Freddie Prinze Jr. lands role on NBC’s Punky Brewster sequel series

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

As strange as this may sound for a forty year old man to say, Punky Brewster was my jam back in the day. The 80s sitcom which ran for four seasons on NBC, followed the exploits of Penelope "Punky" Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) who after being orphaned by her mother, is adopted by a cantankerous but loving photographer named Henry (George Gaynes). The show was a light, bubbly, and harmless sitcom not unlike its protagonist. Hell, I even loved that weird-ass cartoon It's Punky Brewster with that even weirder-ass leprechaun gopher Glomer. Well take heart Punky Brewster fans because more Punky is on the way!

Back in July outlets reported that a Punky Brewster sequel series was in the works with Frye set to return in the titular role. The series would follow Punky, now a single mother of three, who encounters a girl that reminds her of her younger self. Well it appears as if the show has found Punky's ex as actor Freddie Prinze Jr. (I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, STAR WARS: REBELS) will join the cast as Punky's ex. Prinze will play Punky's former husband Travis, a constantly traveling musician who still somehow manages to be a good Dad while carrying a torch for his ex-wife. This is actually the second pilot Prinze has joined in 2019. Earlier this year Prinze was part of the pilot for the CW's Nancy Drew series but was eventually recast for Scott Wolf.

The new Punky Brewster series will debut on NBCUniversal's forthcoming streaming service Peacock, although no official start dates for production or release have been announced. Reviving 80s television shows is a hot commodity these days. Shows like The Conners, Murphy Brown, and Fuller House have all experienced a degree of success. However, whether or not that success extends to the Punky Brewster sequel series remains to be seen.