Pee Wee is Dead but Reubens Launches Welcome Comeback

With two hit movies (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Big Top Pee Wee) and a hugely successful Saturday morning children's television show, Pee Wee Herman became a pop culture icon in the late 1980's and early '90s. Alas, beloved Pee Wee got forced into early retirement when his alter-ego (actor Paul Reubens) had some well-publicized run-ins with the law involving, among other things, public indecency and adult theaters. Many celebrities have weathered similar salacious negative press with ease (Hugh Grant? Eddie Murphy?) but Reubens, as Pee Wee, was the high profile host of a children's show. The character's underage fan base made rehabilitation impossible -- Pee Wee simply had to be retired. Pee Wee may be dead and gone, but after a long absence from the cultural landscape, Paul Reubens himself seems to be making a comeback. In my mind, he's a very gifted comedian and it is great to see him again. You can catch his hilarious turn as "Citizen Patrolman Rick" on last season's Reno 911. (He will also appear in the upcoming movie version of that show.) He is also slated to appear in an upcoming episode of FX's Dirt. But most interesting to me is his guest stint tonight on NBC's "30 Rock.'' I was hoping to find a preview clip for you but nothing is online. Still, the television ads promoting tonight's show look absolutely hilarious, so I'll be tuning in. 30 Rock airs tonight at 9:30 on NBC. And hey, for nostalgia's sake, here's the trailer for Pee Wee's Big Adventure...