HBO debuts new documentary about Pee-wee Herman - How to watch
A new documentary airing on HBO tonight will serve as the definitive portrait of Paul Reubens and his comedic alter-ego Pee-wee Herman.
“Pee-wee as Himself” was primarily filmed prior to Reubens’ death in July 2023 and includes voice recordings done the day before he passed. The comedian, 70, died following a private battle with cancer. The candid documentary will reportedly show Reubens and director Matt Wolf sparring over creative control, something Reubens wanted more of despite ceding the director’s chair to Wolf.
The doc, a 2025 Sundance Film Festival selection, traces Reubens’ comedic origins as he left his Florida hometown for California, began performing with the storied Groundlings improv group, and created the character he would become known for: Pee-wee Herman. It will also discuss the effects that his 1991 public indecency arrest at a porno movie theater had on his career going forward.
Ultimately, in this set of emotional final interviews, Reubens reflects on his life as a closeted gay man who made the decision to conceal his private life entirely behind the Pee-wee Herman persona.
“Pee-wee as Himself” premieres tonight, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET. The two-part documentary will air back-to-back on HBO linear premium cable channel with the episodes dropping on the Max streaming service at the same time.
If you don’t have HBO through traditional cable, you’ll need a Max subscription to watch “Pee-wee as Himself.”
Max, which you can subscribe to via Prime Video, starts at $9.99/month with ads and costs $16.99/month ad-free.
That’s not the only way to subscribe, though. Sling TV is among the best value for money among live tv streaming services, thanks to some great offers. You’ll need Sling’s plan with a Max add-on to watch HBO live. And when you subscribe to Max through Sling, the money-saving never stops! You’ll get 50% off your first month, plus $5 off your bill every month after that.
Both parts of “Pee-wee as Himself” will air back-to-back tonight, May 23.
In addition to footage from over 40 hours of interviews and over 1,000 hours of archival material, the following people sat for interviews that will be featured in the documentary: Reubens’ sister Abby Rubenfeld; artists Gary Panter and Wayne White; actors Lynne Stewart, John Moody, Alison Mork, Natasha Lyonne, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurence Fishburne, Debi Mazar, David Arquette, Laraine Newman, and Cassandra Peterson; and filmmakers Tim Burton and Judd Apatow.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews
