Paul Reubens

Episode notes

(Photo by Kevin Winters/Getty Images)

This week, we’re replaying our 2014 conversation with Paul Reubens, the man behind Pee-wee Herman. Pee-wee is, of course, a beloved character among kids who grew up in the 1980s and 90s. He’s the star of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and so many others.

Pee-wee’s Playhouse remains a singular achievement in kid’s TV. It’s a kitschy pastiche of a thousand TV shows that went before it, but it’s also much more than that: it’s a kaleidoscope of difference, a tribute to the big dreams and big feelings of being a kid. And it’s so, so funny.

In this interview, Paul tells us about growing up in a circus town, working hard to make Pee-wee Herman seem real, and why Pee-wee is a little bit of a jerk — and why that makes him work as a character.

Paul is reviving Pee-wee Herman one more time, now on radio. The Pee-wee Herman Radio Hour is a collaboration between Paul, Maximum Fun and KCRW, a public radio station in Los Angeles. If you’re in LA, you can hear it live on the radio on Friday, Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. Pacific – that’s 89.9 on your FM dial. It’ll also be streaming on KCRW.com for a week after that.