pee-Wee, is one funny guy! 

One of the things I loved most about Pee-Wee's Playhouse growing up is that Pee-Wee was just...well...insane. In a good way, of course. His off-beat sense of humor and unpredictable nature made visiting the Playhouse a fun and exciting experience every single episode. We'd always laugh and laugh, usually till my Grandpa shouted at us to keep it down because we were interrupting his "beauty sleep". 

If you have fond memories of Pee-Wee's Playhouse, I have some exciting news to share! On October 21, Shout! Factory will be releasing the ENTIRE series on Blu-Ray! That's right! Every single hilarious Pee-Wee's Playhouse episode has been remastered in crystal clear HD! Seasons 1 & 2 will also be released in a high-def 4 disc DVD set on the same date. These awesome sets would make perfect Holiday gifts for old-school Pee-Wee fans as well as a new generation of fans. Pretty awesome, right?

Experience Pee-wee’s Playhouse like never before! All 45 wacky episodes, plus the Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special, have been meticulously remastered from the original film elements — and now you can see this ground-breaking series for the first time in beautiful high-definition! 

Scream along to the secret word with Pee-wee Herman and his pals: Jambi the Genie, Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Reba the mail lady, Captain Carl, Magic Screen, Conky, Globey, Chairry, Pterri, Randy and all the rest. Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series Blu-ray box set, with special bonus content, debuts on home entertainment shelves October 21, 2014 from Shout! Factory.   Also available to own on the same day is Pee-wee’s Playhouse: Seasons One and Two in a high-definition 4-DVD set. Mecka-lecka hi, Mecka-hiney ho!

Winner of an amazing 22 Emmy® Awards, Pee-wee’s Playhouse is a cultural touchstone for a generation, and its visually dynamic design and offbeat sense of humor were a genuine phenomenon.  Whether reliving childhood memories or introducing this beloved series to a new generation, the newly re-mastered Pee-wee’s Playhouse will take you back to being a kid.  This is an essential Blu-ray collection for loyal fans and collectors.

TV Guide named Pee-wee’s Playhouse #10 on their list of THE TOP 25 CULT TELEVISION SHOWS EVER!  For over 25 years, the enormously popular Pee-wee Herman and innovative television series Pee-wee’s Playhouse, created by, and starring Paul Reubens, has captured a special place in the hearts of millions of viewers, young and old.  Since its initial premiere on CBS in 1986, this highly acclaimed children’s program became Saturday morning appointment viewing for kids in the ‘80s and ‘90s and has been a staple in the pop culture zeitgeist ever since.

Pee-wee’s Playhouse is an educational, artistic and entertaining show that teaches kids strong ‘life lessons.’  With its innovative production design and Reubens’ rich original characters and humor, Pee-wee’s Playhouse is a magical place that sparks creativity and imagination—and brings joy to children and adults alike. Parents and grown-ups have always enjoyed the show’s many double entendres. The series features beloved regulars Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Reba the Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart), Captain Carl (Phil Hartman), The King of Cartoons (William Marshall), Jambi the Genie (John Paragon), Ricardo (Vic Trevino) and Mrs. Rene (Suzanne Kent). And of course, Chairry, Pterri, Conky, Magic Screen, Clocky, Cool Cat, Dirty Dog, Chicky Baby, Penny, the Dinosaur family, and the rest of the gang!

Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Complete Series Blu-ray box set contains OVER 4 HOURS of brand-new interviews with the cast and crew, plus never-seen, behind-the-scenes footage—all part of TEN FEATURETTES, including:

Building the Playhouse
Opening the Playhouse
Writing for the Playhouse
The Look of the Playhouse 
Music of the Playhouse
The Cast of the Playhouse
Puppets of the Playhouse
Animating the Playhouse
A Very Merry Christmas Special
Fans and Memorabilia of the Playhouse

These featurettes include interviews with actors Laurence Fishburne (Cowboy Curtis), S. Epatha Merkerson (Reba the mail lady), Lynne Marie Stewart (Miss Yvonne) and John Paragon (Jambi the genie). Mark Mothersbaugh and Danny Elfman explain the music of the show and the Emmy® award-winning production design team of Gary Panter, Wayne White and Ric Heitzman explain how the sets and puppets were imagined and produced. Animation Supervisor of all 5 seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Prudence Fenton (Liquid Television) talks about all the types of animation used in the program and animators Peter Lord and David Sproxton (Wallace & Gromit) discuss their contributions. Ve Neill, the multi-Oscar® winning make-up artist talks about designing the make-up ‘looks’. Two of the shows writers talk about how the scripts were created. Other cast and crew explain, in fascinating detail, stories from the production of Pee-wee’s Playhouse. If that weren’t enough, many of the shows puppeteers and voice artists are interviewed about how the puppet characters were brought to life.

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD and Blu-Ray™ offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras.  Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, Broadway cast albums, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations.  In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America.  Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.  Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com