If you were wondering which movie or television show might be the next one to get a reboot, wonder no more: Punky Brewster is back! Deadline reports that this will be a sequel to the beloved 1980s sitcom that aired for four seasons, the first two on NBC and then in syndication. Most importantly, Soleil Moon Frye will be lacing up her high-tops and returning as Punky:
The original multi-camera series, created by David W. Duclon, centered on Punky (Frye), a bright young girl raised by a foster dad (George Gaynes). In the multi-camera/hybrid reboot, Punky (Frye) is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets a young girl who reminds her a lot of her younger self.
Soleil, who also voiced Punky in the animated spin-off, It’s Punky Brewster, shared the news on Instagram for her fans alongside a picture of Punky in her signature vest and ponytails, giving the camera two thumbs up:
Soleil, 42, married producer Jason Goldberg in 1998 and they have four children, daughters Poet, 13, Jagger, 11, and sons Lyric, 5, and Story, 3. After Punky’s run, Soleil worked as a guest star on various sitcoms and did voiceover work. She released two parenting books and has directed two films. She also co-founded an eco-friendly children’s boutique in LA called The Little Seed.
According to the Deadline article, Soleil just finished filming Heirlooms, described as a “crime comedy,” co-starring Shelley Long and Luke Wilson. I think that the last time that I saw Soleil on TV was when she guest-starred on Friends in the episode, “The One with the Girl Who Hits Joey,” as girlfriend, Katie. (And that aired 20 years ago. Yikes.) I watched Punky Brewster in syndication and always loved that, like me, Punky enjoyed wearing lots of colors at once. I’ll be tuning into the reboot, curious to see what they’ve done with Punky-as-an-adult.
I’m so excited!!! My kids are gonna love it. Or, I’m going to love it and force my kids to watch it with me. Probably the latter.
Ha! Right?! That’s how I thought it would be with the She-ra remake on Netflix (that I would watch it and have to force my son to watch it with me) but he loves it all on his own.
I’m excited to see how they navigate Punky’s manic pixie trope in adulthood. And I hope they bring back Cheri!
I’m down for this. Mostly for the nostalgia factor, but the premise actually doesn’t sound so terrible. I’ll definitely check it out.
She looks absolutely great!
OMG is that Jonny Depp in the yellow t-shirt? Before he turned into a pirate ax murder without a toothbrush?
Yes!
I LOVED Punky Brewster as a child, and would get soooo angry when football went into overtime and it was skipped. I did not care for the cartoon. I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I did miss seeing her over the years. I totally remember that friends episode. I remember she was also in an issue of like, 17 or something like that, in the 90s because she had to have breast reduction surgery and so she talked about that. Very interesting
I also LOVED Punky! I wonder if they’ll be able to get any of the other cast back for it??? I’d love that.
I also remember her in my Bop, Big Bopper and Teen Beat mags with all those cute 80’s boys.
And funny, I also recall the article about the breast reduction surgery in whatever mag that was. Teen, 17, YM, can’t recall.
I think I will actually try to watch the reboot. And that is saying something because I do NOT do reboots. I believe mostly in leaving the past in the past. This time I’ll make an exception 😉
She was actually on Sabrina (the one with Melissa Joan Hart) a few years ago too.
Not sure how I feel about this reboot. Meh. But I do like Soleil and will probably check it out for nostalgia sake.
She looks great without the heavy black eyeliner.
She was so hammy. I think she went to the Disney School of Acting
I loved this show as a kid, but I remember very little about it, other than the refrigerator episode.
Every. Single. Time. I have seen a fridge that looks even a hint like the one in that episode, I have an involuntary gasp and mentally tell myself “You could suffocate in there!”
Sooooooo- it was effective, I guess?
I always thought she was the cutest child, and I think she’s very attractive as an adult. I like all her smile lines; they make her look like a real person.
I’m 42 now. When I was an 8-yr-old kid, I loved Punky Brewster SO MUCH that one night the cable went out during a storm one minute before the show started and I cried my eyes out for an hour like someone had died. It was ridiculous, of course, but as a little kid who LOVED PUNKY BREWSTER SO MUCH OMG, it felt like the end of the world. I remember sobbing while my dad tried to explain that he couldn’t do anything about the cable being out. I felt like he betrayed me…haha.