|
By
WADE GOSSETT
The casual viewer who pops
in the first DVD of the first season of 1984's
"Punky Brewster" may quickly decide that the
series was little more than an early '80s
affectation, something like "Three's Company,"
"One Day at a Time," or any of the other unfunny
sitcoms that were released during that period. The
late '70s and early 80s were a conservative media
period after all, and humor needs a liberal
sensibility in order to challenge the culture and
the prevailing norms.
However, you'll be wrong about "Punky." Getting
over the rather mediocre, cheap looking set
design, the pasty-looking patina of early video,
and acting that was awkward and self-conscious at
times, reveals a touching, smart sitcom that kids
will enjoy very much.
Channeling Shirley Temple, Soleil Moon Frye stars
as an abandoned little girl who's cute and clever
and tough. Along with her dog Brandon she brings
joy and adventure to the staid life of grumpy, old
loner Henry (George Gaynes).
I liked the basic message, which is that a family
doesn't have to subscribe to preconceived notions
of what a family is. Any two loving people who are
obviously happy together and can take care of each
other can indeed be a family. Nevertheless, it is
kids that will truly enjoy Punky's escapades. Both
my kids, eight and five years of age, loved spunky
Punky.
The improbably named Soleil Moon Frye was a
natural child actress, as charismatic and likable
as Shirley Temple ever was. Moreover, the plots,
especially the early ones, are easy to understand.
Obviously aiming "Punky" at younger viewers, the
actors tend to enunciate overly well, and I'm
pretty certain that the awkwardness I thought I
detected in the acting is really an attempt at
making everything perfectly clear to post-toddlers
and pre-teens.
The typical episode finds Punky in mostly (but not
always) trifling conflicts with Henry -- conflicts
that are of course eventually resolved to
everybody's satisfaction. For instance, in "Punky
Gets Her Own Room," Punky convinces an unwilling
Henry to give up his study so that she can turn it
into her own bright and cheery bedroom; in
"Parents Night" Henry, who's still learning how to
be a dad, has to decide whether to show up at
Punky's school when he has to work.
The set contains all 23 episodes of the first
season, plus 2 hours of the Saturday morning
cartoon, "It's Punky Brewster." There's no
commentary track, but there are short interviews
with creator and executive producer David W.
Duclon, writer Barry Vigon, and actresses Cherie
Johnson and Ami Foster. Unfortunately, there's
nothing by the stars, George Gaynes and Soleil
Moon Frye. Both are alive and well and still
working so contemporary interviews would have been
very welcome, especially by nostalgic fans who'd
be curious to know how the two actors have fared
over the years. |
