History YMMV / PunkyBrewster

* HilariousInHindsight: Punky getting her first bra would be this when Soleil famously got a breast reduction at 16 because of [[GagBoobs gigantomastia]].

** Cherie nearly suffocating due to getting trapped in an old refrigerator during a game of hide-and-seek. At one point, she realizes she stuck and begins to bang on the door and cry out in vain for help. Worse, while Allen lied about knowing CPR, when Henry asks him to save her once she's discovered, he can't. She only survived because Punky and Margaux knew it themselves. Then an announcer's sudden VO tells the audience "Only those properly trained in CPR should attempt to use it" (which is ''very'' true: doing it incorrectly can cause more damage or worse).

* TheWoobie: Julie (played by a pre-''Full House'' Candace Cameron), from the episode "Milk Does A Body Good."

** Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) would later play Roxie King on ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and later still, Zoey on ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily''.
** Cherie Johnson later played Maxine Johnson on ''Series/FamilyMatters''.
** Carmen Finestra wrote four episodes. Finestra later became co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/HomeImprovement''.
** Fred Shafferman, who co-wrote an episode, is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/SisterSister''.

** Cherie nearly freezing to death due to getting trapped in an old refrigerator during a game of hide-and-seek. Worse, while Alan lied about knowing CPR, when Henry asks him to save her once she's discovered, he can't. She only survived because Punky and Margaux knew it themselves. Then an announcer's sudden VO tells the audience "Only those properly trained in CPR should attempt to use it" (which is ''very'' true: doing it incorrectly can cause more damage or worse).

* UglyCute: When Glomer turns Margaux's face into a glomley face in "Pretty Ugly"
from the animated series.

** On ''The Jenny Jones Show'', a couple years after she got her breast reduction, Soleil Moon Frye burst into tears, recounting how her classmates had given her the nickname "Chunky Boobster."

* UglyCute: When Glomer turns Margaux's face into a glomley face in "Pretty Ugly" (animated series).

* EarWorm: ''Every time I TURN AROUND!...''

** George Gaynes (Henry Warnimont) is also best known for his role in the ''Film/PoliceAcademy'' movies. Subverted since the first one came out the same year as ''Punky'' came out.

** Creator/EddieDeezen had a recurring role as maintenance man Eddie Malvin.
** In addition to his work on ''Punky Brewster'', creator and executive producer David W. Duclon is also best known as co-developer and executive producer of ''Series/SilverSpoons''.

* 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.

* NeverLiveItDown: Punky Brewster, never heard of it. ''Oh'', it's the show whose actress got breast reduction surgery!

** George Gaynes (Henry Warnimont) is also best known for playing Cmdt. Eric Lassard in ''Film/PoliceAcademy''.
** Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) is also best known for playing Roxie King on ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' and for voicing Zoey on ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily''.
** Cherie Johnson (Cherie) is also best known for playing Maxine Johnson on ''Series/FamilyMatters''.

** Dody Goodman also had a recurring role as Mrs. Morton, Punky's first season teacher. Goodman is best known for playing Martha Shumway on ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman'' and for voicing Beatrice Miller in ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'', which, coincidentally, was also originally co-produced by Creator/RubySpears.

** Carmen Finestra wrote four episodes. Finestra is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/HomeImprovement''.
** Fred Shafferman co-wrote an episode. Shafferman is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/SisterSister''.
** Jerry Mayer wrote an episode. Mayer is best known as co-developer and producer of ''Series/TheFactsOfLife''.

** Dody Goodman also had a recurring role as Mrs. Morton, Punky's first season teacher. Goodman is best known for playing Martha Shumway on ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman'' and for voicing Beatrice Miller in ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''.

** Dody Goodman also had a recurring role as Mrs. Morton, Punky's first season teacher. Goodman is also best known for playing Martha Shumway on ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman'' and for voicing Beatrice Miller in ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''.

** Eddie Deezen (Eddie Malvin) is also best known for voicing Mandark in ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory''.
** Dody Goodman (Mrs. Morton) is also best known for playing Martha Shumway on ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman'' and for voicing Beatrice Miller in ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY:
** The live action show is ''ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie'' meets ''ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS''.
** The cartoon is the live-action show meets ''MyFavoriteMartian''.

** Try to find someone who can name a single episode off the top of their head besides either the VerySpecialEpisode where Cherie gets stuck in the fridge or the one about the ''Challenger Disaster.''

** A bit more subtle, but there were a few [[DeusAngstMachina angsty episodes]] that worked a number on younger viewers, such as the aforementioned ''Challenger'' episode.
*** The abruptness of the cut in the middle of the ''Challenger'' episode is pretty scary. They're in class with Mike (their teacher) saying, "A lady teacher's going up on the shuttle! I'm going to bring my TV so we can watch!" and all of the kids are cheering. Then, the very next thing we see is Punky rushing into her home crying. [[WhamEpisode Wham]].

** And the infamous ''Challenger'' episode, especially since it came out two months after the RealLife disaster, so the trauma was still pretty fresh. On top of that, it was based on Soleil Moon Frye's own reaction to the incident. TV Guide gave the episode a "cheer" in their Cheers & Jeers page for it helping kids to come to terms with the tragedy.

* TearJerker: Punky pleading for Brandon to pull through in "I Love You Brandon" (and her subsequent empathy for the passing of the dog of a fellow pet owner); Punky's emotional pain following the explosion of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' ("Accidents Happen"); her goodbye to Allen in "Divorce, Anderson Style"; Cherie's catharsis upon visiting her parents' graves in "The Anniversary."

** Punky has the same surname as the protagonist of ''BrewstersMillions''. Read that book and watch the animated episode "Punky's Millions".

** Lampshaded in an episode of RobotChicken: Punky discovers boys and gets Glomer to give her bigger breasts. Soleil even voices the stop-action Punky.

** Try to find someone who can name a single episode off the top of their head besides either the VerySpecialEpisode where Cherie gets stuck in the fridge or the one about the ''Challenger.''

** Try to find someone who can name a single episode off the top of their head besides either the VerySpecialEpisode where Punky gets stuck in the fridge or the one about the ''Challenger.''

* HeyItsThatGuy: Timothy Stack appears in one episode.
** [[Film/TheMonsterSquad Brent Chalam]] in another.
*** [[Series/SupermarketSweep David Ruprecht]] in two!
** Not to mention that Henry himself is [[Film/PoliceAcademy Commandant Lassard]].

* TearJerker: Punky pleading for Brandon to pull through in "I Love You Brandon" (and her subsequent empathy for the passing of the dog of a fellow pet owner); Punky's emotional pain following the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger ("Accidents Happen"); her goodbye to Allen in "Divorce, Anderson Style"; Cherie's catharsis upon visiting her parents' graves in "The Anniversary."

** On the Jenny Jones Show, a couple years after she got her breast reduction, Soleil Moon Frye burst into tears, recounting how her classmates had given her the nickname "Chunky Boobster".

** Try to find someone who can name a single episode off the top of their head besides the VerySpecialEpisode where Punky gets stuck in the fridge.

** A bit more subtle, but there were a few [[DeusAngstMachina angsty episodes]] that worked a number on younger viewers, such as the aforementioned Challenger episode.
*** The abruptness of the cut in the middle of the Challenger episode is pretty scary- they're in class with Mike (their teacher) saying "A lady teacher's going up on the shuttle! I'm going to bring my TV so we can watch!" and all of the kids are cheering. Then, the very next thing we see is Punky rushing into her home crying. [[WhamEpisode Wham]].
** "Urban Fear," an episode about a serial killer making his way through Chicago, causing Punky to fear for Henry's life. The entire episode is ''much'' darker than the show's usual output, and they [[{{Nothing Is Scarier}} never show the killer getting caught.]]

** Punky, especially in episodes like "Changes." Cherie in "The Anniversary". Even Henry, on occasion.

** And the infamous ''Challenger'' episode, especially since it came out two months after the the disaster happens, so the trauma was still pretty fresh. On top of that, it was based on Soleil Moon Frye's own reaction to the incident. TV Guide gave the episode a "cheer" in their Cheers & Jeers page for it helping kids to come to terms with the tragedy.