The image of Soleil Moon Frye at a young age portraying the lead character from the sitcom "Punky Brewster" is one of those things that just feels quintessential ‘80s. And yet, even though it’s often brought up as one of the nostalgic things we miss from the ‘80s, the show had a surprisingly short run.
Originally slotted in a prime time Sunday slot to compete against "60 Minutes," it only lasted two seasons on network TV, with one more in syndication, spanning 1984-88. It never did much in terms of ratings, yet it’s still one of the shows we point to when reminiscing about TV sitcoms from that era. The nostalgia was strong enough that a reboot on streaming service Peacock was released in 2021.
I think a big reason for the fond memories is because of the super catchy name. That’s a name that just doesn’t leave your head, no matter how many years go by. Where did the idea for the name come from?
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The answer is: A real person. The chief of programming for NBC named the show after a real girl he had a crush on in childhood that reminded him of the character — Peyton "Punky" Brewster. They actually tracked her down as an adult (with a new, married last name) to get permission, and even had her appear in one episode with a cameo as a teacher.Source
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