15 unexpected Christmas specials you have to see to believe
Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
If you’re going to be talking about weird or unexpected TV moments, the name “Pee Wee Herman” is bound to come up. Pee Wee’s Playhouse was delightfully odd when it premiered on TV in 1986 and has since become a cult classic for both children and adults alike. But it was the show’s 1988 Christmas special that will be remembered extra fondly for having some of the most fabulous guests, the weirdest storylines, and Pee Wee’s usual kooky antics.
Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special starts unexpectedly right off the bat, with a choir of US Marines singing a special song just for Christmas, before Pee-Wee bursts in shouting “It’s Christmas!” Before I go into the long list of celebrity guests, let me remind you: this is a children’s show. You might expect some of the hottest actors, singers, athletes to make an appearance, and some of them definitely are, but as guests for a kid’s TV special, they were the weirdest choices and that makes it even better.
This star-studded TV special included appearances by Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Grace Jones, Joan Rivers, Oprah Winfrey, Little Richard, K.D. Lang, Dinah Shore, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Charo, and more. This reads more like some kind of gay variety show — isn’t it fabulous? We also get Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon making Christmas cards, Magic Johnson going for a sleigh ride with Pee Wee, and the Del Rubio Triplets — three middle-aged women in festive miniskirts — performing “Winter Wonderland.” Tell me that is not the strangest lineup for any children’s Christmas special ever, whether it was 1988 or not.
Even with a weird roster of guests, Pee Wee also got festive with some of the Playhouse regulars, like Mrs. Rene (who teaches Pee Wee about Hanukkah), Cowboy Curtis (played by a young Laurence Fishburne), and Reba the Mail Lady. The special was a hit, especially in the years that followed, and eventually got a VHS release, then a DVD release, and is now available for streaming on Netflix! Do yourself a favor and check it out. Don’t forget to scream every time you hear the magic word: Year! AHHHHHHH!