Every now and then, a movie comes along that hits all the right marks and becomes an instant classic. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was that kind of movie.
Starring the late Paul Reubens as the man behind the titular fictional character, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was a confluence of talent, luck, and preparedness. It catapulted Reubens’ alter-ego character into the stratosphere, one which the actor and comedian debuted years earlier in the critically acclaimed stand-up comedy show, The Pee-wee Herman Show.
In addition to being the silver screen debut for Reubens’ childlike alter ego, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was also Tim Burton’s directorial debut, who had previously only directed TV shorts at that time. After the cult classic film took off, Reubens brought the character to living rooms around the world, creating Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the surreal, yet educational children’s show that aired Saturday mornings on CBS from 1986 to 1990.
Because cult classics never go out of style, and because Pee-wee Herman never fails to bring a smile to our faces, here’s where you can stream these oldies-but-goodies in this modern era of film and television entertainment.
Is Pee-wee’s Big Adventure available to stream on Max?
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a Warner Bros. Pictures film, but it’s not on the streaming service Max if that’s what you’re thinking. Despite the streaming service being owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is only available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($7.99) on Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, Redbox ($13.99 to buy), or Google Play ($12.99 to buy).
If you have a public library card or belong to a university, you can stream Pee-wee’s Big Adventure for free on Kanopy, a streaming service alternative that partners with libraries and universities to bring you free entertainment.
Is Pee-wee’s Playhouse available to stream on Paramount Plus?
Similarly to Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, despite most CBS shows being available to stream on Paramount Plus, Pee-wee’s Playhouse is only available to rent or buy through Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu. However, the five-season show is not available on Apple TV, which only has the Christmas Special episode. Each episode cost $2.99 to rent and ranges from $5.98 to $34.99 for the whole season depending on how many episodes it has.
In the future, Warner Bros. Discovery may choose to release Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Paramount Plus may choose to upload all five seasons of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, but for the time being, your best bet is to purchase each property à la carte through the aforementioned platforms.