Editing Punky Brewster (section)

===Syndication (1987–1988)===
After two seasons, NBC saw that ''Punky Brewster'' and its principal Sunday night stablemate, the four-year-old ''[[Silver Spoons]]'', could not compete as strongly as they hoped against [[CBS]]' juggernaut ''[[60 Minutes]]'', and cancelled both programs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kelley |first=Bill |date=November 8, 1985 |title=NBC'S PROBLEM: WHERE TO PUT TWO NEW SHOWS |page=8E |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |publisher=[[Tronc|Tribune Publishing]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rothenberg |first=Fred |date=May 15, 1986 |title=NBC ADDS SITCOMS TO FALL LINEUP |page=52 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |publisher=Affiliated Publications}}</ref> Like many cult-favorite sitcoms of the time, ''Punky Brewster'' was revived for [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] (as was ''Silver Spoons''). Production on ''Punky'' went undelayed, and its third season began shooting on schedule. While the show was in production throughout the 1986–87 season, it did not return to the air via syndication until October 30, 1987.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 24, 1986 |title=SHOWS REVIVED FOR SYNDICATION |page=24 |work=[[The Wichita Eagle]] |publisher=[[Knight Ridder]]}}</ref> Beginning on that premiere date, ''Punky'' was packaged such that new episodes would air every weekday (usually late in the afternoon on independent stations). The entire third season (1986–87) aired in the five-days-a-week format through December 8, 1987.

By the syndicated run, the storylines had clearly started to mature. Many more of Punky and Cherie's friends were seen (although most only made a handful of guest appearances each), with Margaux becoming their comic foil and source of friction. Early in the third season, Allen moved away to [[Kansas]] with his mother, following his parents' divorce. As Punky herself neared [[junior high]], her [[avant-garde]] day-glo and multicolored attire, along with her pigtails, segued into more traditional teenaged styles, and her declaration of, and reliance on "Punky Power!" gave way to the realization that intelligence, common sense, and a strong will, can get one out of any problem. More of her dalliances with boys entered the stories, with the ones she chased and those that tried to pursue her. Punky's spunk and vivacious attitude toward life did remain, though, thanks in part to the sunshine brought in by the most important man in her life, her adoptive dad.

[[File:Punky brewster piano lesson.jpg|thumb|[[Soleil Moon Frye]] as Punky Brewster|right|175px]]

Henry's photography studio at the mall continued to see much success, so much that by the end of the third season, he received an offer from the magnate of Glossy's, a photo-studio franchise, for a $100,000 buyout of Warnimont's, which also included the offer of Henry becoming manager of the Glossy's location. Henry accepted, but soon found that his creativity and business style were not being appreciated by his new employers. He quit Glossy's, but then decided to give into Punky and Cherie's dream to run their own teen hangout/burger establishment, and invested into another mall property, which ended up being splashed with as much color and originality as Punky's bedroom. All involved, which even included Betty and Margaux, unanimously decided on christening it "Punky's Place". Into season four, much of the action continued to take place at the mall, with Henry, Punky, and her friends' efforts to keep their new restaurant afloat and the many teenage misadventures which passed through at Punky's Place.

From December 10, 1987 to April 26, 1988, reruns from the third season were added to the ''Punky Brewster'' syndication package. On April 27, 1988, new episodes resumed for the fourth season, and ran every weekday for a month until the series finale aired on May 27, 1988.

The final episode, "Wedding Bells for Brandon", features Brandon falling in love with Brenda, a golden retriever that belonged to one of Henry and Punky's neighbors. Their whirlwind romance culminated in a wedding ceremony in the courtyard, which was attended mostly by other neighborhood canines.

According to Cherie Johnson, "Wedding Bells for Brandon" was not intended to be the series finale; that particular episode came along in the midst of the [[1988 Writers Guild of America strike]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossen |first=Jake |date=January 25, 2016 |title=Oral History: Punky Brewster's Refrigerator Danger |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/74018/oral-history-punky-brewsters-refrigerator-danger |website=Mental Floss}}</ref>