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Pee-wee’s Playhouse is getting a renovation and a new home at Shout! Factory.
The multiplatform pop culture media company has secured distribution rights to all 45 episodes of the groundbreaking kids show, which ran on Saturday mornings on CBS for five seasons from 1986-91.
All the episodes are being remastered. A multidisc Blu-ray boxed set for the complete series, including bonus content, is in development for a 2014 release.
The deal for worldwide home entertainment, select digital rights and broadcast for cross-platform releases also includes the 1988 hourlong TV special Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
Image Entertainment previously released the show on DVD.
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The eye-popping, candy-colored series won 22 Emmy Awards and starred a bow-tied Paul Reubens in his childlike Pee-wee Herman persona fooling around in a fantastical playhouse filled with toys, gadgets and talking furniture.
Pee-wee was accompanied by such characters as Captain Carl (Phil Hartman), Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart), Reba the Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson), Jambi the Genie (John Paragon), Pterri the Pterodactyl, Clocky and Magic Screen. Cyndi Lauper sang the opening theme song.
“We could not be more excited to collaborate with Paul Reubens on this fantastic venture,” Shout! founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos said in a statement. “We are thrilled that this extensive restoration project is underway and look forward to presenting the series for the first time in incredible high-definition.”
Reubens added in the statement that “the restoration has made Pee-wee’s Playhouse look astonishing.”
Shout! timed its announcement to Comic-Con. Those attending the convention Thursday could get a glimpse of the Playhouse restoration process during a “Digital Bits Presents Blu-ray Producers Panel 2013” at 4 p.m. in Room 5AB of the San Diego Convention Center.
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