*Punky Brewster aired 4 seasons, the first two (1984-1986) on NBC and the second two (1987-1988) in first-run syndication.
*The two episodes we talk about on the podcast are season 1's
Take Me Out to the Ballgame (premiered Sunday, October 21, 1984) and season 2's
Urban Fear (Sunday, January 5, 1986
*Sadly, there is no epic printed biography of George Gaynes, let alone one written by David Halberstam.
*
Silver Spoons, as mentioned on the podcast, aired on NBC 4 seasons and one season in syndication. The two series share an executive producer, David Duclon, who previously worked on
The Jeffersons and
Laverne and Shirley and later produced
Family Matters, Malcolm and Eddie, and
Eve.
Punky's friend Cherie is played by Cherie Johnson, who is Duclon's niece.
*Henry is indeed a widower--sad, but all the more joyous that he finds Punky, isn't it?
*The show Mike refers to with Michael Richards is the syndicated
Marblehead Manor (1987-1988).
*
Here is a fascinating piece that ran in the Los Angeles Times several weeks before the famous
Punky episode dealing with the
Challenger explosion (Season 2's
Accidents Happen).
*
And here is a Mental Floss piece looking back at Cherie Lifesaver, the infamous season 2 episode in which Cherie gets stuck in an old refrigerator.
*Before the Cubs became insufferable, they went 71 years between National League Pennants and 108 years between World Series wins. The franchise won back-to-back series in 1908, then lost the 1945 Series to the Tigers before finally winning a championship in 2016.
*Dick Gephardt was a Representative (D-MO) from 1977 to 2005, serving as House Minority and House Majority Leader during his time in office. He ran for President in 1988 and 2004. He was never on
Punky Brewster but did make appearances on
Lateline,
Late Night with David Letterman, and
The Daily Show.
*Ernie Banks, AKA "Mr. Cub," was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1977 after a spectacular career in which he hit 512 home runs, won 2 MVP awards, and was a 14-time All-Star and legend of the game despite (or maybe partly because) never playing in the postseason.
*It's funny that the scalper played by Art Metrano mentions the Jacksons' Victory tour because there was some controversy over that one. Tickets were priced high and allocated through a lottery system requiring a minimum purchase of 4. The tour was plagued by financial and logistical problems and reportedly drove the Jackson family further apart. Check our YouTube playlist for a vintage TV report on the tour!
*
We Got It Made is yet another sitcom that premiered on NBC and later ran in syndication (after a several-year-gap). Teri Copley co-starred with Tom Villard and Matt McCoy.
*
Running Scared was a sort-of hit movie for MGM in 1986.
*
My Two Dads (NBC, 1987-1990) was set in New York, not Chicago. Dick Butkus did not play himself, but it would have been cool if he did. Let us know if you'd like us to cover this series in a future episode!
