There’s quite a bit of tension here for a talking head documentary about a famous comedian. That comedian, Paul Reubens — better known (at times only known) as Pee-wee Herman — was an enormously private person, not to mention an exacting (okay controlling) artist. At times, he spars with the documentary’s director during interviews — often in a playful way, but sometimes with more obvious frustration and disappointment. He repeatedly mentions his desire to co-direct the project, and perhaps to interview its other talking heads himself to ensure they deliver the quotes he wants to find their way into the miniseries. Even as he’s telling his story on camera, Reubens occasionally looks like he regrets the decision to participate in this doc. (Later, we learn he stopped cooperating with it completely for a while.)

To say Reubens kept the filmmakers at arm’s length feels like an understatement; a title card that opens the movie states Pee-wee as Himself’s creators had no idea Reubens was battling cancer the entire time they spoke with him for the film. Frankly, stretches of this miniseries feel vague and unclear, especially the ones about Reuben’s life away from the spotlight, despite the fact that it runs well over three hours long. Insofar as a Pee-wee fan might want a genuinely candid tell-all, one could argue that leaves Pee-wee as Himself as a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps, though, an incomplete portrait speaks to a deeper truth about Reubens, or rather who Reubens wanted to appear to be. This man wore that slim gray suit and red bowtie like armor.