Pee-wee's Playhouse - Official press release

Image Entertainment officially announced their releases of Pee-wee's Playhouse earlier today. They're going to release the entire series in 2 volumes, along with a separate Chiristmas special disc. Image doesn't include a release date for the set, but the "fall" time-frame would fit with the November 9th date that we reported on earlier.

CHATSWORTH, Calif.--Image Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: DISK) today announced the signing of an exclusive license agreement with Herman World, Inc., which will see the Company release the complete 45-episode (including 6 "lost" episodes never before released to home video) classic television series "Pee-wee's Playhouse," split between two box set collections, and also "Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special," on DVD this fall.

Paul Reubens, star and creator of the series, commenting on the deal, stated, "I am extremely pleased that `Pee-wee's Playhouse' will be available on DVD. The digital medium affords the shows a look that was not possible when they were originally broadcast or made available on VHS in the 1980s and '90s. I look forward to working with Image's creative, sales and marketing teams to make this series truly special."

Martin W. Greenwald, Image's President and CEO, commenting on the agreement, stated, "'Pee-wee's Playhouse' is an especially significant crown jewel in Image's ever-growing library of classic television programming. A show such as this, with the ability to appeal to all generations of viewers, is right in line with our strategy of releasing extraordinary television programming, such as 'The Twilight Zone,' our Richard Pryor shows and the award-winning 'Dick Van Dyke Show' that touches the widest audience possible. I am personally honored that Paul Reubens has chosen Image as his home for this legendary television achievement."

Barry Gordon, Image's Sr. Vice President of Acquisitions, stated, "'Pee-wee's Playhouse' showed how much more television was capable of delivering to a genre that had been around since the dawn of the medium. Paul infused his series with a creative energy, beauty and intelligence that works as effectively today as when the shows were first broadcast."

The groundbreaking and innovative "Pee-wee's Playhouse" was created by, produced by and starred Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. "Pee-wee's Playhouse" was a top-rated children's show broadcast on CBS from 1986-1991 and the winner of numerous awards, including an outstanding 22 Emmys. In ensuing years, the program has attained an iconic status, with the character of Pee-wee continuing to attract new legions of fans aided by the Pee-wee movies, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" and "Big Top Pee-wee." In fact, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" was just named by TV Guide as one of the top ten television cult classics of all time.

The Pee-wee phenomenon has continued to grow over the years with Reubens' creative merchandising of his most famous character. Pee-wee's likeness has appeared on carefully chosen and officially sanctioned collectibles, helping to capture a place in the hearts of millions of dedicated fans, both young and old.

Image, with the full cooperation and participation of "Playhouse" creator and star Paul Reubens, also plans to release in 2005 a definitive, specially packaged limited edition containing all 45 episodes with commentary by Paul Reubens and additional bonus material culled from Reubens' vast show archives.

About Image Entertainment:

Image Entertainment, Inc. is a leading licensee and distributor of DVD programming in North America with more than 2,500 exclusive DVD titles, and an emerging audio distributor with a growing library of audio releases in domestic release. Image also has exclusive videocassette, broadcast, video on demand, audio, streaming video and download rights for many of its exclusive properties. Image is headquartered in Chatsworth, California, and has a domestic distribution facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. Image distributes internationally via sublicense agreements for available programming on DVD and videocassette as well as broadcast. For more information on Image, please visit www.image-entertainment.com.

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