Punky is officially back!
NBCU officially bestowed a 10-episode series order on that Punky Brewster sequel project with original stars Soleil Moon Frye and Cherie Johnson for the Peacock streaming platform.
Starting at 7 years old, Frye starred as the titular Punky on the sitcom when it ran from 1984-1988. Johnson played Punky’s best friend. The sequel series will now follow Punky as a single mother of three children trying to get her life back on track. She’ll meet a young foster girl named Izzy, who reminds Punky of her younger self.
Quinn Copeland, who appeared on Broadway in Waitress the Musical, will star as Izzy, while Freddie Prinze Jr. will play Travis, Punky’s ex-husband, a working musician who’s constantly popping in and out of town.
Also confirmed for the cast are Lauren Donzis (No Good Nick), Oliver De Los Santos (Occupation: Rainfall), and Noah Cottrell (Skyscraper).
“I am beyond thrilled and honored to be bringing Punky back!” Frye said in a statement. “I’m grateful to our NBCUniversal Content Studios and Peacock family and to our incredible team of creators, writers, producers, cast, and crew that have put their hearts into this journey every step of the way. It is with great love for the amazing people who were such a pivotal part of creating the Punky magic that I will do my very best to honor their memory as we once again share Punky with the people that love her and a new generation discovering her for the first time. To our incredible fans who have stood by us, thank you for believing in me and I will do my best to make you proud. I love you. Punky Power forever!”
School of Rock‘s Steve and Jim Armogida write and executive produce alongside fellow EPs Frye, original series creator David Duclon, and Emmy winner Jimmy Fox. The new series — produced by Universal Content Productions (UCP) and Universal Television, divisions of NBCUniversal Content Studios — joins the Saved By the Bell reboot, the new season of A.P. Bio, and a roster of original programming at Peacock.
