The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway
HBO | Release Date: March 19, 2011
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
54
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietyBrian LowryMar 18, 2011
Season 1 Review: Even lensed for TV, the special isn't wholly satisfying, but for anyone who visited "Pee-wee's Playhouse" in the late '80s, the experience is good enough. As for those who might say dismissing the show at that is snobbish, I know you are, but what am I? Read full review
50
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayMar 17, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's a happy mix of childlike wonder and mildly adult humor--too mild for "Two and a Half Men," but maybe too adult for Saturday mornings--that allows Reubens to be timeless and yet topical. But again, only mildly so. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandMar 17, 2011
Season 1 Review: While it seems apparent that seeing the show live would be a hoot, it doesn't translate to television all that well--it just feels shrunken and confined by the medium. Read full review
50
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanMar 17, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's mildly amusing, but it comes off as an extended appetizer, not a meal. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyTanner StranskyMar 17, 2011
Season 1 Review: While the acting and jokes are still solid, it's clear this particular iteration was meant for the stage. Read full review
40
HitfixAlan SepinwallMar 21, 2011
Season 1 Review: Without the overwhelming nostalgia for this particular venue for Pee-wee and these supporting characters, I found The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway a long (close to 90 minutes) slog, cute in spots, but mainly just strange--a voyage through the fantasy life of a character I prefer to see fending for himself in a closer approximation of the real world. Read full review
40
Washington PostHank StueverMar 18, 2011
Season 1 Review: Although it is 90 minutes long, it feels much longer, and the truly smart laughs are few. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyMar 17, 2011
Season 1 Review: To my eyes, in the end, those moments still don't make this show worth an hour and a half of a Saturday night. It just has too many giggly jokes about "toilet water." But if you're among those fans who feared a few years ago you'd lost Pee-wee forever, there's no arguing that you now have him back. Read full review
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