Punky Brewster is going off the air once more. The revival series, lead by original star Soleil Moon Frye, has been cancelled by Peacock after one season, ET has learned.
“Punky Brewster was a beloved series that tackled meaningful storylines with so much heart,” Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement to ET on Thursday.
“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,” Katz added.
The series’ 10-episode debut season hit the streaming platform in February to mixed reviews from critics, and marginally warmer reviews from audiences and fans according to review aggregators.
The original series ran for four seasons, from 1984 to 1988, and the revival picked up three decades later, with Frye reprising her role as Brewster, a now-divorced mother of three who takes in a young girl who reminds her of herself as a teen.
The show was one of the first scripted original programs produced by Peacock, and follows in the single-season footsteps of Peacock’s sci-fi drama Brave New World and talk series Wilmore — which were both cancelled after their freshman seasons.
In April 2020, Frye spoke with ET about bringing Punky Brewster back to TV and reprising her iconic character.
“Punky Brewster was such a big part of my heart and is such a big part of my heart and I always say that,” Frye told ET’s Nischelle Turner. “We were the same in so many ways, and her spunk and her heart and her belief and herself– she had these real-life super powers and I always wanted to be like her, and incorporate them into myself.”
“It’s a role that I’m so proud of, but to me, Punky is not just a show. She is a part of our lives and a part of, certainly, the parts of myself that I aspire to be,” Frye added. “So she’s a real inspiration to me, and I feel so honored and humbled to be able to carry her on and share her with a whole new generation.”
