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The Best Episodes of Punky Brewster

Every episode of Punky Brewster ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Punky Brewster!

Binge this in 1d 9h•Peaking at 8.8/10

An abandoned waif and her dog are taken in by a cranky apartment manager who becomes her guardian in this family-friendly sitcom.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 16 - Cherie Lifesaver
    8.8/10(46 votes)

    #1 - Cherie Lifesaver

    S2:E16

    Henry's old refrigerator breaks down and can't be used anymore. Later, Mike teaches CPR to his class after sending Allen to the principal's office for repeatedly misbehaving and interrupting the lesson, as Henry is putting the refrigerator outside for the Salvation Army to pick up. Later, at home, Punky and her friends play a game of hide-and-seek. When it starts snowing as Henry is preparing to remove the door from the old refrigerator after buying a new one, Henry tells Punky, Allen, and Margaux to help him and Betty look for Cherie, who still hasn't been found in the game. Henry and Allen are shocked to find Cherie trapped inside of the old refrigerator, and this makes Punky and Margaux thankful that they learned CPR, and makes Allen feel bad that he was sent to the principal's office during the lesson. Henry and Allen decide to learn CPR together after watching Punky and Margeaux save Cherie's life with it.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 18 - Changes (2)
    8.8/10(39 votes)

    #2 - Changes (2)

    S2:E18

    Punky is devastated when Henry tells her that she'll be going to Fenster Hall because Chillings removed her from Henry's custody. Chillings takes Punky to Fenster Hall, where Punky traps Chillings in a closet and escapes. Punky goes to the school to tell Mike what's going on. Mike agrees to help Punky, but he needs to know which DCFS case worker has been handling Punky's case. Punky tells Mike that it's Chillings, who took over Fenster Hall after Mike left Fenster Hall to become a teacher. Mike has a talk with Chillings, and doesn't make any progress with Chillings, who cruelly won't let Punky temporarily stay with Cherie and Betty while Henry is in the hospital, just because Punky wouldn't have her own bedroom in Betty's apartment. Betty rightfully doesn't understand this rule, which means that Punky is not allowed to temporarily share a room with her best friend Cherie at Betty's apartment, but Punky has to share a room at Fenster Hall with four girls that she doesn't even know. Mike

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 19 - Changes (3)
    8.7/10(35 votes)

    #3 - Changes (3)

    S2:E19

    Henry is rushed into emergency surgery after his collapse. At Fenster Hall, Mike brings Cherie, Margaux, and Allen to visit Punky, and they have a plan to help Punky sneak out so she can visit Henry at the hospital, and they get help from Punky's roommates Anna, Liz, Millie, and Weezie. They disguise Punky as Margaux and disguise Margaux as Punky. To make the plan work, they make sure Chillings can't wear his glasses. Mike goes along with the plan and takes Punky to visit Henry, who is unconscious. While Punky is in Henry's room, Punky overhears Mike telling Betty that Punky may not be coming back home to Henry because Chillings wants to put her with new foster parents. Sometime after Punky's visit, when Henry wakes up, there is a note from Punky, and the note tells Henry what Punky overheard Mike say to Betty, and Punky thinks it's her fault that Henry collapsed, because Henry was worried about how to regain custody of Punky. After reading Punky's note, Henry looks like he's about to

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 13 - Dog Dough Afternoon
    8.6/10(43 votes)

    #4 - Dog Dough Afternoon

    S1:E13

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

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 21 - I Love You, Brandon
    8.6/10(51 votes)

    #5 - I Love You, Brandon

    S1:E21

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 17 - Changes (1)
    8.6/10(38 votes)

    #6 - Changes (1)

    S2:E17

    In the beginning of a special 5 part: Henry shrugs it off when Punky sees fire trucks driving down the street outside the apartment building, then Henry gets a call that tells him why the fire trucks have been sent out -- his photography studio, his only source of money, is on fire. Henry and Punky rush to the studio, and they are told that the fire department thinks the fire was started by a short circuit in the studio's aging wiring. This is heartbreaking for Henry, who has been a photographer for more than 40 years and has owned the studio for 34 years. When Henry first opened the studio in 1952, he took out a fire insurance policy on it, but he never increased the coverage, even though he meant to increase the coverage in the early 1970s, but he thought it seemed too expensive to do it at the time. Henry worries that without a source of money, he won't be able to pay his bills. Henry worries so much that he collapses from the pain of a bleeding ulcer and is taken to Cook County Hos

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Punky Brewster

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  7. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 22 - Accidents Happen
    8.6/10(42 votes)

    #7 - Accidents Happen

    S2:E22

    Mike tries to help his class understand the Challenger space shuttle tragedy -- especially Punky, whose dream is to become an astronaut, and her classmates think she's crazy, then Mike introduces Punky to famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Henry is embarrassed when Buzz sees Henry wearing a dress. Henry is wearing the dress because Betty needed a dummy to put the dress on, so she could work on the dress.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Punky Brewster Season 3 Episode 13 - The Matchmaker
    8.5/10(38 votes)

    #8 - The Matchmaker

    S3:E13

    Punky and Cherie send Henry on a blind date with Ms. Maytag, the school librarian, then they talk Betty into appearing on the TV show "Dream Date", where out of the three women on the show, overweight contestant Chuck McKinley chooses Betty.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 1 - The K.O. Kid
    8.4/10(42 votes)

    #9 - The K.O. Kid

    S2:E1

    Punky's fourth grade teacher is Mike Fulton. Mike's friend, boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler, comes to Punky's class and talks about boxing. At lunch time, the school bully, Moose McGurk, takes lunches from Punky's friends, but Punky won't let Moose take hers, so Moose drags Punky into the restroom and beats Punky up. Punky wants to stand up to Moose, so Marvin trains Punky to be a boxer, but in the end, Marvin tells Punky that she can't box very well. Moose and Punky are set to fight behind the apartment building, and Cherie tells Moose that if she fights Punky, Moose will have to fight Cherie as well. And then all the other kids tell Moose that if she fights Cherie she'll have to fight all of them. Moose gets nervous and says that she can't fight everyone, so Moose runs home.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 21 - Changes (5)
    8.4/10(34 votes)

    #10 - Changes (5)

    S2:E21

    Henry gets a loan from the bank's vice president, Oliver Greene, so Henry can open a new photography studio in a mall and have a source of money so he can regain custody of Punky. Oliver remembers Punky from when Punky tried to get a loan from Oliver a year ago. Punky is shocked to discover that Tiffany has bought a castle in the French Rivera, and plans for herself, Jules, and Punky to move to the castle, and it looks like Jules doesn't have any say in this situation, because Tiffany's word is always final. The plan to move to the French Rivera is put on hold when Jules stands up to Tiffany, refusing to allow Tiffany to bully him or Punky anymore. Jules leaves Tiffany and takes Punky back to Henry, who is overjoyed by this, and sometime later, while Henry and Punky are out signing the adoption papers, Mike is filling in for Henry at the new studio. Before Punky and Henry get to the studio, Chillings calls the studio to congratulate Punky and Henry, and Mike is surprised by what Chilli

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Punky Brewster Season 3 Episode 9 - Best Friends
    8.4/10(33 votes)

    #11 - Best Friends

    S3:E9

    Punky's friendship with Cherie is put to the test when Cherie falls for Donald Sotta, a new boy in the neighborhood, and Cherie begins to spend more time with Donald than she does with Punky, making a jealous Punky think Cherie likes Donald more than she likes Punky, until Cherie proves Punky wrong by telling Punky that Cherie loves Punky as her best friend, and Cherie doesn't like Donald so much anymore because all Donald cares about is baseball, basketball, and wrestling.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 3 - Punky Finds a Home (3)
    8.3/10(90 votes)

    #12 - Punky Finds a Home (3)

    S1:E3

    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.

    Director:Art Dielhenn
    Writer:Carmen Finestra

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  13. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 12 - Miss Adorable
    8.3/10(45 votes)

    #13 - Miss Adorable

    S1:E12

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

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 8 - Just Say No
    8.3/10(39 votes)

    #14 - Just Say No

    S2:E8

    Punky and Cherie are playing in the backyard when a girls club called "the Chicklets" show up. They say they love Punky's fashion sense and her treehouse. They also explain to Punky and Cherie how being part of a club ""is like everything"". Punky invites them up to her treehouse, and the Chicklets ask Punky and Cherie if they'd like to be a part of the Chicklets. On the next day, Punky and Cherie say the pact to get into the club, and the Chicklets want to celebrate this by doing drugs. Punky and Cherie say maybe another time. Punky goes to Mike and asks him what to do. Mike hands Punky a book for the "Just Say No" club, and tells Punky about the club. On the next day, when the Chicklets pressure Punky and Cherie to do drugs, Punky just says no and tells the Chicklets about the "Just Say No" club. Chicklets member Kate, who is fed up with Chicklets leader Emily, wants to join the "Just Say No" club with Punky. At the end of the episode, Soleil Moon Frye is in a "Just Say No" march in Ch

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 9 - The Search
    8.3/10(33 votes)

    #15 - The Search

    S2:E9

    Punky is feeling a little down after Mike has assigned the class to each work on their family tree. It's making her want her mother Susan back in her life, and when she has a talk with Mike, Mike tells Punky something surprising -- Mike was born on November 23, 1955, and his mother gave him up for adoption when he was just a few days old, and he was never adopted, so he grew up in Fenster Hall. This inspires Punky and Mike to help each other search for their mothers. Only the search for Mike's mother, Lois Collins, is successful, and the fact that Mike has been happily united with Lois delights Punky, who is thankful that Henry found her and took her in after her mother Susan abandoned her a year ago.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 15 - Girls Will Be Boys
    8.3/10(33 votes)

    #16 - Girls Will Be Boys

    S2:E15

    Punky wants Henry to stand up for her rights when Richmond Matzie and his father and the boys won't let Punky race the new remote control car that she won, just because she's a girl. It turns out that Henry feels the same way the boys do, until Mike has an eye opening talk with Henry, convincing Henry to stand up for Punky against Mr. Matzie and Richmond, who reluctantly allow Punky to enter her car in a championship race that she wins.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Punky Brewster Season 2 Episode 20 - Changes (4)
    8.3/10(34 votes)

    #17 - Changes (4)

    S2:E20

    Henry spends much of the day trying to call Chillings. When Henry finally does get Chillings on the phone, Chillings tells Henry that Punky has been placed with new foster parents -- Tiffany Buckworth and her husband Jules Buckworth , who live in a mansion with a butler named Cuthbert, and Punky doesn't like this at all, because she wants to be with Henry, and while Jules is a kindly man who is always nice to Punky, Tiffany is snobby and mean. Two weeks later, after Henry is released from the hospital, Punky goes to the apartment building to visit Henry. When Punky tells Henry that she wants to return to Henry, Henry vows to regain custody of her.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Punky Brewster Season 3 Episode 4 - Divorce Anderson Style
    8.3/10(31 votes)

    #18 - Divorce Anderson Style

    S3:E4

    In a special episode: Allen is scared to death that his parents Andy and Annie are going to get a divorce because Andy and Annie have been arguing a lot lately, more than usual. It turns out that Allen is right, and Andy and Annie decide to get a divorce. Later, Punky finds Allen in the treehouse with a lot of his things. Allen says he's never leaving the treehouse, and Punky is shocked by the reason why -- Allen has to move to Kansas with Annie. Allen doesn't want to leave his friends and move to an unfamiliar place. Henry comes outside and tells Allen that Annie is looking for him. Punky and the gang say a tearful goodbye to Allen, and Punky tells Allen that she and the gang will always be Allen's friends, and that they will always stay in touch with Allen.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 11 - A Visit to the Doctor
    8.2/10(45 votes)

    #19 - A Visit to the Doctor

    S1:E11

    Henry gives Punky a lucky nickel to keep with her while she goes for a booster shot.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 18 - Henry Falls in Love (1)
    8.2/10(42 votes)

    #20 - Henry Falls in Love (1)

    S1:E18

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 22 - Punky Brewster's Workout
    8.2/10(46 votes)

    #21 - Punky Brewster's Workout

    S1:E22

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Punky Brewster Season 3 Episode 5 - Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix
    8.2/10(31 votes)

    #22 - Beer & Buffalos Don't Mix

    S3:E5

    Punky tells Henry that she is afraid of being in any vehicle driven by her friend Joey Deaton's father Mike Deaton, because Mike has a drinking problem, but Joey and Henry are reluctant to believe Punky, even though she's telling the truth. When Henry and Joey see for themselves what Punky saw, they apologize for not believing Punky, and Mike decides to get help for his drinking problem.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Punky Brewster Season 4 Episode 19 - One Plus Tutor is Three
    8.2/10(30 votes)

    #23 - One Plus Tutor is Three

    S4:E19

    Punky's new math tutor Walker Wimbley turns out to be a Casanova who tests the friendship between Punky and Margaux by falling head over heals for Margaux -- crushing a lovestruck Punky. Walker turns out to be a jerk, and with Margaux and Cherie's help, Punky gets even with Walker.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 8 - Take Me out to the Ballgame
    8.1/10(51 votes)

    #24 - Take Me out to the Ballgame

    S1:E8

    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.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Punky Brewster Season 1 Episode 9 - Parents Night
    8.1/10(50 votes)

    #25 - Parents Night

    S1:E9

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

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Cherie Lifesaver" is the best rated episode of "Punky Brewster". It scored 8.8/10 based on 46 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/19/1986. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Changes (2)".