Pee-wee Goes for a Swim

Do you all remember what to do when somebody says the word "scream"?

If not, perhaps you haven't been watching enough Pee-wee's Playhouse lately. But that's all about to change.

Cartoon Network announced Tuesday that it is adding the Emmy-winning '80s-era kids show to its after-hours Adult Swim lineup, beginning July 10.

The cable network will air all 45 original episodes featuring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman, the biggest kid in the Playhouse, and his coterie of sidekicks. Watch closely, because yes, that's the great Phil Hartman as Captain Carl, Laurence Fishburne as Cowboy Curtis, Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson as Mail Lady Reba and a little Natasha Lyonne as Opal. And don't miss Jimmy Smits' turn as the TV repairman.

(Pee-wee had a knack for attracting future stars. In 1988's Big Top Pee-wee, that's Benicio Del Toro as Duke, the Dog-Faced Boy.)

Reubens created the Pee-wee Herman character in 1978 when he was a member of the Groundlings comedy troupe in Los Angeles. Tim Burton's 1985 feature-length directorial debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, led to a regular Saturday morning spot for Reubens and his wacky humor that combined Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood-style lessons and make-believe with one of the most annoying voices ever. Pee-wee's Playhouse premiered on CBS in 1986 and made Reubens a household name.

But Reubens' career stumbled after he was arrested for indecent exposure in a Florida porno theater in 1991, a charge the actor has said was unfair, but which effectively led to the cancellation of his show.

"I maintained at the time that it didn't happen and I maintain that still," Reubens told NBC's Dateline in a 2004 interview.

However, rather than drag out the humiliating situation by going to trial, he ultimately pleaded "no contest" to the charge and paid a $75 fine.

"It was kind of like a mortifying kind of situation, where I felt like you know people are laughing at me. I'm a professional comedian. I've never claimed to able to take it as good as I dish it out, ever," Reubens told NBC.

Reubens, now 53, has been dogged by legal troubles here and there ever since. In November 2001, his home was raided by police after he was accused of possessing child pornography by an unidentified minor, which led to the confiscation of his extensive collection of vintage erotica.

On Nov. 15, 2002, one day before the statute of limitations on the misdemeanor crime was set to expire, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office charged Reubens with one count of possessing child pornography, after determining that certain items in his collection met the criteria.

Reubens pleaded innocent to the child porn charge, which was dropped by the City Attorney's office in 2004. In exchange, Reubens agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor obscenity count, for which he paid a $100 fine and had to register as a sex offender for the duration of his three-year probation.

"I am disappointed any part of my art collection was ever deemed inappropriate," Reubens said in a statement at the time. "Taking responsibility by calling a few images in this collection 'obscene' and paying a $100 fine seemed like the sanest way to make it end."

Despite his legal troubles, the actor managed to carve out some good roles for himself over the years, lending his voice to films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Dr. Dolittle, playing one of the undead in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer and stealing scenes from Johnny Depp in Blow.

But it all started with Pee-wee, and Reubens seems to be aware of that.

"I'd say this is a dream come true," he said in a statement following the announcement that his show was going for an Adult Swim.