If you ever wondered what Pee-Wee Herman would do if he were given a talk show today, tuning in to his appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (Weeknights, 12AM ET on ABC) would have answered the question. Using a shrinking potion, he shrunk Kimmel down and took over the desk.

His first demand now that he had his own talk show? He had the band fire up some circus music. Kimmel finally complained -- in a very goofy, high-pitched voice -- one time too many, and Herman dropped a trick-or-treat basket over him.

Now that Pee Wee Herman's big comeback is officially in full swing, more news is coming down the pike and today's secret word is "movie."

Pee Wee told the press he has a script for a movie (AHHHHHHHH!) based on his popular Saturday morning kids' show Pee Wee's Playhouse. He said the movie (AHHHHHHH!) would bring back all of the show's original characters and take them out of the playhouse and into the broader, fictional world of "Puppetland." It's also described as a family-friendly movie (AHHHHHHH!), although judging from the reaction my old man had to the show when I watched it as a kid, "family-friendly" might be a loose term for this movie (AHHHHHHH!).

A Pee Wee's Playhouse film has always been lurking around in development hell. An earlier version with Johnny Depp as the title character was being shopped around way back in 2007. If Pee-Wee's Playhouse became a mo.., er, feature film, would you watch it?

Pee Wee Herman is returning to the national consciousness with the stage show that made him famous, but could "TV" be the word of the day?

The Pee Wee Herman Show is kicking off with a huge, sold-out stage show, a new version of the original stage show that served as a launching pad for the Saturday morning TV (AHHHHHH!) show, Pee Wee's Playhouse. The show starts a run on Jan. 17, 2010 at Los Angeles' Club Nokia. The producers had to move the show to a bigger club so they could accommodate the large number of ticket holders who stormed the box office when seats went on sale.

Given the buzz and heavy interest in this new stage show and the character's return from the depths of popular culture, could a TV (AHHHHHHH!) version -- either for kids or adults -- be far behind?

Simon Cowell is reportedly finalizing a deal to extend his 'American Idol' fun for three additional seasons.

Also in the news today: 'Pee-Wee''s Paul Reubens stages a comeback, while TNT renews 'HawthoRNe' for a second season.

See more of today's top TV headlines after the jump.

As kids, we watched the darndest things -- everything from educational series like 'Sesame Street' to shows that would launch some of today's biggest pop stars ('The Mickey Mouse Club').

Looking back on it now, how well do you remember your favorite kiddie shows?

Take our quiz and get in touch with your inner-child.

I don't know about you, but when creator Bryan Fuller talked about concluding all the story threads from Pushing Daisies as a comic book, I was less than enthused. Now, however, I've got renewed hope.

No, ABC is not even mentioning bringing Daisies back. They're not even committing to broadcasting the last few episodes. But Kristin Chenoweth thinks Pushing Daisies might be a movie. That's right, the show could/would/should be wrapped up as a movie in her estimation.

According to the Daily Stab, Johnny Depp is considering playing Pee-Wee Herman in a movie version of the former kid's show (and former HBO special) Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Depp has a history of taking on unusual roles and this would certainly be no exception.

The script would be by Paul Reubens, the original Pee-Wee. The two actors have known each other for a while, having worked together in the 2001 movie Blow. Also, both are casting favorites of director Tim Burton (Burton's professional directorial debut was the movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure).

(S01E07) "The mere smell of it made him feel, if only for an hour, exactly like he wanted to feel: safe and warm and loved, which is why he became the pie maker." - Narrator

ABC lost a good and fun opportunity to offer Pushing Daisies viewers a chance to get up close and really personal with the show and maybe attract new people who would have been interested in a scratch 'n' sniff event! Yes, it would have been pretty much a copy of what NBC did last year with My Name Is Earl, but having a scratch 'n' sniff card to use throughout this olfactory episode would have been just as magical as the episode itself! Okay, maybe the smell of the sock and the sewer would have been terrible but it would have been interesting to smell Ned, Emerson, and "honey and death" (aka Chuck). Okay, maybe that would have been a bad idea. Let's move on to the episode instead.
%Gallery-8460%

(S01E03) "You killed someone for me?" - Chuck

After watching last week's episode, I was as worried as Joel was/is about Pushing Daisies's future. With such a stellar pilot, it was a given that the subsequent episodes wouldn't be as great but that second episode was a letdown. Narration aside (I'll get to this later on), this week's episode reassured me that PD can survive in its current format.

Actress/comedian Molly Shannon, best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live, will join ABC's new series Pushing Daisies for a multi-episode arc set to air late this Fall.

The series stars Wonderfalls' Lee Pace as man who can revive the dead (and send them back to Heaven or Hell) just by touching them. He uses his power to find out the killers and collect rewards.

Small spoilers ahead!

Okay, just for a moment let's set aside the fact that Pee Wee Herman doing a serious commercial about using crack is really, really (unintentionally) funny, and focus on just how logical it was to use that character in the first place.

One assumes this commercial was made when Pee Wee's Playhouse was on the air, which means his main audience was grade school children and not so much the older hipsters who knew the more "adult" Pee Wee character Paul Reubens created while with the Groundlings.

It seems that pesky little problem has finally left Paul Reubens behind. He has been cast as the lead in a pilot for NBC called Area 52. He'll play the role of an alien who is being housed in a government facility. I wish I could tell you more about this pilot, but that's all NBC is releasing. But, I don't find it hard to believe the Reubens just might be an alien.

Paul Reubens has done all sorts of guest starring roles on television, most recently on Dirt and 30 Rock, since his arrest for public masturbation during a police sting in 1991. He is also currently filming Pee-Wee's Playhouse: The Movie-- further proof that his past is now behind him.

Paul Reubens is thinking about bringing back his Pee-Wee Herman character for a big-screen movie.

At a tribute to him in San Francisco recently, Reubens said (in regular voice - he never appears as the Pee Wee character anymore) that he gave the script, which he's been working on for years, to actor Laurence Fishburne. Fishburne would play the parts that Reubens originally wrote for the late Phil Hartman. Fishburne, who was a regular on the CBS' show Pee Wee's Playhouse. hasn't said yes yet, but Reubens told him "Well, Wesley Snipes has expressed interest." Ha!

Other news from the tribute: Reubens was bitter and angry at not getting a gig on Saturday Night Live, and he has cameos coming up on both 30 Rock and Dirt.

[via TV Tattle]

If these shoes are real, it's a riot. They're Nike sneakers that have the same coloring as the clothing that Pee Wee Herman (aka Paul Reubens) used to wear. Or maybe still wears, if Reubens does Pee Wee anymore. (Hopefully that's the last time I type the sentence "if Reubens does Pee Wee.") They're grey and white. But what makes these shoes special is the pic on the insole, which shoes Pee Wee alone in a movie theater...well, you know.

Well, since Pee Wee was found doing something in a theater with his hands, then I guess it's just logical someone somewhere would make a product for his feet. Maybe they should make gloves next.

[via Boing Boing]