One Of The First Netflix Originals Was A Pee-Wee Herman Movie No One Remembers
These days, everyone is aware that Netflix produces some of the biggest original programming in the entire Hollywood sphere. Films and television series such as The Irishman, Stranger Things, Don’t Look Up, and Tiger King have swallowed pop culture whole, taking the streamer to the forefront of original programming. What many film fans fail to realize, however, is that Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday was Netflix’s 3rd original movie.
Before Netflix was churning out original movies every month, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday was the very unexpected third original movie on the streaming service.
Despite Netflix having gone on its meteoric rise following the film, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday has been largely forgotten by audiences around the world. Of course, following the tragic passing of Paul Reubens last week, many fans have been flocking to the star’s IMDb page to revisit their beloved classics, stumbling back onto the 2016 comedy as a result.
Netflix’s Pee-Wee Herman film starred Reubens alongside Joe Manganiello, who portrays himself, as well as Josh Meyers, Paul Rust, Richard Riehle, and Community‘s Jordan Black. The film served as the character’s first outing in over 28 years, as well as the final time Paul Reubens would reprise the role. Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday also served as Reubens final feature film performance, as his unknown at the time cancer diagnosis rendered it highly difficult for him to continue with long shoots.
The Netflix film’s plot follows Pee-Wee as he lives his serene life as a beloved local fry cook. Unfortunately, his band breaks up, sending him on a spiral that turns his world upside-down. After a brief period of panic, Pee-Wee encounters famous actor Joe Manganiello, who encourages him to take a vacation to ease his mind, and ultimately suggests Pee-Wee take a pilgrimage to New York City to attend his upcoming birthday party.
This sends Pee-Wee off on a grand Netflix-funded adventure, which sees him leaving his suburban hometown of Fairville for the very first time. During his trip, Pee-Wee encounters a gang of female bank robbers, an eccentric traveling salesman, and a man who runs a strange and disturbing snake farm.
Netflix took a gamble with Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, as it had been decades since Paul Reuben’s most famous creation had been culturally relevant, but it worked, and the film was a success.
Through a series of characteristic hijinks, Pee-Wee is tangled into an interwoven web of human interest, including a farmer with nine single daughters, an aviator with a flying car, and a bear-man named Grizzly Bear Daniels who sleeps in a cave.
Though the adventures are grand, Pee-Wee finally learns to unwind and eventually returns home, resuming his status quo with a newfound sense of rejuvenation. Before the credits roll on the Netflix original, Pee-Wee is seen riding off into the sunset on the back of Joe Manganiello’s motorcycle. While the film was positively received, it didn’t seem to leave a lasting impact on fans at the time, all but removing itself from the cultural lexicon only a few years later.
In the years between Netflix premiering Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday and Paul Reubens‘ untimely death in 2023, the actor appeared in dozens of television series, including modern classics such as What We Do In The Shadows, Gotham, and Bob’s Burgers, as well as lesser-known series including Mosaic, Tigtone, and Voltron: Legendary Defender. Reubens accumulated more than 100 acting credits on his IMDb dating back to the late 1960s, with several writing and directing credits as well for his behind-the-scenes work on his many Pee-Wee projects.
Long before Netflix acquired the rights to make Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, Reubens created and starred as the character in a number of television and film projects. The first appearance of Pee-Wee Herman was in 1981’s The Pee-Wee Herman Show, a one-hour long made-for-TV variety special, which features a number of adult overtones and references to the at-the-time fictional Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
Netflix is the exclusive home for Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, but Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and his other feature films are missing from the service.
Pee-Wee’s Playhouse would, of course, eventually become a real television series geared toward children and families, running for 45 episodes between 1986 and 1990. Reubens would go on to reprise the role in multiple cameo appearances and special collaborations throughout his career, with Netflix’s Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday serving as the character’s final outing.
Netflix subscribers can still watch Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday on the streaming platform now, leaving many fans to rewatch the film after hearing the tragic news of Reubens recent passing. Though the film has been largely forgotten, it still holds an 80 percent certified fresh rating from the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re looking to close the book on the iconic Pee-Wee Herman character, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday is a great way to remember him.
