Punky Brewster's Cherie Johnson Teases Cherie's Journey Since Original Series

Punky Brewster wouldn't be complete without Punky's best friend Cherie, and thankfully Cherie Johnson felt that way too, reprising her role in Peacock's series revival. These days Cherie is a social worker, helping to find homes for children in foster care and working with Punky's old stomping grounds Fenster Hall. That's how Punky and Izzy meet, and Cherie plays an important role in their story. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to talk to Johnson all about the series and reprising her role from the original, and first we wanted to know what she apprecaited most about the original.

"I think I appreciated the fact that we really were a family, that it was the best thing that I ever worked on," Johnson said. "I had so much fun, but that we talked about real things, and they never shied away from important topics. That makes me proud."

Cherie also teased a bit of her character's jounrye since. theoriginal and what fans can expect. "What I can say about Cherie is she changed the rest of us women did. She's 40, so she is unapologetically her," Johnson said. "She is not so much a people pleaser. She gets everything that she wants in her life and she knows how to get it now."

"I think Cherie has come of age and she's now found her Punky power within herself that she used to see in her friend that she wanted," Johnson said. "I think maybe Cherie and Punky have spent so much time together, Punky went on and gave her some of that confidence, and now there ain't no taking it back."

The original series dealt a lot with the foster care system, but the new series expands the scope quite a bit, and Johnson hopes people see. how rewarding adoption can be.

"I think it's more open now. Punky has adopted other children, so instead of having one foster child, there's three kids in the house that have come from that system," Johnson said. I really feel that it's important to keep the conversation alive. Adoption is something that Soleil and I definitely believe in. We both have bonus children in our house at any given time. I think a lot of the people who grew up with the show actually came from the system and so hopefully it will remind some of them who have not yet reached back and helped to help. And some of the ones who maybe never thought about it, who are now coming of age and would like to be parents who maybe can't have their own biological children, would reach back and foster or adopt some kids after watching Punky."

As for what will surprise fans most about the revival, Johnson says "I think it will surprise them most that we haven't lost our heart. In a time when a lot of shows have become messy and they're not family oriented or they don't tackle those hard conversations that start conversations anymore, Punky's staying true to the original and we will bring up those conversations that maybe you didn't even know you needed to have with your kids."

You can find the official description for Punky Brewster below.

In this continuation of the iconic 80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.

Soleil Moon Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) will reprise their original roles. The series also stars Freddie Prinze Jr. (Travis, Punky's ex-husband), Quinn Copeland (Izzy), Noah Cottrell (Diego), Oliver De Los Santos (Daniel), and Lauren Lindsey Donzis (Hannah).

Punky Brewster launches on Peacock on February 25th.

Are you excited for the Punky Brewster revival? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things Punky with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!