Shark Bytes

Liked the show a lot when I was a kid, had such a crush on Punky, she was so sexy sweet.

Good show, I liked it when I was younger but a specific episode always disturbed me. It was the one where Punky and her friends get boobs and Henry takes her bra shopping. Ugggh, the thought still makes me cringe, as if any girl wants to go bra shopping with her dad, even though he wasn't technically her dad, actually, that's even creepier imo. Once Punky and her dopey friends went through puberty, this show was done. I also remember an episode, I think the last, that they *had* a wedding for Brandon, the dog, who does that. I always thought people who threw birthday parties for dogs were weird. I love my dog too but please,how lame can you get.

I couldn't stand that blonde bitch Margo, I seriously wanted to strangle her and Punky had a bizarre wardrobe. Good 80's show, but what was the fascination with orphans in the 80's...Punky Brewster,Webster and Different Strokes, good shows, but come on. Anyway, PB was a good show, my favorite episode is when Mark Paul Gosselaar(Zach Morris) uses Punky to get to Margo and then decides he doesn't like Margo but likes Punky (very confusing I know LOL) and Punky gets back at him. Anyway, yes this was a cheesy show, but it always had a good message behind it and discussed drugs and sex without being overly preachy, good 80's show, I actually miss it (but you can find some episodes on YouTube)

Punky Power! sorry I had to do that. I know, I'm lame

Stupid show made by insidiously smart people to be watched by extremely stupid people. Frye could not act her way out of a paper bag and none of her co-idiots were any better. The scripts were horrendous. The directing was worse than horrendous. Nothing about this show was worthwhile.

It jumped when Frye had to have breast reduction surgery at age 10.

It jumped to the shark when they decided NOT to cast Glomer on the show.

Naming a dog Brandon!

Punky Brewster was an endearing sort of kid, and all the more because she wasn't the sweet pretty Dakota-Fanning type. She had her own style (I loved the bedroom that would 'blind a Smurf'). She cared a lot about others, and was headstrong about stuff that really mattered. I liked all the regular characters, and I didn't mind some corny episodes because Punky had good intentions. She wasn't all into herself like many other sitcom kids. But that Punky Brewster cartoon never should have made it off the sketch pad. Was Glomer what happened when creators smoked really bad homegrown?

LOved Punky, but HATED the way she talked! It jumped after the 200th time she'd pronounce "Cherrie" and "Henry's" names like "CHAIR-EE" and "HUN-RY!" Did anyone ever notice that? She pronounced EVERY word weird! The word "Important" came out "ImporDANT" and she would actually say the "G" sound in words that ended in "ING", like she'd say "ThinkinG" and "TalkinG." One time she had a line where she said to Brandon, "You have cars to chase and bones to bury" and the way she said "bury" was like "Burrrry" (most people pronounce it "berry") Uggh!!! I could go on and on about her weird accent! It was so annoying!

A few people have said they hate the "Indian Cave" episode because they thought it was unrealistic and "could never happen" and some one said "I was waiting for Punky to wake up, but it was REAL." Ummmm...NO! The Indian Cave episode was just a STORY Punky made up to pass the time while the kids were lost in the cave after chasing Brandon into it. Punky decides to tell a scary story. All those creepy things that happened weren't REALLY happening...it was just Punky's story. In the end they fade back to the gang sitting in the cave as Punky ends the story and Henry and Betty find them.

I can tell you what happened in the 5-part episode called "Changes"

Part 1: Henry shrugs it off when Punky sees fire trucks driving down the street outside the apartment building. Then Henry gets a phone call telling him why those particular fire trucks were sent out-his photography studio, his only source of money, is on fire. Henry and Punky rush to the studio and they are told by the fire department the fire probably was started by faulty wiring. This is devastating to Henry, who had owned that studio for 34 years. When Henry first opened the studio, he took out a fire insurance policy, but never increased the coverage, although he meant to, because he thought it was too expensive. Henry worries that without a source of money, he won't be able to pay his bills. Henry worries so much that he collapses from the pain of a bleeding ulcer and is rushed to a nearby hospital. While Betty & Cherie are helping Punky pack her things to stay in Betty & Cherie's apartment while Henry is in the hospital, social worker Simon Chillings stops by. Chillings tells Punky that Henry wants to adopt her, that way she could always stay with Henry. Punky makes the mistake of telling Chillings that Henry is in the hospital. Chillings turns out to be a cold-blooded man whose last name fits him. Chillings goes to the hospital to visit Henry, and after a talk with Henry, Chillings decides that Henry is no longer fit to take care of Punky. As cold-blooded as Chillings is, he wastes no time in removing Punky from Henry's custody-which devastates Henry even more. Punky arrives at the hospital to visit Henry and sees Chillings in the room. She is overjoyed because she thinks Henry has just adopted her.

Part 2:Punky is devastated when Henry tells her that she'll be going to Fenster Hall because Chillings has removed her from Henry's custody. Chillings takes Punky to Fenster Hall. She traps Chillings in a closet and escapes. She goes to her school to tell her teacher, Mike, what has been going on. Mike agrees to help Punky, but he needs to know which social worker has been handling Punky's case. She tells Mike that Chillings has been handling her case. Chillings took over Fenster Hall after Mike left his job there so he (Mike) could become a teacher. Chillings won't let Punky temporarily stay with Betty & Cherie in their apartment because Punky wouldn't have her own bedroom there. But at Fenster Hall, she has to share a bedroom with 4 other girls. Mike takes Punky to a phone in Fenster Hall, and while Punky is on the phone with Henry, Henry collapses.

Part 3: Henry is rushed into emergency surgery after collapsing. At Fenster Hall, Mike brings Cherie, Margaux, and Allen to visit Punky and they come up with a plan to help Punky sneak out so she can visit Henry in the hospital. They even get help from Punky's roommates. They disguise Punky as Margaux and Margaux as Punky. In order for the plan to work, they make sure Chillings can't wear his glasses. Mike goes along with the plan, reluctantly at first, and takes Punky to visit Henry, who is unconscious. While Punky is in Henry's room, she overhears Mike telling Betty that Punky may not be going back to live with Henry because Chillings wants to put Punky with new foster parents. After Punky's visit, Henry wakes up and finds a note from Punky. The note tells Henry what she overheard Mike tell Betty. Punky also thinks it's her fault that Henry ended up in the hospital, because Henry was so worried about how to regain custody of her.

Part 4:Henry spends much of the day trying to call Chillings. When Henry finally does get Chillings on the phone, he tells Henry that Punky has been placed with new foster parents-Tiffany Buckworth and her husband, Jules Buckworth. The Buckworths live in mansion and have a butler named Cuthbert. Punky isn't happy at all, because she wants to be with Henry. Jules is always nice to Punky, but Tiffany is snobby and very mean. Two weeks later, Henry is released from the hospital. Punky goes to the apartment building to visit Henry. She tells Henry that she wants to return to him, and he vows to regain custody of her.

Part 5:Henry gets a loan from Oliver Greene, a vice president of a bank, so Henry can open a new photography studio in a mall and have a source of money so he can regain custody of Punky. Oliver remembers Punky from when Punky tried to get a loan from Oliver a year ago. Punky is shocked to discover that Tiffany has bought a castle in the French Rivera, and plans for herself, Punky, and Jules to move there. Jules doesn't have any say in the situation, because Tiffany's word is always final. The plan to move to the French Rivera falls through when Jules stands up to Tiffany. Jules tells Tiffany that he refuses to allow her to bully him or Punky anymore. Jules then dumps Tiffany, and he takes Punky back to Henry. Henry is overjoyed by this. Sometime later, while Henry and Punky are out signing the adoption papers, Mike is filling in for Henry at the new studio. Chillings calls the studion to congratulate Punky and Henry and Mike is surprised by what Chillings says next-Chillings now feels that he's not fit for his job because he thinks the job needs someone who is compassionate. Chillings says that he's quit his job at Fenster Hall and is the new man in Tiffany Buckworth's life. After Mike and Chillings hang up, Punky, Henry, Betty, & Cherie arrive at the studio. They give Mike the good news-that Henry has officially adopted Punky. They celebrate this by taking a series of memorable pictures.

First, of all, I can't believe the number of comments dissing "punky Brewster". I also want to set the record straight on the episode where Cherie got stuck in the fridge.

One day in school, the teacher brings a dummy to the classroom for a special CPR lesson. Most of the students were eager to learn, especially Punky and Margaux, but Allen started goofing off during the lesson and ended up being sent to the principal's office.

A few days later, Punky, Cherie, Margaux, and Allen were playing hide and seek behind the apartment building. Henry and Punky's refrigerator had broken down and Henry decided it would be best to buy a new one, rather than try to fix the old one. He stashes the old refrigerator behind the building for the time being.

Meanwhile, in the hide and seek game, it was now Cherie's turn to hide. She decides to hide in the old refrigerator, and gets stuck. Her friends are unable to find her for a long time, and they get frightened. Henry and Allen finally decide to look in the old refrigerator, where they find Cherie unconscious. Henry urges Allen to give Cherie the CPR the kids had learned in school. Allen panics and admits that during the lesson he had been goofing off and was sent to the principal's office. Allen goes to call 911. At that moment, Punky and Margaux come running outside (they had demonstrated CPR on the dummy at school, so they knew what to do). They work together and revive Cherie.

A TV series usually is doomed when either 1 of 2 things happens:

(1) The network cancels the show and the show is forced to air newer episodes in first-run syndication.

(2) The show moves to another network.

"Punky Brewster" was my absolute favorite show when I was a kid! (My last name is Frye, and I grew up being told that "Punky" and I were fifth cousins. That sealed it for me!) As thoroughly unrealistic as this show was, it was and will always be at the top of my list. It was *meant* to be a different kind of show, a nighttime sitcom marketed directly to younger kids. (By the way, did you know that Cherie Johnson was the niece of the creator, David Duclon? Her name is the same as her character's name because the character was written in honor of her.) One final note: I just saw the "Reading, Writing, and DeBarge" episode this week, and I kept trying to remember that it wasn't meant to be a parody. Hilarious!

Definitely the cave episode.

*sigh* What the hell was it in the 1980's when shows had to have a "supernatural" episode in a series where it had no business being?!

I am surprised that the episode where Punky was going to fight the school bully and Marvelous Marvin Hagler showed up to teach her how to box is not getting some love here. Aside from the Indian Cave episode, that was my fave Jump the Shark moment for this show.

I'm only 12 years old so I don't remember this show or what times were like when it was on. I have the dvd, and in one episode Punky and her friend do something wrong, and they are worried they are going to get a spanking. I was not expecting to hear that. Was spanking common in the 1980s?