A “Punky Brewster” Sequel Is In The Works
According to Deadline, Punky Brewster is the latest show from your childhood to be dragged out of the attic and wiped down with a damp cloth. Which is great news, because I’m pretty sure we all wanted to know how an emotionally-damaged, abandoned child that lived on the streets of Chicago and was adopted by a random older man turned out, right? That sounds like the kind of dark, depressing sequel that should happen on HBO. But according to Deadline’s description,this Punky sequel actually sounds pretty light.
Soleil Moon Fry, who originally played Punky Brewster when the show debuted on NBC in 1984, will be back. Punky will now be a single mother of three kids who is trying to “get her life back on track.” At the same time, she meets a young girl who reminds Punky of her younger self. So an adult takes a young girl under their wing, and also three other kids. They’re not exactly straining their brains on this sequel.
Soleil will also serve as an executive producer. The show will be written by Steve and Jim Armogida (who wrote the School of Rock television series). It’s being produced by NBCUniversal’s UCP studios, and Deadline says they’re going for a multicamera/hybrid family sitcom-ish reboot of the series. Soleil confirmed the news on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
Because the show is still in the development stages, there’s not much else about who is involved. Obviously Punky’s adopted dad Henry won’t be there (George Gaynes died in 2016). No word on whether Sandy, who played Punky’s trusty dog Brandon, will also be returning. But considering it’s been over 30 years, my guess is…probably not. I’m sure Punky’s friends Cherie, Margaux, and Allen could probably pop in to help teach a very special lesson to these new kids. Except kids already know not to play in empty refrigerators now. Maybe they can educate the kids on how to avoid breathing in whatever fumes cause you to see your friend’s severed head mounted on a wall.
Pic: NBC