Accidental Playhouse (Pee-wee's Playhouse)
Accidental Playhouse is a 6th episode of Category: Pee-wee's Playhouse season 5, airing October 20, 1990.
Mrs. Rene gives Pee-wee a letter from his pen pal Oki Doki from Japan. In the letter, which Conky translates for Pee-wee (since he can't read Japanese yet), Oki tells Pee-wee he is coming to visit him. Oki shows Pee-wee sushi, origami, and Gamera (A Japanese tokusatsu TV show). Everyone also plays charades when Oki leaves.
Trivia
- Mrs. Rene, and Miss Yvonne visit in this episode. Cowboy Curtis calls on the Picturephone.
- Joey Miyashima played Oki Doki (Pee-wee's Playhouse), Herman's pen pal from Tokyo. This character may or may not be the same Oki from Reba Eats and Pterri Runs, however.
- Herman has another Japanese pen pal (as seen in the first season's Rainy Day (Pee-wee's Playhouse) episode)—Aiko.
- Conky says hello to Oki in this episode; earlier, Globey mentions that Mr. Mitsumi works in the automotive industry.
- The Flowers, apparently knowing Japanese courtesy, bow in this episode.
- The secret word in this episode is PLACE, which is said and screamed at six times, counting one time in Japanese.
- Jambi does not appear in this episode.
- Mrs. Rene does the secret word routine in this episode.
- Gamera is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show from the 1970s, conveniently dubbed into English.
- When Oki says the secret word in Japanese (tokoro), a kanji symbol for the secret word "処" flashes when everybody screams.
FYI
Several commercials for a Japanese stockbroker firm, Wako Securities (who would later merge with New Japan Securities in 2000 to form Shinko Securities; now part of the Mizuho Financial Group) featuring Pee-Wee was produced the same year that this episode was filmed.