Show will join AS lineup in July

Adult Swim is bringing another show populated by flesh-and-blood actors to its late-night world, but this one fits a little better into the cartoon landscape.

Starting Monday, July 10, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" will join the Adult Swim weeknight lineup. Cartoon Network's late-night alter ego plans to air all 45 episodes of the half-hour series, plus a 1988 Christmas special that has rarely seen the light of day since its initial airing.

"We're all huge fans of 'Pee-wee's Playhouse,' and we're really happy that it will be a part of Adult Swim," says Mike Lazzo, who oversees Adult Swim for Cartoon Network.

Paul Reubens, who created Pee-wee as a member of the L.A. comedy troupe the Groundlings in the late 1970s, pronounces himself delighted to be part of Adult Swim: I'd say this was a dream come true, but I never dared to dream the 'Playhouse' would join Adult Swim's amazing lineup of cool shows!" he says. "Well, maybe I did dream of it a couple of times. OK, it's a dream come true!"

"Pee-wee's Playhouse" as part of CBS' Saturday-morning lineup in 1986 and ran off and on for five years. The candy-colored show featured animation and sketch comedy aimed at kids; Phil Hartman, Laurence Fishburne and "Law & Order" star S. Epatha Merkerson all played recurring characters.

The show ended after Reubens' 1991 arrest for indecent exposure at an adult theater in Sarasota, Fla. Since then, Reubens has appeared in such movies as "Blow" and "Mystery Men," made a number of TV guest appearances (notably "Murphy Brown") and has done extensive voiceover work. Later this year he'll appear in "Reno 911!: Miami," a movie based on the Comedy Central show.

"Pee-wee's Playhouse" is the second live-action show Adult Swim has added to its lineup recently. A two-week run of "Saved by the Bell" earlier this year met with widespread derision among the channel's devotees.