The revival of 80’s sitcom Punky Brewster will be a one-and-done project after the streaming service Peacock opted not to renew the series for the second season. NBCUniversal, which owns the streamer, confirmed the news about cancelation in an official statement.
Punky Brewster originally had a four season-run on NBC between 1984 and 1998. It followed a bright young girl, Punky Brewster, played by Soleil Moon Frye, who gets abandoned by her mother and ends up being raised by a foster parent.
The revival saw Frye return in the role of Punky, now a single mother of three who is trying “to get her life back on track.” After encountering a young girl named Izzy (Quinn Copeland), who is in a similar situation like she once was, Punky decides to adopt her.
The sequel’s first season, consisting out of 10 episodes, premiered in February. It was met with lukewarm reviews, which praised Frye’s performance but criticized the plot.
Reportedly, Soleil Moon Frye and executive producers all wanted to do a second season, and Peacock’s brass was fond of the series as well. But despite this, the streamer eventually decided to pull the plug on the project.
“Punky Brewster was a beloved series that tackled meaningful storylines with so much heart”- said Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content at NBCUniversal. “It was a bright light for so many viewers and we are forever grateful to Universal Studio Group, the producers, the cast and crew, and especially to Soleil Moon Frye for reigniting the Punky Power within everyone.”
