Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Pee-Wee Herman, sharing my favorites with my daughter
Likes: Quality clean-ups, getting new extras
Dislikes: The death of Saturday-morning TV
Hates: The lack of a Pee-Wee for today's kids

The Show
When my daughter was smaller, one of her favorite things to watch was the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special. Though the guest appearances by pop-culture icons of an earlier age were essentially meaningless to her, the childlike wonder Pee-Wee (Paul Reubens), in his gray suit and red bowtie, brought to the screen; the sparkly, candy-colored playhouse, and the assortment of unique characters drew her in, just as they had when I was a kid. Wrap all of it in the good cheer of Christmas and you've got a package that's darn near impossible to resist.

From the opening animation (the traditional Pee-Wee theme song is not present in this special) to an outstanding musical introduction featuring Pee-Wee, a pair of Motown-worthy back-up singers and a gaggle of faux Marines singing and dancing, you are not given a moment to think twice about anything. Though Christmas is definitely the focus (with a short segue into Chanukah for good measure), the special is something like a sampler of the Pee-Wee's Playhouse experience, as you hear briefly from the majority of Mr. Herman's human pals, including Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), flirty Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart), mystic genie Jambi (John Paragon) and Reba the Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson), though, sadly, Captain Carl (the late Phil Hartman) was not on-hand. All of the show's puppet stars are present as well, presenting the usual bits like the Magic Screen and the word of the day, courtesy of makeshift robot Conkey.

Though the usual characters are a big part of the nearly 48-minute special, the real reason most repeatedly watch this special is the eclectic list of special guests, which features Cher, Magic Johnson, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah, Charo, Grace Jones, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, k.d. lang, Dinah Shore, Joan Rivers and Little Richard. Whether it's very short appearances by Goldberg, Rivers and Oprah or musical performances by Charo, Jones and Lang, they are all compulsively watchable, including the guitar-playing Del Rubio Triplets. The variety show feeling (Little Richard on a skating pond? Sure!) and the accompanying energy are the source for the show's everlasting appeal and that sense of kitsch that keeps it fresh 20-plus years after it first aired.

While the special's manic pacing creates an anything-can-happen sense of the absurd, there's still a story at the core, as Pee-Wee asks for a tremendous amount from Santa, which results in him learning about the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of not being greedy. While Pee-Wee struggles a bit with this lesson, it gets across rather quickly to viewers without being preachy, which isn't hard when the lessons are sandwiched between cartoons and fruitcake jokes.

The Disc
The special arrives on a single Blu-ray disc, packed in a standard Blu-ray keepcase with a dual-sided cover featuring a shot of Pee-Wee, Santa and the Playhouse on the inside (you may want to reverse your copy.) The animated menu includes options to watch the show, adjust the settings and check out the extras. There are no audio options, but subtitles are available in English.

The Quality
This is the same 1080i, AVC-encoded, pillarboxed transfer from the complete series collection, and it looks fantastic. Color is bright and vivid and the level of fine detail is high, though it can look a bit soft in spots. The archival material integrated into the show remains aged in comparison, while the newer animated segments look great. The new level of clarity doesn't aid in hiding the show's handmade aesthetic, but it's better for it to look great than to hide the seams.

As with the complete series discs, the audio here is delivered in a LPCM 2.0 tracs that ensures the show's music is strong and deep, the voices are crisp and clear and the sound effects, which are frequent and important, are very detailed and easily heard. An engaging experience all around.

The Extras
If you own the recent Shout! Factory collection, you have all the extras here already, but if you're upgrading from the original Image DVD, you're in luck, as one of the new featurettes is included here as well, as "A Very Merry Christmas Special" (10:02) features a host of creative talent from the show, including John Paragon, Wayne White, Gary Panter, Lynne Marie Stewart and S. Epatha Merkerson (though Reubens doesn't participate.) It's mainly about sharing memories, the special guests who visited and their experience, especially when they discuss Little Richard, who is the subject of a very fun story. They also touch on the special's origins and production, including one special guest they didn't get to participate.

Though Reubens isn't heard from in the featurette, he does make an appearance on one of the two audio commentaries available. Reubens is joined by Paragon, Stewart and animation director Prudence Fenton, and though he's soft-spoken in talking about the show, joking around and sharing some memories with his compatriots, it's great to have him on-board, especially for such an epic episode. On the other track, Paragon returns, sitting with a raft of behind-the-scenes talent, including White, puppeteers Alison Mork and Kevin Carlson, writer George McGrath and designer Ric Heitzman. This one is a bit more of a friendly, fun track, as there are some outsized personalities involved, and the mix of memories and info makes for a quality listen.

The Bottom Line
The Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special is one of those TV shows that should be hauled out each year and enjoyed as the holidays roll around, as the sense of positivity, pure joy and silliness will make most everyone smile. The quality of the special is excellent and the commentaries and featurette fill in a bit of the back story for fans. For those unwilling to shell out the dough for the complete set or those just not sure about Pee-Wee, this is an excellent placeholder or intro, offering a bite-size, but satisfying taste of the Playhouse.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.