TV pals: Punky Brewster

Hello fellow 80s Children. I am so sorry that I have been away in the real world  for so long.
   I have been watching some wonderful Nick at Night lately. I even watched some Family Matters this weekend. What  a fun trip.

  I am in a good mood today and wanted to come and hang out. !  So let's talk about something fun!

Punky Brewster was one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I would always be ready on Sunday night to watch it!

 Remember this?:




 Punky Brewster was played by the awesome actress, Soleil Moon Frye.   In the show, Punky, a bright and spunky 7 year old , was abandoned by her mom at a grocery store and living in an apartment in Chicago with her dog Brandon.  Until one day, Henry Warnemont, the building's landlord found her. He intended to find her mother and let her stay with him in the meantime, but they grew to love each other very much and Henry became Punky's foster parent! 
     Punky's best friend is Cherry Johnson. She lived with her grandmother, Ms. Johnson, on the floor above Punky's and the girls went to school together and shared lots of adventures with their other friends.   Cherry always had on a headband. I guess that was her thing.. Their two main friends were, , spoiled ,Margox Krammer (who called everyone "pesants'), and 'nerdy" Allen. Anderson.
     One of the best things about this show was it was based on what the kids were doing.  It was a little sad at times because Punky had to face  some challenges. Like growing up without her mother. Trying to find her mother, and the reality that she was not going to come back.    The kids did have fun though, going fishing, entering a talent show, and just stuff that happens at school. Punky even had to deal with nearly loosing her best best friend, Brandon(aka Brandon the wonder dog), her golden retriever, whom she was never without.

   These kids on the show were my friends. I couldn't wait to see them each week and find out what was happening.    I have to give props to he stage crew on the ste, cos Punky's bedroom was the most amazing bedrom in the world on TV in my opinion to  date!  Who wouldn't want a wheelbarrow for a bed?! It was so colourful and light and looked like a Rainbow Brite kind of sunshine day outside.
    Punky Brewster was on the air from 1984-1988.  It was such a hit that  Punky had a doll, and colouring books and best of all to my surprise-  A Saturday Morning Cartoon!!  Who could  resist it!  If I see it today, it still captures me. What a wonderful time for this show to have been  on the tv.


  It was great for me, because now I could see my TV Friends on Saturday Mornings and on tv on Sunday too! The other thing about the cartoon is that they added a fun and magical element to it by introducing Punky and the gang to a furry new friend named Glomer. Glomer  is a creature from a land called Chandoon.  He was  a secret from the adults that the kids had. He was fun and cute and he had a cute little voice too! Punky met him one day  under the rainbow. He went outside  of Chandoon and then, the land disappeared and he was left all alone. Punky  was his foster care! How nice is that! Glomer would get them in all crazy  fun kinds of trouble that was always resolved after a 10 minute cartoon segment. It was full of laughter and fun.

  Okay, so to get slightly personal on here, I really loved this show! My  childhood was fun,however I was bullied a lot as a kid for wearing thick glasses. Yes, children can be so cruel sometimes. This show, because of how Punky's "Punky Power" attitude was how I already was. I really wish I had words to describe how much this show meant to me.  I  know its the writting and all, but Soleil, you made Punky feel like a friend that I could talk to . Thank you.
  I never got too sad when i got picked on. I'd always say, :" how would Punky handle this?"   I always kept my head up and a beat in my step. People couldn't understand it. I just am me and I like who I am very up beat and like to look on the bright side of things. That was Punky and I love her for it!
   I loved the bright colors Punky wore to suit her attitude. It went  with the 80s and how everything was fun and bright and happy.  I too wear mitch match socks. I always have. I always thought she got it from me. ha ha!
       I am go glad that NBC  picked up Punky Brewster! It made my childhood extra fun. I also wanted to add that All the Punky Brewster Seasons are on DVD  Punky Brewster on DVD 
  I recomend you getting it if you are an 80s kid like me, or you want to get it for your kids. Lots of the lessons and fun things are for our kids today too.
    I am forever greatful to this show, and to the fun it brought to my youth.  I hope that you enjoy it too.   I never had the Punky Brewster doll or the shoes, but I did have a coloring book and i wore that thing out!
    If someone in your life could use some sunshine today, send them to the 80s Saturday Morning Mansion and I promise to try my best to cheer them up today! :)

  We'll  I have to go. I promised Minus and Plus from  Pinwheel that I'd  play a round of "Gotcha Last" before bed time!  See ya soon!

oh yes...  I do not own any of these pictures or video. All rights reserved to the original companies of multimedia. 


 

Corey Haim.. has passed away :-(

Corey Ian Haim 

December 23, 1971- March 10,2010

(this is how I remember him. )

WOW!  I woke up this morning and got on Twitter like I usually do, and saw that  a friend of mine tweeted " #RIPCoreyHaim". I was like, maybe i read that wrong. I tweeted " what?". And of course, just like with Twitter, got an instant  answer confirming he'd passed away.

  There are tons of places to read about Corey Haim. I just want to say that I have seen tons of his movies growing up..  Most of them I loved because hey, it was the 80s and I was a kid. I thought he and Corey Feldmen were too "old"  to be my heart throbs (even though they are only 4 years older than I am) but I liked Corey Feldmen best.  I first saw "Lucas" at a friend's house. I loved it.  Then I saw the "Lost Boys"  probably at the same friend's house.  I remember seeing a good movie called " Silver Bullet" with Corey in it and was looking for Corey Feldmen, but he was not in that.  My same friend that I saw "Lucas" with and I went to see "License to Drive" at the movie theatre.  I will never forget it!  We though twe were so grown up going to see it by ourselves too!  I also remember the 2 Corey's telephone Hotline.  Ha ha!  I never called it, but It was good marketing.
    I never watched "The 2 Corey's" reality show. I heard about it through friends and I bet the run it again soon.
  I am still in shock. As an 80s child, there were so many kids on TV and movies we could relate to. When someone passes away who is around your age its scary.  Corey should be rememberd for his good works that he brough to us and not for the sad way he passed. 
     RIP Corey Haim.. Rest in Peace.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New year my  fello 80s children!   I am sorry that I have not blogged in a while and I promise to do much better.  I am having a cold so I have not had anyone over to the mansion in a while.  I promise, next time, we'll have a big party!
   My friend Amy sent me this wonderful link today that cheered me up quite a bit. I wanted to share it with you!   Enjoy the memories of all the stars and seeing what they look like today. You may be surprised, some of them still look good!

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/memba_them#tab=memba_them&id=53157

Also, on a side- note. My friend, Amy runs a wonderful romance website with her husband, Ben called Romance Stuck .  You can visit there if you are looking for Romantic Ideas for any occasion.  Please stop by and tell a friend.

Again, have fun with the link, and I promise to write very soon and keep more up to date wtih our shows and talks.    Lots of hugs and Smiles
Shala xoxo

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! MJ style!

  It just isn't Halloween without it!



   What 80s kid would I be if I forgot to post Thriller!  I was so afraid of this movie when I was little. I thought the warewolf had hurt MJ and I was scared of it!  I didn't like how evil Vincent Price sounded. However, the song was fine. The video is what scared me half to death. I'd go over friends' houses and it would come on HBO late at night. I'd get so scared. I'd cry and say " I wanna go home". I thought the monsters were coming to get me..  I never said i was a normal kid. I was a nerd. I am okay with being a nerd though. Thanks Mike, you really got me!
  I was at family picnic when I was brave enough to watch it. It was on a 12 inch black and white TV and in the daytime, but after I saw it all together, I loved it! We had a Beta vcr and that's all we would play. LOVE YOU MJ FOREVER!

   I also wanna say if you  haven't seen " Michael Jackson's This Is It" please do! It was wonderful and beautiful and I hope that fans, the curious, the old fans, and the new fans will enjoy it as much as I did. MJ was ready for this. He wanted to show his fans a good time. He was particular and intenional about what he wanted. He wanted the sound just right. He needed things to look the way he wanted, so that he could convey the message he was so clearly here to put out to those who would listen. He was a genius and if you just listen, you can hear that. I dont know how people cannot understand.  MJ was funny, he was genrous and he was in a word: love.  Michael Jackson was the embodiment of Love.  I had so many different emotions during the film but the one I felt throughout was LOVE.  I love you MJ, and I love you more today than I ever thought I could love you before. 
I plan to see it one more time before it leaves theatres. It is only out for 2 weeks so please go see it!



You will want to dance in the aisles!  "It's all for love - L-O-V-E"- MJ

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

I'd like to say "Happy Halloween" to those who celebrate it! There are only a few things I actually do for Halloween.  I always watch Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and watch the MJ Concert from 1992 .  The other thing I must do every year is watch " It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" I love Charlie Brown. Poor kid, he just cannot catch a break! Everybody loves Snoopy!  My favorite character was Marcy because she always called Peppermint Patty, " Sir".
  I love Linus in this particular cartoon the best. "Every Halloween the Great Pumpkin rises out of the Pumpkin Patch..."  Right! 
  I love the ABC network for running all the Charlie Brown specials. It's just not a holiday time without them.

  I am on my way to seeing Michael Jackson in "This Is It!"  today. I am going to keep this short.  Happy Halloween to all. I hope you trick- o treat safely.



 The Great Pumpkin On DVD

Somewhere Over Reading Rainbow...

Hiya Everybody!  I am sorry I have not written in a few days. Mr. Belvedere was away for a few days at the Butler Convention. He just got back yesterday, so WELCOME to the 80s Mansion again. Have a seat, get some cereal. I recomend the Corn Pops.
    As promised, I have a treat for you today.  Do you all remember Reading Rainbow? I sure do. I think i was 8 or 9 when It came on. I loved it! That show had everything. The theme song was amazing, (the original not the new one they tried to put on in the 90s). The host, Lavar Burton, was friendly, personable, and he knew a lot about books. The show encouraged kids to get a library card, check out a book, and explore with your imagination.  According to Wikipedia; Reading Rainbow ran from June 6,1983 to November 10,2006. They showed reruns up until the last time on air August 28,2009. Sniff Sniff.


 I think I just woke up the neighbors. I love singing this song. I get goosebumps every time i hear the beginning of the song come on. 

  I will never forget the first episode of Reading Rainbow. I was at my grandmother's in Detroit. As soon as the theme song came on- I was hooked!  They read us "Miss Nelson is Back" by Harry G. Allard Jr. and James Marshall. They even had a great musical number called " Check It Out" to encourage kids to go to the library.
 AND ITS ON YOUTUBE! SHUT UP!!!! -"Check it out.. don't shout!"

   When I was in school, we had a library in the building. I think you had to be in the 1st or 2nd grade to get a library card. It was free. I loved having my name printed on my little card. If you were in grade 2-4 you could check out one book. If you were in the 5th grade you could check out 2!  I was an avid reader. I love to read. I love to go on adventures and meet new friends.  I think children should be read to at an early age.
  I am sad that earlier this year, Reading Rainbow was taken off air. It was a great run!  A child never forgets their childhood friends. PBS has always done a great job helping grade school children learn to read.
  The other good part about Reading Rainbow that I remember was when they let real kids tell you their reviews on books they read.  The kid would review the book and at the end they'd say " but you dont have to take my word for it. " I remember they talked about "Where the Wild Things Are" , by Maurice Sendak. I went and got the book the next time we were able to check out books at the school library. You can get it too at Amazon.com Where the Wild Things Are .  Maurice Sendak also created "Little Bear " and "Really Rosie", among other things.
 
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    Coincidently,  "Where the WIld Things Are"  has been turned into 2009 live action Motion Picture.  It comes out in theatres  October 16,2009. Take your kids and have a great time. I think this may be a little scary for your kids under age 7. But you know what your kid can and cannot handle. Otherwise, go celebrate it! The preview looks cool doesn't it?


  Another fantastic set of books that became a PBS staple is "Arthur". I loved "Arthur". The first book I ever heard about the cute little aardvark and his friends, was " Arthur's Eyes". I liked the book because I wore glasses. back then. any kid, or cartoon with glasses, I loved.  We seemed to connect somehow. I read all the Arthur books and I love the cartoon. I have a favorite episode called " It's Only Rock N Roll". The Backstreet Boys actually took time out to come and do voices of themselves in the cartoon in 2001.  I still think it is AWESOME!

 

Here is the backstreet Boys Version :


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   Since PBS was such a great platform for Childrens' Television, we cannot forget Sesame Street, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood ( RIP Fred Rogers), The Electric Company, Square One and 3-2-1 Contact!
    Every kid I know, grew up with Sesame Street as a babysitter. Sesame Street was a  melting pot for everyone of all races and ages to interact. I loved it. I mean, I was kinda mad when people didn't ever see Snuffy for the longest time, but I loved it. I learned a lot of songs and letters and numbers because of Sesame Street. I am going to share a few favorites with you as well as the theme song.  My personal favorite Sesame Street Puppets ( not to be confused with the Muppet Show Muppets ) are Big Bird, Grover, Oscar, Guy Smiley, Forgetful Jones, Cookie Monster. and Snuffy. I also loved Ernie.  As the years went by, I saw and fell in love with Elmo too,(until he became too much of the focus of the show). I love that they also let my favorite Muppet of all, Kermit the Frog, have his little News Flash.  And who could forget that welcoming song. This is the one I grew up hearing. They keep changing it every so offten or messing it up as i like to call it)








I LOVE KERMIT!

   Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood is going to be reviewed on another day because I really have to give Mr. Fred Rogers his props. He was an amazing man who really wanted children to use their imaginations. Sometimes he creeped me out, but He was still Mr. Rodgers.  I was really scared of that Lady Elane Puppet. Was that even a lady?

  I know that the Electric Company started in the 70s, but I  remember it. I will never forget  the beginning to the theme " HEY YOU GUYYYYYS"  Come on. You know you remember it too!


 
  I have to include these two clips because If I don't I'd kick myself.  One of my favorite charters on Electic Company was "Easy Reader". He just happens to be one of my most favorite actors, Morgan Freeman.   Sorry Mr. Freeman, i have to do it to ya. Much love.. Much groovey love.  You know it was the 70s. And thats his excuse. Ha ha!



This will make you laugh. It has to. Everybody does.

 
As Fozzy Bear would say" Waka Waka Waka".

  Square One was for older kids. It helped with multiplication and Division. I loved the little segments called Mathnet and Mathman the little pac-man like game. Ha ha.


 Last but never least is 3-2-1 Contact. The Theme Song was catchy. I can't really remember if this was a science show or what. I just remember the sketch " the Bloodhound Gang" and that theme and how much fun it was.



The bloodhound Gang was cool!



    I hope you all got a fresh blast from the past right now. I am gonna get going. Lots to do and see. Please come back soon.  Today's blog has been brought to you today by the numbers 3 and 9 and the letter 'H' . Like Lavar Burton said at the end of Reading Rainbow .  " See ya next time".

* Some of the TV shows that we discussed today are available on Amazon.com in selected editions on DVD or Audio CD. You may enjoy these with the kids. " But you don't have to take my word for it".

Reading Rainbow Selections
Sesame Street Audio & Video
Mr. Roger's Neighboorhood
The Electric Company DVDs