Well, Punky
Power is back and lives on in this 4-disc DVD collection; which
includes the entire first season (23 episodes) of the popular 80’s
children’s show Punky Brewster and a variety of extras.
Punky Brewster was a benchmark in 80’s children television, it
tells the story of an abandoned little girl, Penelope “Punky”
Brewster (Moon-Frye), and her dog Brandon who help bring life,
laughter, and a whole lot of spunk back into the life of a grumpy
old man, Henry (Gaynes), who eventually becomes her foster father.
The first season
begins with the pilot episode, where Punky is found living in an
abandoned apartment by Henry (who is also the building manager),
through Henry’s battle with the courts to become Punky’s foster
father, through the trials and tribulations of these two opposites
living together, and up to the climatic first season finale at Fenster
Hall involving another orphan looking for a home. Punky Brewster
was a wholesome primetime children’s show combining humor, emotion,
and spunk (err… Punky Power).
CRITIQUE
Punky Brewster
was a very popular TV show from the 80’s and I can remember watching
it as a kid and loving it. Watching this DVD series is a trip down
memory lane, I remembered quite a lot about the show (even the opening
musical score). Some of the Punky Brewster magic is rubbed off
by now (with the onslaught of such creative kid’s shows) but the show
does still have some redeeming aspects and an abundance of charm. Most
of the show’s charm is a sole result of Punky herself, Soleil
Moon-Frye. Moon-Frye had a remarkable way of mixing superb comic
timing with engaging spunk and attitude. She was such a gifted
child-actress; this is the main reason for the show’s success.
The supporting
cast is adequate and they have some strong moments, but their
characters do not resonate as much as Punky. Gaynes plays Henry a bit
too over the top at times, as do many of the other supporting players.
The writing is also another strong point of this series; these early
episodes are especially well written. The episodes flow back and forth
between straight comedic moments (that are actually quite funny at
times) and endearing emotional moments that (while manipulative) ring
true.
The main problem
I had with enjoying the show again is the way the episodes are scored.
Every touching moment or any comedic moment is emphatically underlined
with the loud and obnoxious score. Whenever one of the characters
displays their true feelings, the score will strike up immediately and
loudly in a very abrasive and grating way taking away from the power
of the moment. And after every joke or funny moment the score will
kick in quickly to underline it (in case you missed it) with some
loud, awkward noise. I found it incredibly aggravating and it
definitely made it more difficult to enjoy the episodes.
The over the top
acting by some of the supporting cast was also quite bothersome, not
so much with the child actors but with the adults (namely Henry,
Cherie’s grandmother, and (worst of all) the new handyman at the
building). Some of the episodes were also a bit too wholesome and
sugarcoated that even Punky’s charm and spunk could not overcome the
sap. Although, this is a kids’ show and how critical can you be with
such a cutesy show?
THE VIDEO
The video
transfer is fair considering this show ran during 1984/85. The
picture is clear without being grainy or blurred. There are a few
problems with having lines running through at times and some
noticeable edge enhancement issues, but (for the most part) the
transfer is fine.
THE AUDIO
Again, the
score is the biggest problem I had with the episodes so it’s hard
to say whether the audio is done well. I felt like almost all of
the score and music was a hindrance on enjoying the show. The
dialogue is not quite clear when the score kicks up and I noticed
some problems with background noises in some episodes. There is
also a slight hiss at times that is constant, yet just barely
noticeable.
THE EXTRAS
The most
glaring and obvious missing extra is an interview or anything
with or about Soleil Moon-Frye. She is Punky Brewster, she is
the reason for the success of the show, and she is nowhere to be
found. Uh, OK?
Interview with
Cherie Johnson & Ami Foster – Cherie and Ami
talk about their experiences on the show that is interesting and fun,
yet I just could not understand why Moon-Frye was not involved.
Interview with
Creator & Executive Producer David W. Duclon
– Duclon goes into depth on the various aspects of the show and
provides some very interesting and detailed discussion on the time
period when the show came out and how it all came to be such a hit.
Interview with
Cherie Johnson
– As if the interview with Cherie and Ami were not enough, we get one
with just Cherie and one with just Ami. I don’t know why they didn’t
roll all three interviews into one; I guess they were desperate for
more extras.
Interview with
Ami Foster –
See above.
Interview with
Barry Vigon –
Barry Vigon is one of the main writers on the show and he goes into
detail on the characters and what the show’s themes were and how they
still resonate today in a very monotone and dull way.
It’s Punky
Brewster
cartoon series – There are two
cartoon segments on each disc from the popular animated series that
showed on Saturday mornings. The cartoon is far different from the
show in story. The cartoon follows Punky, Brandon, her friends, and a
new character, some kind of magical animal that was a leprechaun
helper under a rainbow (uhhhh…ok!), on all sorts of adventures. The
new character, Gomer, is so completely annoying that it’s hard to
watch. The cartoon series does not have the magic of the TV show
because it doesn’t really follow the same themes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Punky Brewster
was one of the most popular kids’ shows of all time and most of the
show’s charm is still evident (but it does show its age). It is
impossible not to like the character of Punky and not be engaged by
her charm, spunk, and effervescence played so brilliantly by Soleil
Moon-Frye. This is the reason for the success of the show and it is
still the main reason to enjoy the show again.
