‘Punky Brewster’ TV Sequel Coming Soon

In the age of TV reboots and revivals, Universal Content Productions is developing a Punky Brewster sequel series, with Soleil Moon Frye set to reprise the titular role.

According to Deadline, the potential follow-up to the 1980s NBC sitcom will revisit Punky as 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.”

The sequel will be written and executive produced by Steve and Jim Armogida (School of Rock, Grounded For Life), with Frye also set to executive produce alongside original series creator David W. Duclon. The sequel will be produced by All3Media America’s Main Event Media and UCP.

The series, set to be a multi/single-camera hybrid, does not yet have a network attached.

Originally airing 1984 to 1988, with two seasons on NBC and the rest in syndication, Punky Brewster starred Frye as the main character Punky, a young girl raised by her foster dad Henry Warnimont, played by the late George Gaynes.

The series not only launched Frye’s career, seeing her go on to join the cast of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as voice series including The Ren & Stimpy Show, Robot Chicken,and Bratz, but also spun the animated spinoff series It’s Punky Brewster, which was voiced by Frye and ran for two seasons in 1985 and 1986.

The cartoon series earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding animated program. Meanwhile, over the course of its four season run, Punky Brewster nabbed three Primetime Emmy nominations, including two for Outstanding Children’s Program.

As for the sequel, Frye had previously expressed her desire to see Punky Brewster get another run on TV, telling Us Weekly in 2018 that she was “ready for a reboot.”

“I just love that there’s nostalgia going on,” Frye said of the string of recent classic TV revivals, going on to add her two cents as to what her former character could be up to these days. “I think she’s a fashion designer maybe. Possibly has a lot of kids that’s she’s taken in. Maybe she’s adopted some kids. A lot of possibilities with that Punky.”

Should the sequel series be picked up, it will join a number of ’80s sitcom reboots and revivals to rise from the dead in recent months, including Roseanne, Murphy Brown and Full House, the latter of which’s sequel is set to end on Netflix following five seasons.