Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon [Paperback]

Caseen Gaines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

On the 25th anniversary of the show Pee-wee's Playhouse, the behind-the-scenes story is being told for the first time by those who experienced it. Complete with an episode guide, biographical information about the cast and key members of the show’s creative team, never-before-told anecdotes, and previously unpublished photos, this biography takes the first in-depth look behind the popular program. Paul Reubens, as Pee-wee Herman, has been making a comeback since August 2010, appearing on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show, and The View. He also starred in a successful stage revival of his live show which hit Broadway in late 2010. This is the first comprehensive look at this amazingly successful children’s program, reenergized by the character’s reemerging presence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a must have for pop-culture enthusiasts as well as anyone who has enjoyed the prodigious Pee-wee Herman phenomena." —www.PeeWeesPlayhouse.tumblr.com

"Stills from the Playhouse and a fantastic Episode Guide enable the reader to relive memorable moments and learn obscure trivia. . . . Gaines demonstrates the enchantment and broad appeal of the Playhouse, as well as the spontaneity of a show where 'anything could happen.'" —Publishers Weekly (August 8, 2011)

"For all its attraction for the superfan, from the exhaustive episode guide to the previously unpublished photographs and behind-the-scenes tech-talk, the human portrait of Paul Reubens stands as Gaines' signal achievement." —www.KirkusReviews.com (December 2011)

"Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse's release couldn't have come at a better time. It's the perfect fix for die hard fans, and a great introduction for those just budding." —www.TheNonReview.com

"Utilizing interviews with key cast and crew members, Gaines follows the development and run of Pee-wee's Playhouse and liberally adds anecdotal material and behind-the-scenes gossip from numerous insiders. . . . all Pee-wee fans will enjoy this informative and fun text." —Library Journal (July 1, 2011)

"This book is a great nostalgic trip and will be wonderful for any fan, old or new." —San Francisco Book Review (December 1, 2011)

"If you are a fan of Pee-wee's Playhouse, Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon (also available for the kindle) is a must read or would make the perfect gift for the Pee-wee fan in your life, so pick up a copy today." —www.Retroist.com (November 2011)

"You can tell when an author is doing something for the paycheck, and when it's out of love, and here, it's definitely out of love. If you loved Pee-Wee, this is definitely a book to check out. If you're unfamiliar, it's still a great read. I really enjoyed it." —www.KSiteTV.com (November 2011)

About the Author

Caseen Gaines is a pop culture enthusiast and an author who has won awards for essays on The Flip Wilson Show and the Planet of the Apes film series. He is a high school English teacher and the cofounder of Hackensack Theatre Company. He lives in Hackensack, New Jersey.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550229982
• ISBN-13: 978-1550229981
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.6 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > Guides & Reviews

More About the Author

Caseen Gaines is a pop culture enthusiast. His first book, Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon, has received the praise and recognition of journalists from The A.V. Club, Gawker, Ain't It Cool News, The Advocate, The Village Voice, In Touch Weekly, and a host of other publications. He has won awards for essays on The Flip Wilson Show and the Planet of the Apes film series. He is a high school English teacher and the co-founder of Hackensack Theatre Company, a non-profit in New Jersey. He posts regularly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/caseengaines).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Peeking Inside Pee-Wee's Playhouse November 30, 2011

By Randy Patterson

Format:Paperback

When I was a kid, there were certain shows that I loved as a kid that, unbeknownst to me, were full of inside, adult jokes and double entendres that were quite funny . . . if I had known what they were talking about.

I'm referring to shows like Batman, The Monkees and The Wallace and Ladmo Show that had my parents laughing at comments that I had no clue what they meant.

Fast-forward to the mid-80's. My lovely wife and I are the proud, doting parents of our toddler daughter. One of the Saturday morning TV shows that our daughter adored was Pee-Wee's Playhouse. She delightfully scream "AH-AH-AH-AH!!!" whenever that episode's "secret word" was spoken. (Oh, and the secret word for today is "purchase")

My wife and I started watching the show right along with her and, I can't speak for my wife, but I kinda got the vibe that there was lots of inside jokes in the show but I wasn't hip enough to catch on. I just knew it in my knower. I mean, c'mon! This "man-child" dressed real dweeby - I mean, this kid-man would've been heckled and pounded at the schools I went to. I know because I was and, if I was, the Pee-Wee fella sure as heck would have.

Well, eventually, I bought the "How To Be Hip Enough To Understand Pee-Wee's Playhouse For Dummies" book and became hip to the Hermster's vibe (or however I'm supposed to say it). The more in tune I was, the more hysterical the show was to me.

Movies, toys, and phrases from the show all became part of the jargon of the 80's. All from a quirky comedian whose real name is Paul Reubens and who knew that he was quite the marketing empire guru?...

Well, there was lots more to this Pee-Wee Herman phenomena than met my four eyes and author Caseen Gaines spews out all sorts of "secret words" about the behind-the-scenes world of Pee-Wee's Playhouse in his incredibly good book, Inside Pee-Wee's Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomena.

Gaines meticulously details the rise and fall of Reubens' alter ego and the show and movies that was built around it. It's hard to imagine that the person who my daughter adored as a child could be a cold and calculating son of a gun. Pee-Wee was also accused to be ruthless in his scheming to allegedly cut some of the show's key creative influences out of credit and compensation for their work. I'll leave that to the readers to decide. I'm still a Pee-Wee fan.

Oh, and Gaines also opens the barn door, so to speak, on the infamous "incident" involving Pee-Wee and his, uh, um, er, "Herman" in 1991 as well as being accused of possessing child pornography in 2002 and the impact these incidents had on his career. Regarding the '91 incident Gaines writes what I'm trying to determine is another inside joke that I'm not hip enough to get: "Toy stores were yanking merchandise off the shelves . . ." I couldn't find any reference to it in my Dummies book, though.

The book is chock full of unpublished photos and never-before-told anecdotes about the show. There is also incredible episode guide that summarizes some of your favorite Playhouse shows.

I mean, seriously, it's pretty cool reading and is a must read for pop culture fans as well as Pee-Wee Herman/Paul Reubens fans. All those reasons and more are certainly why I have the book in my library.

So, why don't put this book on your Christmas list of things to purchase?

AH-AH-AH-AH!!!

Boomerocity.com Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Today's Secret Word is "Amazing" February 4, 2012

By Kevin Scott Brown

Format:Paperback

A word that always has me worried when it's in a title is "unauthorized." Generally, that means that someone important did not endorse the book. In this case, Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee Wee, has not endorsed Caseen Gaines' book. Too bad for him, because this book is well researched and is possibly the closest thing to the truth behind the playhouse that fans will ever read. The book is set chronologically as it follows Reuben's career as a Groundlings theater student to his "indecent" in the 1990s, and ending with Pee Wee's resurrection on Broadway. The book is filled with interviews by former cast members and former managers. The coolest feature is an episode guide to the five seasons of Pee Wee's Playhouse, with each one including a synopsis, trivia, and facts.
I grew up in the time of Pee Wee's popularity, so it was a treat to go back and revisit old friends and learn new things. I found Gains' narration to be unbiased, as he was a fan of the show as well. Some of the interviews may case Reuben in an unpleasing light, but Gaines was thoughtful enough to always include counter arguments to make it fair. The story really focuses on the politics and micromanaging that went on behind the scenes. The book is a great nostalgic trip and will be wonderful for any fan, new or old.

*Originally published for San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review*

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a must for any Pee-wee fan, long time or new! November 1, 2011

By Shannon Pagliarini

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Being 25 years old and having been a fan of Pee-wee Herman since I watched Pee-wee's Playhouse and Pee-wee's Big Adventure from my playpen, I can't believe I've went this long without all of this information. Never before have I been able to find so many facts about the birth and resurrection of Pee-wee Herman all in one place than this book. It really shows how many people went into making the Playhouse be the success it was, and without each and every one of these individuals it just wouldn't have been everything it was. A lot of times with many names and titles it's hard to keep track of who's who, but Caseen Gaines writes in such a way that's easy to follow and never makes you look back in the book to see exactly who the person is that he's referring to. Many times a book full of facts can be boring or even make it feel like you're reading a list, but Caseen makes this a very interesting read and really sucks you in. More than a few times I found myself stopping in the middle to say to my girlfriend "oh wow I never knew that....." in reference to something he wrote about the Playhouse (and I had thought myself something of a Pee-wee expert already!).
Especially when referring to the latest run of The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway, it brought me right back to those seats and the curtain waiting to be opened that I sat in front of myself, I love that I now have that experience documented in this book.
The episode guide also has so many interesting fun facts that I never would've been able to find without the help of Caseen.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Pee-wee, or been curious of the character at all, it will not disappoint......and I guarantee no matter what level of a Pee-wee fan you are, you will be learning a lot of facts about the process of this show that you never knew before! Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Treasure of a book for any Pee-Wee fan! October 19, 2011

By Steven D. Bragg

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very pleased with this book, it exceeded my expectations, it covered even more than just the TV series, but touched on Pee-Wee's beginnings, takes you through his career and touches upon the Pee-Wee movies and the TV series even until the recent revival at the stage play of last year. An absolute must for any Pee-Wee fan! What I'd love to see in the future is a book with even more photos of the Playhouse set, and blueprints/diagrams of it, if they are available. If you are a Pee-Wee fan this book is an absolute must!