Before Nikelodeon there was Punky Brewster. Punky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster (played by Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by her foster parent. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984 to September 7, 1986 and again in first-run syndication from October 30, 1987 to May 27, 1988.
I fell in love with Punky when I was around 5 or 6 years old. By that stage Punky was being re-run daily on television. Punky was cool, tough, tomboyish but girly at the same time, she was loner and she was just like me, poor.
Living in low income housing and growing up around troubled kids and "bad" neighbourhoods in a small country town I felt like Punky was one of "us" or maybe I was one of her. IT was one of the first shows too where all kids of different classes and races were just hanging out. So finally, there was something on TV that resembled aspects of my own childhood and what I was growing up around.
I think one of things I remember most vividly and most fondly about Punky was her individuality and the ongoing fondness of her relationship with Henry. Growing up I always felt weird and awkward but in Punky I found an inspiration to be myself and not be mad that other kids didn't get it or that my teachers didn't get it and most of all that my parents didn't get it.
Punky, I miss you.
