TV On the Radio air ‘Happy Idiot’ video featuring Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman) and Karen Gillan

Previewing their forthcoming ‘Seeds’ LP, TV on the Radio are airing a new video for lead track ‘Happy Idiot’.

Debuting on Funny or Die, the Danny Jelinek-directed clip stars both Paul Reubens and Karen Gillan (from Doctor Who, Guardians of the Galaxy) as a distracting decoy for Reubens’ unfocused racing.

Tunde Adebmpe from TVOTR had this to say about the new video:

“I had this idea for the video that I thought would never happen, of Paul Reubens as a race car driver who slowly loses his mind. I took it to Funny or Die and they said, ‘That’s great, let’s go for that.’”

I got to speak with him over the phone about doing it and, in between being blindingly nervous that I was actually talking to an actor who had shaped a LOT of my world view and trying not to freak him out by saying so, he mentioned that he’s been a fan of the band for awhile. He liked the idea, and, somehow, here we are with Paul as a race car driver losing his mind.

Karen Gillan was absolutely great. We were really psyched to work with her, because she’s basically sci-fi royalty, and a great person. Full on geek fest in the desert.

It was really fun to do, love how it came out. I think our fans will like it. I hope so. The cool ones will anyway. The rest can suck it. I don’t exactly know what ‘it’ is. But they can find it. And they can suck it.”

‘Seeds’ is out 17th November on Harvest Records.