Punky Brewster

S01E01 Punky Finds a Home (1) 1984-09-16

In the series opener, in Chicago, 8-year-old Penelope ""Punky"" Brewster and her dog Brandon are found living in an empty apartment by the building's grouchy manager, photography studio owner Henry Warnimont. Punky tells Henry that it all started when her father walked out on her and her mother Susan Brewster, then a couple of weeks ago, Susan said they were going on a trip, so Susan, Punky, and Brandon piled up in their car and drove to a shopping center in Chicago, where Susan abandoned Punky and Brandon, who have been homeless ever since. In the vacant apartment, Punky always had food, because 8-year-old Cherie Johnson, who lives upstairs from Henry with her grandmother Betty Johnson, always brought food to Punky. Henry takes some memorable pictures of Punky, Cherie, Betty, Brandon, and himself at his photography studio. Later, Punky decides to clean Henry's apartment but when Henry gets home, he is furious because he liked everything the way it was before Punky cleaned the place.

S01E02 Punky Finds a Home (2) 1984-09-23

Henry calls the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), but Punky panics, saying that she doesn't want to go to an orphanage, so Henry promises Punky that she won't have to go to an orphanage. The DCFS sends Miranda ""Randi"" Mitchell, who takes Punky away from Henry. Randi takes Punky to Fenster Hall, a home for kids up for adoption. Randi later returns to Henry's apartment and tells Henry that there hasn't been much progress in finding Punky's mother Susan, who may not want to be found. Randi also says that in 72 hours, the DCFS will have a hearing to decide who gets custody of Punky, and Punky wants it to be Henry. Henry has shed a lot of his grouchiness, and he now loves Punky and would like to have custody of her, but Randi thinks Punky would be better off with someone else. At Fenster Hall, Punky is introduced to her two room mates -- Lisa is a girl who acts tough, and Mary is a girl who never talks.

S01E03 Punky Finds a Home (3) 1984-09-30

Henry demands to know one reason why Randi doesn't think he should be Punky's foster father, but Randi gives him three reasons -- he's never raised a kid, he's not married, and he's too old.

S01E04 Punky Gets Her Own Room / Lost and Found 1984-10-07

Punky and her friends convert Henry's study room into her bedroom without asking him first.

S01E05 Walk Pool / Gone Fishin' 1984-10-14

Henry, Punky's foster father, takes over the task of walking her and her hyperactive friends Cherie, Margeaux, Scotty and Allen to school after Mrs. Johnson, Cherie's grandmother, challenges him to the job.

S01E06 Take Me Out to the Ballgame 1984-10-21

As the Chicago Cubs play in their first post-season championship since 1945, proud Cubs fan Henry tries to get tickets for Punky and himself.

S01E07 Parents Night 1984-10-28

As the school's parent-teacher night approaches, Punky is upset by Margaux's insensitive comments about foster parents and foster children.

S01E08 Go to Sleep / A Visit to the Doctor 1984-11-04

Punky can't sleep, so Henry agrees to let her stay up and watch the opera with him on TV.

S01E09 Miss Adorable 1984-11-25

Punky, Cherie, and Margaux compete in a beauty pageant hosted by pop singer Andy Gibb.

S01E10 Dog Dough Afternoon 1984-12-02

Punky and Cherie start a dog grooming business so that they can help make ends meet in their respective homes.

S01E11 Bye Bye, My 1984-12-09

Henry throws out Punky's worn-out old doll after the children's attempt to repair it fails. This upsets Punky, so Henry searches throughout the city to find it.

S01E12 Yes, Punky, There Is a Santa Claus (1) 1984-12-16

Christmas is approaching, and the only thing Punky wants is to find her mother.

S01E13 Yes, Punky, There Is a Santa Claus (2) 1984-12-16

Christmas is approaching, and the only thing Punky wants is to find her mother.

S01E14 Punky in the Record Business 1985-01-20

Punky helps her piano teacher get into the music business.

S01E15 Henry Falls in Love (1) 1985-01-27

Henry is reunited with a woman he planned to marry in 1941; when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines and did not see her again until now.

S01E16 Henry Falls in Love (2) 1985-02-03

Punky runs away when he learns that when Henry and Maggie are to be married, she'll be sent to boarding school in Europe.

S01E17 My Aged Valentine 1985-02-10

After getting in trouble for slugging a boy at school, Punky dreams of life 80 years into the future where everyone has found love except for her.

S01E18 I Love You, Brandon 1985-02-17

Henry scolds Brandon for eating several valuable stamps. After that, Punky takes him on a walk, where he is hit by a car. He is rushed to the veterinary hospital, where his prognosis is grim.

S01E19 Punky Brewster's Workout 1985-02-24

Henry purchases a video camera for his photo studio and firmly warns Punky that she is not to touch it under any circumstances. However, while he's away, she and her friends make an exercise tape and think he won't know it - until the camera breaks.

S01E20 Gals and Dolls 1985-03-03

Punky, Cherie, and Margaux all want a highly sought-after doll, but Henry can only find one of them at the toy store.

S01E21 Fenster Hall (1) 1985-03-31

Punky catches a boy breaking into her room and stealing from her. Henry takes the boy to Fenster Hall where Mike Fulton, one of the workers there, tries to bond with him.

S01E22 Fenster Hall (2) 1985-03-31

T.C.'s criminal mentor, Blade, sends him back to Fenster Hall to steal the money from the upcoming benefit auction.

S02E01 The K.O. Kid 1985-09-15

When Punky bears the brunt of the school bully's aggression, she asks professional boxer Marvin Hagler for advice on self-defense.

S02E02 Punky's Treehouse 1985-09-22

Punky wants to build a tree house behind her apartment building, but she has trouble getting people to help her.

S02E03 Cheaters Never Win 1985-09-29

Punky and Allen cheat on their geography test.

S02E04 Baby Buddies, Inc 1985-10-06

With Mrs. Johnson's assistance, Punky and Cherie go into the babysitting business. A woman leaves her baby with them, but when the three of them take it out for a stroll, they return home with another infant.

S02E05 Tap Your Troubles Away 1985-10-13

The children enroll in a tap dancing class taught by Jersey Janet, a former Broadway dancer. Punky is not very good, and she quits the class when her skills do not improve.

S02E06 The Perils of Punky (1) 1985-10-20

Punky and the gang go on a camping trip. When the children get lost in a cave, Punky tells a ghost story about an evil spirit who threatens the lake.

S02E07 The Perils of Punky (2) 1985-10-20

The children do battle with an evil spirit, when the ghost of an Indian princess appears to tell Punky that it must be fought with love.

S02E08 Just Say No 1985-10-27

Punky and Cherie are admitted into a clique, only to find that they use drugs and want them to do so.

S02E09 The Search 1985-11-10

Punky has something in common with her teacher, Mike Fulton: they were both abandoned by their mothers. They work together to try and find the whereabouts of their respective families.

S02E10 Love Thy Neighbor 1985-11-17

On Halloween, Punky raises the ire of Mrs. Peevey, a cantankerous old woman who lives in the building, simply by trying to be her friend.

S02E11 The Gift 1985-11-24

Punky befriends the school janitor who, in spite of her learning disability, is a gifted violin player.

S02E12 Milk Does a Body Good 1985-12-01

Punky and Cherie learn that a girl who moved into the building recently was kidnapped by her divorced father, and they are both living in the building under assumed names.

S02E13 Christmas Shoplifting 1985-12-15

During the Christmas shopping season, Punky sees a friend shoplifting merchandise and decides to steal a present she can't afford for Henry. She regrets this when she accidentally switches bags with Mike, who ends up in prison.

S02E14 Urban Fear 1986-01-05

Punky is afraid that Henry will be the next victim of a widely publicized murder spree.

S02E15 Girls Will Be Boys 1986-01-12

Punky receives a remote-controlled race car as a gift. She wants to take it to the racing track, but they do not allow girls to compete there.

S02E16 Cherie Lifesaver 1986-01-19

Henry reluctantly buys a new refrigerator and puts the old one in the backyard. Mike teaches CPR to the children in class. Allen goofs off and is sent to the principal's office. When the children are playing Hide and Seek, Cherie hides in the fridge and suffocates. Allen doesn't know what to do, so it's up to Punky and Margaux to save their friend's life.

S02E17 Changes (1) 1986-02-02

Henry's studio burns down; with no insurance and a mountain of bills he can't pay, he suffers a bleeding ulcer and is hospitalized.

S02E18 Changes (2) 1986-02-09

Just as Henry was planning to adopt Punky, a Fenster Hall bureaucrat named Simon P. Chillings rescinds his custody citing his age, his illness, and his lack of a steady income. Mike Fulton tries to change his mind but to no avail.

S02E19 Changes (3) 1986-02-16

Punky's friends visit her at Fenster Hall. Hoping that Simon Chillings won't notice (and by taking his glasses), Margaux impersonates Punky so that the real Punky can visit Henry in the hospital.

S02E20 Changes (4) 1986-02-23

Simon Chillings performs a Rorschach inkblot test on the fake Punky, and based upon the results, he places the real Punky with a wealthy family. However, she does not take to high society very well.

S02E21 Changes (5) 1986-03-02

After a tearful reunion between Punky and Henry, the Buckworths plan to move to Europe. Henry, however, is working as hard as possible to rebuild his business and win Punky back.

S02E22 Accidents Happen 1986-03-09

Punky's dream is to become an astronaut when she grows up. When she sees the explosion of the Challenger Space Shuttle on TV, she is devastated.

S03E01 Reading, Writing, and Rock & Roll 1987-10-30

Punky wants to see the rock group DeBarge in concert, but Henry is more concerned with her education.

S03E02 Punky's Big Story 1987-11-02

Punky writes a gossip column for the school newspaper.

S03E03 Tons of Fun 1987-11-03

Punky's overweight cousin Louise wants to lose weight.

S03E04 Divorce Anderson Style 1987-11-04

When Allen's parents file for divorce, his mother moves to Kansas and takes him with her.

S03E05 Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix 1987-11-05

Punky believes one of Henry's lodge buddies has been drinking and driving.

S03E06 Hands Across the Halls 1987-11-06

Punky tries to help an elderly woman in the building.

S03E07 Best Friends 1987-11-10

Punky is angry when Cherie falls for a boy.

S03E08 It's a Dog's Life 1987-11-11

After Henry scolds Punky for not taking better care of Brandon, she dreams that she's a dog and Brandon's a person.

S03E09 The Metamorphosis 1987-11-12

Henry goes shopping for a brassiere for Punky.

S03E10 Fighting City Hall 1987-11-13

Punky and Henry campaign to turn an empty field into a city park, but Henry's fear of public speaking gets the best of him.

S03E11 The Matchmaker 1987-11-13

Punky sets Henry up with the school librarian, while Mrs. Johnson goes on a dating game show.

S03E12 My Fair Punky 1987-11-16

Punky tries to fit in at a high society banquet.

S03E13 The Anniversary 1987-11-17

Punky is concerned about the way Cherie always seems to act every year on the 9th of May; she soon learns that it was the day Cherie's parents were killed in a car accident.

S03E14 Tangled Web 1987-11-20

When Punky pretends to be an elderly woman and sneaks into an R-rated movie, Cherie and Margaux cover for her truancy at school.

S03E15 Punky's Porker 1987-11-25

Punky enlists the aid of Cherie and Margaux in kidnapping a pig to save it from being slaughtered.

S03E16 This Spud's for You 1987-12-01

Spud threatens to jump off a building if Punky won't go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with him.

S03E17 So Long, Studio 1987-12-02

Photo developing tycoon Matt Glossy offers to buy Henry's studio for $100,000. When he accepts the deal, he ends up working for him. Dissatisfaction quickly sets in, so Henry quits his job. Since his contract with Mr. Glossy forbids him from opening another studio for several decades, he opens a restaurant instead.

S03E18 Help Wanted 1987-12-03

Punky convinces Henry to let her work at Punky's Place, the new restaurant named for her. However, she screws things up tremendously and is quickly fired.

S03E19 Remember When 1987-12-04

A blackout prompts the gang to reminisce on old times (in clips from previous episodes).

S03E20 Unhooking Henry 1987-12-07

Punky tries to help Henry break his addiction to sleeping pills.

S03E21 Open Door, Broken Heart (1) 1987-12-08

Brandon runs away after Cherie leaves the apartment door open.

S03E22 Open Door, Broken Heart (2) 1987-12-09

The boy who finds Brandon refuses to give him up, even when his parents tell him that they're moving to California.

S04E01 The Nun's Story 1988-04-27

Punky believes she has donated an urn containing Henry's Aunt Mabel's ashes to a convent.

S04E02 Crushed 1988-04-28

Punky has a crush on an older boy.

S04E03 Going to Camp 1988-04-29

Punky, Cherie, and Margaux go to Camp Kookalookie.

S04E04 Poor Margaux 1988-05-02

Margaux believes that Punky and Cherie won't want to be her friends anymore because her family has gone bankrupt.

S04E05 Brandon's Commercial 1988-05-03

Punky pushes Brandon into doing a TV commercial for dog food.

S04E06 Passed Away at Punky's Place 1988-05-04

Punky and Cherie believe that a man has died at Punky's Place. When a newspaper's restaurant critic eats there, they fear that this will hurt the restaurant's reputation.

S04E07 Christmas Hero 1988-05-05

During the Christmas season, Punky finds a briefcase full of stolen money.

S04E08 Cosmetic Scam 1988-05-06

Punky and Cherie make money selling cosmetics with unexpected side effects.

S04E09 See You in Court 1988-05-09

When Henry teaches Mrs. Johnson how to drive, mutual lawsuits result because of an accident. The judge hears contradictory testimony from both of them.

S04E10 Radio Daze 1988-05-10

Punky, Cherie, and Margaux perform a radio drama.

S04E11 Aunt Larnese Is Coming to Town 1988-05-11

Betty's sister Larnese, a world famous singer, asks Cherie to come live with her in France.

S04E12 Dear Diary 1988-05-12

While Henry tries to throw out souvenirs he has collected over the years, Punky tries to read Cherie's diary. After it accidentally goes out with the garbage, Punky and Margaux search the dumpster to try and find it.

S04E13 The Reading Game 1988-05-13

Cherie's cousin Paula is a talented artist. When it is suggested that she enters a contest, she balks at filling out the entry form because she doesn't know how to read.

S04E14 Ouch 1988-05-16

Punky is afraid to undergo an appendectomy.

S04E15 No No, We Won't Go 1988-05-17

When Margaux's father buys the apartment building, Mrs. Johnson can't afford the rent increase he has proposed. Punky, Cherie, and Margaux protest the rent increase by going to his office and chaining themselves to his desk.

S04E16 Bad Dog 1988-05-18

Brandon's behavior receives complaints from other tenants.

S04E17 Vice Versa 1988-05-19

In Punky's dream, Henry and Mrs. Johnson are the children while she and Cherie are the parents.

S04E18 Wimped Out 1988-05-23

Punky - who has a broken leg - and Cherie are stuck in an elevator with a pregnant woman in labor.

S04E19 One Plus Tutor Is Three 1988-05-24

Punky has a crush on her math tutor, who is more interested in Margaux.

S04E20 The Dilemma 1988-05-25

Punky tries to juggle two dates at the same time.

S04E21 What's Your Sign? 1988-05-26

Punky befriends a deaf girl.

S04E22 Wedding Bells for Brandon 1988-05-27

Though Henry finds it ridiculous, Punky arranges for Brandon to get married to Myron's dog Brenda.