This year, more than one viewer was shocked when they found the adorable old American television girl Punky Brewster as a divorced mother. Subscription platform Peacock tried to shore up its debut with the reinvention of an 1980s classic. The series, which tried to rekindle the phenomenon and show the character played by Soleil Moon Frye as an adult, it was a risky experiment. One that included expanding the world of the original series to include a Punky Brewster dealing with real problems and two children. The result was a critical and audience disaster which ended up being canceled at the end of its first and only season.
On the other hand, Kevin Smith had some troubles in a similar circumstance with another classic from the eighties. The writer and director took the beloved animated series He – Man and the Masters of the Universe and endowed it with a new origin story. It also included some surprising twists and turns and tried to stoke interest, through a narrative thread completely different from the origin. Immediately, he faced controversy and to the discomfort of millions of fans who complained on social media about the change. Smith was even forced to publicly debate the reasons why his adaptation reinvented the original material.
The classic series of the eighties, known for its narrative simplicity and its roots in an entire generation, was the example for critical voices of the reboot phenomenon. There were fan comments about the unnecessary of its transformation. While some wondered if it was necessary to give a new story to a basic plot.
But beyond the discomfort of the public and the observations of the critic, there is an unanswered question. What are the failures of both productions due to? Especially when another classic remembered like Forced parents, returned to Netflix with a successful reinvention as it was Forced mothers. How did one fail and how did the other succeed? The question seems to be directly related to the perception of the integrity of the original material. But also with the fact of the approach of productions that try to rethink what made one series or another famous.
Can that be attributed to the failure and criticism of Punky Brewster and the remake of Masters of the Universe? Maybe not everything is so simple. Or at least, not as obvious as it seems.
The simple story of a classic from the eighties
In the 1980s, the four seasons of Punky brewster they caused a furor. The chemistry between the very young Soleil Moon Frye and her fictional father, actor George Gaynes, dazzled a generation. It was about a simple series focused on parenting that also I had no greater ambitions than to entertain.
But the combination of an innocent plot and a happy ending for a charming orphan was enough to underpin the hit of the ’80s classic. It was a rare balance that remained intact in his later reps. So the decision of the streaming platform of NBC Universal to bring to one of his famous series back It didn’t seem entirely outlandish.
It does seem to be the fact of focusing on an adult Punky Brewster, with very mundane problems and motherhood in tow. And despite the fact that Soleil Moon Frye herself was in charge of embodying the character, the series could not sustain the memory of the original. Criticized as superficial, tedious, and at best a reluctant attempt to recapture the original magic, the series was an immediate failure. Former fans lamented the loss of the actress’s connection to the public and that the project was attempted without Henry, a glaring absence the show was never able to get around.
In the end, the series that recovered the classics of the eighties fell under its own weight. With devastating reviews, a declining audience and an unmotivated cast, the series was canceled without further explanation.
The power of the universe was not enough
When Kevin Smith announced that he would be the creator of a Netflix series of Masters of the Universe from Mattel, there was a stir among fans. Especially when the writer made it clear that he was a follower of the original classic from the eighties. That guaranteed, at least, an evident fidelity to the remembered production of the eighties. Smith insisted on various interviews that his intention was to give the animated protagonist “personality and a solid origin story.” He also mentioned that he had “great ideas” to bring the show back for a new generation.
But when the show premiered in June this year, the anticipation turned to disappointment. Smith’s premise seemed to have distorted a sensitive point in the argument and transformed it into something entirely different to the original version. Despite its journey through the planet Eternia and the world of magic, the series was more interested in its characters. And not exactly those that the audience expected to meet again.
In fact, one of the talking points was the way Smith played up to fan expectations. The promise of a whole series of stories based on the beloved characters was derailed in what seemed to be Smith’s personal point of view. The result was a new route, with high points, but in general a narrative failure in the most important.
Kevin smith should have come to the defense of the show and its decisions in the middle of a foul controversy. The discussion ended in a direct confrontation between the fans and the showrunner, in which the latter encouraged the public “to mature.” By the time the second and conclusive part of the series premiered, the enthusiasm was minimal and in fact, went unnoticed in the Netflix offer. It is highly unlikely that it will be renewed for a third season.
Why did attempts to revamp both classics from the 1980s fail? Perhaps it is the fact that an argument linked to nostalgia does not accept revisions. Or even something simpler: both He-man What Punky brewster they are generational icons. Despite both productions, there is most likely no respectful way to reinvent a childhood treasure. A lesson that seems to have become clear this year.