Punky Brewster on DVD?!? You bet yer ASS!!!

By Spaceboi April 19, 2004 1:34 PM

Okay?I honestly think that I had forgotten about the NBC series Punky Brewster, which ran from 1984 through 1988. I remember watching it when I was younger, and as far as mediocre, kid-targeted TV went, it wasn?t awful. The last I heard about its star, Soleil Moon Frye, was that ?Punky? was going to go under the knife to drop from a DD cup size to a more modest single D. Double Ds make the world go round and a standard D is nothing to sneeze at either!

It?s format was first described as a ?children?s comedy series about a spunky, abandoned girl who makes a home with a cranky, old man?. While this sounds filthy in this day and age, it did turn out to be a feel good series that captured America, even giving the ratings king, ?60 Minutes?, a run for it?s money when aired in Fall of 1984.

Anyway, I recently learned that Punky Brewster?s first season is coming to DVD on June 1st. The DVD set will consist of 4 DVDs which will include all 23 episodes, 2 hours worth (4 episodes) of the animated spin-off series ?It?s Punky Brewster!?, plus new Cast and Crew interviews. Andy Gibb visits 2 episodes and Dody Goodman also appears in one. Thanks to Shout!Factory, this baby will retail for a mere $34.98, suggested retail price! You may not even give a rat?s ass about it, but because I hadn?t thought of the show in so long, I figured maybe one person would give a F.

Pre-Order Punky Brewster - Season One at Amazon.com just $24.49!

Just to refresh your memory, according to the original NBC press release :

Punky Brewster is an independent, resourceful, cheerful little girl who was abandoned by her parents and is living with her puppy in a vacant apartment in Chicago until Henry Warnimont, the manager, discovers her hiding place.
A children's series, "Punky Brewster" stars Soleil (pronounced so-lay) Moon Frye as Punky, George Gaynes as Warnimont, Cherie (pronounced cherry) Johnson, and Susie Garrett.
Crusty old Henry is used to living alone, and he likes his solitude and his junky apartment. But he reluctantly decides that Punky is a special child who needs help and a home.
Punky brightens the lives of neighborhood residents, especially Cherie Johnson (played by Cherie Johnson) and her grandmother, Mrs. Johnson (Garrett). The Johnsons live next door and the two girls are like sisters.
Henry runs a neighborhood photography studio and Punky admires his talents and abilities in capturing emotion with his lenses.
Punky is hoping her mother will come back for her, but until then, she and Henry, an unlikely duo, are going to stick it out together.
"Punky Brewster" is a Lightkeeper Production is association with NBC Entertainment. David W. Duclon is the executive producer; Gary Menteer, the supervising producer. Rick Hawkins and Liz Sage are the producer-writers and Art Dielhenn is the director.

The series was created by an NBC executive named Brandon Tartikoff. Tartikoff apparently went to school with a girl named Penelope Brewster, and because he liked her so much, he created Punky Brewster, who was patterned after Penelope. The real Penelope even had an uncredited cameo as one of Punky?s teachers in an episode. Brandon, in addition to being the reason the dog?s name was Brandon, guest starred on Arli$$, Dave?s World, Saved By The Bell, ALF, Night Court, Saturday Night Live, and Night Stand. He also signed such NBC hit shows as Hill Street Blues, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, L.A. Law, The Golden Girls, Miami Vice, and Cheers. He died August 27, 1997 of Hodgkin?s Disease. He was only 48 years old.

Though I haven't seen this show since it was on years ago, I DO recall Margaux being a bitch of world record caliber. There?s always a bitch around when the orphan kid is trying to be good, humble and human.

After much research, I?m amazed to see just how much merchandise was created for this Punky Brewster character. Every imaginable toy or item you can think of was produced, and many are currently available on ebaY. I recall the show as an NBC hit, but being male, I never went to the store and begged my parents for a Punky Brewster doll. It?s almost as if NBC?s Brewster people contacted the merchandising company that handles KISS merchandise.

Soleil Moon Frye is still in the biz and is surprisingly cute if not a bit too thin. She?s 5 foot 1, about 28 years old and is married to a guy named Jason Goldberg. She provides the voice of Zoey on ABC?s ?The Proud Family? and has appeared on such shows as Friends, Working, Saved By The Bell, and The Wonder Years. ?She?s also been in several movies, including ?Motel Blue?, ?Pumpkinhead II : Blood Wings?, ?The Liars? Club?, and Disney?s ?You Ruined My Life?. It?s interesting to note that TVs Punky Brewster, who was also former First Lady Nancy Reagan?s ?Just Say No? spokesperson, has grown up pretty and gets her ass killed in ?Pumpkinhead II?. Retro freaks or people with children will probably wig-out and run to the store, cash in hand, to scoop up this DVD set. I?m not sure I can plop down $35 clams for this first season, though after looking into it, I kind of want to see some episodes and determine whether it stands the test of time. Maybe it was actually horrible and I was young, so I didn?t notice that it blew. Perhaps it really was good, thus truly deserving the popularity it received back in the eighties. Either way, we?ll all know as of June 1st, 2004. Start saving your cash now and get back that Punky Power!!!