History Series / PunkyBrewster

* TheOneGuy: Henry. Subverted in the second season when T.K. Carter joined the cast as Mike Fulton, Punky's teacher. Also, among the rgular kids, Allen in the first three seasons.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We never do find out what happened to either of Punky's parents, beyond them leaving their daughter.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Eddie Malvin leaves to fix a broken light early in season 1 and is never seen again.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Scotty Lotabucci is never seen again after "Walk Pool" and "Gone Fishing." Also Eddie Malvin, Mike Fulton, and Linda, the school cleaning lady that Punky befriends.

The show was originally produced by Lightkeeper Productions, David W. Duclon's production company, alongside NBC from 1984-1986, when NBC cancelled the series. After the NBC cancellation, Duclon teamed up with Creator/ColumbiaPictures to produce two additional seasons in syndication from 1987-1988. Today, Sony, which now owns Columbia Pictures, hold domestic rights to the series, while NBC holds international rights.

''Punky Brewster'' is a 1984-88 DomCom on Creator/{{NBC}} and later in UsefulNotes/{{Syndication}} about abandoned child Penelope "Punky" Brewster (her father walked out on her and her mom left Punky and her pet dog, Brandon, at a grocery store), played by Soleil Moon Frye, and her adoptive father, Henry, played by George Gaynes (best known for his role as Cmdt. Lassard in the ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' movies). Also revolves around Punky's interactions with her best friend, Cherie Johnson, played by [[TheDanza Cherie Johnson]] (who later went on to play Laura Winslow's friend Maxine on ''Series/FamilyMatters''), who lives with her grandmother, Betty, played by Susie Garrett. Punky's other friends include geeky Allen Anderson (Casey Ellison) and stuck-up rich girl Margaux Kramer (Ami Foster). During the NBC run, Punky's teachers were frequently seen. In the first season, Punky's teacher was cheerful Mrs. Morton (Dody Goodman), while in the second season, it was hip Mike Fulton (T.K. Carter). Also seen briefly in Henry and Punky's apartment building was kooky maintenance man Eddie Malvin (Creator/EddieDeezen).

The prime time and cartoon shows' were produced by NBC, the former co-produced with Lightkeeper Productions (creator-executive producer David W. Duclon's production company), the latter co-produced with Creator/RubySpears; Duclon later sold the prime time rights to Columbia Pictures Television (Sony Pictures Television) when it went into syndication, again co-produced with Lightkeeper Productions. Sony owns US rights, NBC owns international rights.

* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Punky feeds her dog Brandon Oreos, ding-dongs, and all manner of other food that would wreak absolute havoc on a real dog's digestive system. Oreos and ding-dongs contain chocolate, which would kill a real live dog.

* WhamLine: Punky's "It blew up" on the Space Shuttle episode.

* MagicSkirt: Averted but maintained in the episode "Punky To The Rescue." Margaux has one foot caught in a snare posing as bait for a so-called swamp monster, but since she's wearing a dress, she is shown standing upright against a tree with her trapped foot raised as opposed to hanging upside down.

[[IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] the early Music/DevinTownsend album.

* [[RealWomenDontWearDresses Real Girls Don't Wear Dresses]]: Punky rarely wears a dress. The only times she did was when she dressed as a 50s doo-wop girl for Halloween and when she dressed as Margaux to sneak out of Fenster Hall to see Henry at the hospital.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomboy Punky and Girly Girl Margaux, with Cherie in-between.

* HalloweenEpisode / ValentinesDayEpisode: Had episode of both holidays.

** In animated edition of "The Perils Of Punky," Margaux is held upside down as part of a human chain to retrieve a gem down a well. Her skirt and slip are draped over her rear end.

* TalkingAnimal: Pretty much averted, but subverted in the episode "Brandon The Dialogue Dog," Glomer gives Punky's dog Brandon the gift of gab.

* PrecociousCrush: Punky had been a tomboy, up until the syndicated episode "Crushed," where she falls for a boy named Kevin. The problem is Kevin is six years older than Punky, and to her devastation (and Henry's relief), already has a girlfriend.

''Punky Brewster'' is a 1984-88 DomCom on Creator/{{NBC}} and later in UsefulNotes/{{Syndication}} about abandoned child Penelope "Punky" Brewster (her father walked out on her and her mom left Punky and her pet dog, Brandon, at a grocery store), played by Soleil Moon Frye, and her adoptive father, Henry, played by George Gaynes (best known for his role as Cmdt. Lassard in the ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' movies). Also revolves around Punky's interactions with her best friend, Cherie Johnson, played by [[TheDanza Cherie Johnson]] (who later went on to play Laura Winslow's friend Maxine on ''Series/FamilyMatters''), who lives with her grandmother, Betty, played by Susie Garrett. Punky's other friends include geeky Allen Anderson (Casey Ellison) and stuck-up rich girl Margaux Kramer (Ami Foster). During the NBC run, Punky's teachers were frequently seen. In the first season, Punky's teacher was cheerful Mrs. Morton (Dody Goodman), while in the second season, it was hip Mike Fulton (T.K. Carter). Also seen in Henry and Punky's apartment building was kooky maintenance man Eddie Malvin (Eddie Deezen).

''Punky Brewster'' was a 1984-88 DomCom on Creator/{{NBC}} & in UsefulNotes/{{Syndication}} about abandoned child Penelope "Punky" Brewster (her father walked out on her and her mom left Punky and her pet dog, Brandon, at a grocery store), played by Soleil Moon Frye, and her adoptive father, Henry, played by George Gaynes (best known for his role as Cmdt. Lassard in the ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' movies). Also revolves around Punky's interactions with her best friend, Cherie Johnson, played by [[TheDanza Cherie Johnson]] (who later went on to play Laura Winslow's friend on ''Series/FamilyMatters''), who lives with her grandmother, Betty, played by Susie Garrett. Punky's other friends include geeky Allen Anderson (Casey Ellison) and stuck-up rich girl Margaux Kramer (Ami Foster). During the NBC run, Punky's teachers were frequently seen. In the first season, Punky's teacher was cheerful Mrs. Morton (Dody Goodman), while in the second season, it was hip Mike Fulton (T.K. Carter). Also seen in Henry and Punky's apartment building was kooky maintenance man Eddie Malvin (Eddie Deezen).

* BreakingTheFourthWall / WinkDing: Punky winks to us at the end of the episode "The Bermuda Tangle."

** In animated edition of "The Perils Of Punky," Margaux is held upside down as part of a human chain to retrieve a gem down a well. Her skirt and slip are draped over her rear end

* SpotTheImposter: The animated episode "Double Your Punky" had Glomer creating a clone of Punky from a photograph to keep him company at home while the real Punky was at a school picnic. The clone, however, was obnoxious, and in his confusion, Glomer zaps the sweet Punky back into the photograph and throws it away. Having retrieved it and getting her back, Glomer is unable to tell who the real Punky is. It's up to Brandon, who recognizes her scent.

* UnwillingSuspension: Happens to Punky twice in the cartoon ("Growing Pain" and "The Bermuda Tangle"), hung upside down by one foot each time.

* {{Jerkass}}: The host of the show "Can You Spend It?" (animated episode ''Punky's Millions''), who [[spoiler:celebrated Punky losing the game.]]

** Could also apply to Punky with Glomer in the cartoon. The episode "Return To Chaundoon" has a scene where Punky plants a goodnight kiss on Glomer's forehead.

* BodyDouble: Punky dresses up as Margaux in the cartoon episode "Pretty Ugly"--but only because Glomer turned Margaux's face into a glomley face. It's a wonder that Avery Bigelow (a kid whose dad runs a fashion magazine) didn't catch on that Margaux ''doesn't'' have brown eyes, freckles and a smoky voice.
* BreakTheCutie: Happens to Punky in the animated episode "Punky the Heiress," where she believes she's going to see her missing mother. She is devastated when she realizes she was used by her aunt and uncle to embezzle an inheritance.

* BreakingTheFourthWall / WinkDing: Punky winks to us at the end of the animated episode "The Bermuda Tangle."

* BreakTheCutie: Happens to Punky in the animated episode "Punky the Heiress," where she believes she's going to see her missing mother. She is devastated when she realizes she was used by her aunt and uncle to embezzle an inheritance

!!This sitcom contains examples of:

* AnimatedAdaptation: ''It's Punky Brewster''
** Bizarrely, it was called that everywhere but the title card (which read just "Punky Brewster"). It's also notable in that it shared a cast with the live show.
*** In fact, the last shot of the intro to the primetime show's second season features the Ruby/Spears-animated Punky, Henry, and Brandon on TV.
** TV Guide also billed the cartoon as just "Punky Brewster." NBC dropped it after a two-year run then brought it back in repeats in October 1988 after the live-action pre-teen show ''2 Hip 4 TV'' tanked. In 1989, selected episodes were run on a rotating basis in the syndicated series ''[=Maxie's World=].''

* ArtShift: All of the cartoon's season one episodes were cel-on-film animation. Season two's new episodes, save for three, were composited by computer.

** Punky dresses up as Margaux again in the cartoon episode "Pretty Ugly"--but only because Glomer turned Margaux's face into a glomley face. It's a wonder that Avery Bigelow (a kid whose dad runs a fashion magazine) didn't catch on that Margaux ''doesn't'' have brown eyes, freckles and a smoky voice.

* BreakTheCutie: Punky after the Space Shuttle tragedy ("Accidents Happen"); after Allen moves away ("Divorce Anderson Style"); and when she is stricken with appendicitis ("Ouch"--her tearful lament: "I have an -itis! I'm worm food!"). Also happens in the animated episode "Punky the Heiress," where she believes she's going to see her missing mother. She is devastated when she realizes she was used by her aunt and uncle to embezzle an inheritance.

* ButtMonkey: Allen, usually in the cartoon. Probably because he's the only male of the four main kids in the show.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: This, from the animated episode "Punky To The Rescue," where Margaux is posed as bait for a so-called swamp monster which they hear coming:
-->'''Punky:''' Smile! Look pretty!
-->'''Margaux:''' Don't be redundant!
* FairyCompanion / SidekickExMachina: Glomer in the AnimatedAdaptation, infamously.

* GreatGazoo: Glomer. He's a little more...[[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} out there]] than most examples. The joke? He's from a ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'' {{Expy}}.
* HalloweenEpisode / ValentinesDayEpisode: The live action show and cartoon show each had an episode of both holidays.

* ItsAWonderfulPlot: Pastiched in the animated episode "Allen Who?"

* LovableAlphaBitch : Margaux (Who else?)
* MagicSkirt: Averted but maintained in the animated episode "Punky To The Rescue." Margaux has one foot caught in a snare posing as bait for a so-called swamp monster, but since she's wearing a dress, she is shown standing upright against a tree with her trapped foot raised as opposed to hanging upside down.
** In animated edition of "The Perils Of Punky," Margaux is held upside down as part of a human chain to retrieve a gem down a well. Her skirt and slip are draped over her rear end.

* MissingMom: A few NBC episodes deal with Punky's desire to find her recalcitrant mother. In the animated episode "Punky The Heiress," she suddenly has an aunt and uncle--servants for the Chester Henderson estate--who use her to impersonate Chester's granddaughter and embezzle the kid's inheritance, all under the guise that they've located Punky's mother.

* TheOneGuy: Henry. Subverted in the second season when T.K. Carter joined the cast as Mike Fulton, Punky's teacher.
** Of the regular kids, this would be Allen in the first two seasons and the cartoon.

* PantyShot: Margaux in two blink-and-you'll miss it instances in the cartoon ("Any Wish Way You Can" and "Louvre Affair").

* SpotTheImposter: The animated episode "Double Your Punky" had Glomer creating a clone of Punky from a photograph to keep him company at home while the real Punky was at a school picnic. The clone, however, was obnoxious, and in his confusion, Glomer zaps the sweet Punky back into the photograph and throws it away. Having retrieved it and getting her back, Glomer is unable to tell who the real Punky is. It's up to Brandon, who recognizes her scent.
** Also, Punky disguising herself as Margaux in the five-part story arc "Changes" and the cartoon episode "Pretty Ugly."
* TalkingAnimal: Pretty much averted, but subverted in an animated episode and zig-zagged in a live-action episode. In the animated episode "Brandon The Dialogue Dog," Glomer gives Punky's dog Brandon the gift of gab. In the third season episode "It's A Dog's Life," Punky dreams that she and Brandon switch bodies and we hear Punky's voice as thoughts coming from Brandon's head.

* UnwillingSuspension: Happens to Punky twice in the cartoon ("Growing Pain" and "The Bermuda Tangle"), hung upside down by one foot each time.

* WholePlotReference: The animated episode "Punky's Millions" is basically ''Literature/BrewstersMillions'' with the millions being a game show prize instead of an UnexpectedInheritance.

* TheCameo: Bee Gees sibling Andy Gibb, boxer Marvin Hagler, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, singer Marilyn [=McCoo=] and pop group [=DeBarge=] all appeared on the show.