Is it just me, or was children’s programming back in the day more fun?

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noseleaptilbklyn@reddit

College, brunch and peewee nursing hangover

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Paint-by-numberrs@reddit

Lawrence Fishburne was Cowboy Curtis.

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MiniBassGuitar@reddit

S. Epatha Merkerson was the mail lady! I interviewed her once and she told me about her audition and how she and Paul became the best of friends.

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BluesGraveller@reddit

I was 16 when that show came out. Never saw an episode. A bit too old for it.

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I never would've predicted that Saturday morning cartoons were going to disappear. I used to set an alarm clock so I could wake up for the earliest cartoons. Saturday morning was my favorite day of the week when I was a kid.

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Itis-caught-BearsWin@reddit

It’s you because you don’t have young children to keep you current. I have a 9 and 7 year old and two shows off the top of my head are better than anything we had: Tumbleleaf and Bluey.

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NurseontheTrail@reddit

I'm gonna have to lean on New Zoo Review, from back in the day

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Itis-caught-BearsWin@reddit

Coming right at you.

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NurseontheTrail@reddit

And let’s not forget H.R. Puff ‘N Stuff either

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hardFraughtBattle@reddit

On the other hand, Blippi is the worst show ever.

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SamHandwich0@reddit

Childrens programming in the 80s was made by people that were tripping balls in the 60s and 70s....and probably still smoking weed in the 80s. Paul Reubens got his start on the Gong Show btw

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islandcatman@reddit

"I'm a rebel, Dottie"

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GxBot@reddit

i never notied “fun” was singled out like that before

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rrrrrrez@reddit

Things you shouldn’t know.

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BlakeMajik@reddit

Older GenX and I never understood the appeal of this show. Granted, I had probably both outgrown the younger intended audience and wasn't old enough to get the more "mature" content.

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Butterfly_Cat777@reddit

Older GenX here. I had an office job at an insurance company back when Pee Wee's Playhouse first aired and I watched every new episode every weekend. :P I guess I was just a kid at heart. lol

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grateful_john@reddit

Me either. I was apparently in college when the show started and never watched it. When I became aware of it I found it pretty cringey.

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Wacko_Banana_Pants@reddit

Pee Wee didn't start as a children's show. It was a late night show for adults

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CommunicationNew3745@reddit

[https://youtu.be/VbhZZnIRPOI](https://youtu.be/VbhZZnIRPOI)

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texachusetts@reddit

I didn’t think about the diversity on Pee-Wee’s playhouse until I say the Pee-Wee documentary. I’m wondering how it hit for other people. Are there some kids shows that seemed artificially white vs diverse vs self-consciously diverse? I know we watched a lot of TV with limited choices. I’m wondering people have a list of nostalgic kids show that they would let their kids watch or wouldn’t like their kids to watch.

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islandcatman@reddit

It was very important to me as a kid. It was the only show that didn't seem like it was for some else. It was just a fun show with no agenda. Truly the most punk rock kids show that could never happen again.

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BazingaQQ@reddit

I feel kids tv back in the day was a little bit less restricted in what they could do and broadcast. Nowadays, half the shit would get them cancelled and some of it would see them sued or prosecuted. I'm pretty sure a lot of it was also psychedelic-inspired (some probbaly still is - but with the extra sensitivities they have to work with the brakes on!) but then there's an overlap in the psyche between tripping adults and small kids, so....

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TheJokersChild@reddit

In 1990, the Children's Television Act sort of made things less fun by imposing limits on children's advertising: no more shows about toys (RIP He-Man, G.I. Joe and Transformers), only 12 minutes of commercial time per hour. Now Saturday morning is *no* fun since all the networks only have outdoor adventure "e/i" (educational/informative) shows...all produced by the same company.

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deephurting66@reddit

Pee Wee was a real treat, odd show that did surreal right

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simikoi@reddit

I never liked that show, totally creeped me out, even as a young teenager.

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nadiaco@reddit

I always thought this was made for teens we watched in highschool.

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DaddyOhMy@reddit

This was the only reason me and my friends would be up before noon in Saturdays in college. We'd turn on the TV and pass around a bong, "Wake & Bake in the Playhouse." It was a very different experience watching with my kids. I once made a comment about watching it when I was younger and one of my kids looked at me and asked how I watched it if Grandma and Grandpa didn't have it on VHS.

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MaximumJones@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/ajgk0z0b1w2h1.jpeg?width=1443&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=91c8e7127e7bab7cebe4c65d85b424b37d465400

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Round_Ad8947@reddit

I completely loved this. When my daughter was in pre-school, they were invited to show something to the class. I showed them some episodes of Pee Wee’s Playhouse and they loved it. Teachers didn’t know anything about it. Yet, we got in trouble because one of the characters was smoking. Just because. Notwithstanding the show continued to bring down a heavy hammer and lesson that smoking is not cool and the character stopped and thanked everyone.

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DiverDownChunder@reddit

Remember Cowboy Curtis? And who played that character?

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OreoSpeedwaggon@reddit

There were a lot of famous faces that got early career roles on that show -- Laurence Fishburne (Cowboy Curtis), S. Epatha Merkerson (Reba the Mail Lady), Lynne Marie Stewart (Miss Yvonne), Phil Hartman (Captain Carl), and others.

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Fun-Position7750@reddit

Phil Hartman was also Genie. And if you haven’t watched the documentary on PeeWee you should. He goes through how he met Phil and the others

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_ism_@reddit

Do you mean Jambi the genie? That was John paragon

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DiverDownChunder@reddit

I will check that documentary out, thanks!

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OreoSpeedwaggon@reddit

I'm pretty sure John Paragon played Jambi the Genie unless it was Phil playing him on the live tour rather than the TV show.

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Fun-Position7750@reddit

Maybe that’s where I’m confused. I’m of. I forget things

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DiverDownChunder@reddit

Right! I just always got a kick out of Cowboy Curtis, must be because I grew up in the Wild Wild Northeast.

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ObligationMurky8716@reddit

Hey now, that's some girl's father

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DiverDownChunder@reddit

I knew someone was going there ;)

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Dee-Whizz@reddit (OP)

Lawrence Fishburne.

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Mysterions@reddit

Fun fact, Pee Wee did a surprisingly big cameo on 227.

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_ism_@reddit

He did quite a few cameos in the day. I love looking up old Paul appearances

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NurseontheTrail@reddit

Oh absolutely, but this wasn't a children's show

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_ism_@reddit

Have you seen the documentary? It was definitely a children's show but with intentional parts for adults to enjoy written in. This is from his interviews. And the story of how the show came to production. I'm aware of the original Broadway show that was not for children but the TV production was intended for children after they saw the Broadway production intended for adults.

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_ism_@reddit

He was a genius and beloved and a pioneer. He changed the expectations for children's programming. Nothing will ever compare. Beloved. I miss him.

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buddymoobs@reddit

Who says Pee Wee was a children's show?

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stavago@reddit

It finally clicked with me a few years ago that Cyndi Lauper did the theme song. Her voice is so recognizable

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3atTh3R1ch79@reddit

WAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY MORE FUN! We miss you, Pee-Wee.

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ludicrouspeedgo@reddit

I never liked peewee. I thought he was obnoxious, even as a kid.

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Ok-Sink-4789@reddit

Definitely more fun.

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MerryMortician@reddit

More fun, less message.

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thereisnospoon-1312@reddit

[https://youtu.be/rTiiq3Zc6Lk?t=102](https://youtu.be/rTiiq3Zc6Lk?t=102) wackado wackado wackado

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SweatyTrain1951@reddit

Ok. I’ll do it after

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rubbish_heap@reddit

and it was free over the air, no username, no subscription

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Mostly_Maui_Wowie@reddit

Definitely just you.

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moocat55@reddit

That show rocked and I was in college when it was on. My dorm suitemate and I would make pancakes and watch it together.

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Thirty_Helens_Agree@reddit

During that Pee Wee documentary, one of the producers of the Playhouse was like “our audience wasn’t kids; our audience was college stoners.”

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worstpartyever@reddit

I hate feeling seen like that

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helloginger07@reddit

There may have been some wake and bake and eating Captain Krunch out of dog food bowls while watching Pee Wees Playhouse in college… or so I’ve heard ;)

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93195@reddit

Agree. It’s debatable whether it was children’s programming.

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Dee-Whizz@reddit (OP)

I didn’t know that when I was a kid watching it. It was a good time. Even though many of the jokes went over my head. We even went to the movies to see Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Had no idea about the heavy grownup stuff going on behind the scenes. Pee Wee was careful to hide who he was in really was. The show never would have been anywhere near as successful, if he did not work to appeal to children also. I saw that documentary too.

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