Punky Finds a Home, part 1

"Punky Finds a Home, part 1" is the first episode in the the first season of Punky Brewster. It aired on September 16, 1984.

Synopsis
In Chicago, 8-year-old Penelope "Punky" Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) and her dog Brandon are found living in an empty apartment by the apartment building's grouchy manager, 60-year-old Henry Warnimont (George Gaynes), who owns a photography studio. Henry invites Punky to his apartment for dinner. In Henry's apartment, Punky tells Henry that it all started when her father walked out on her and her mother Susan Brewster, and then a couple of weeks ago, Susan said they were going on a trip. Susan, Punky and Brandon piled up in their car and drove to a shopping center in Chicago, where Susan abandoned Punky and Brandon.

Punky and Brandon have been homeless ever since. In the vacant apartment, Punky always had food that she could share with Brandon, because 8-year-old Cherie Johnson (Cherie Johnson), who lives upstairs from Henry with her grandmother Betty Johnson (Susie Garrett), always brought food to Punky. When Henry's search for Punky's mother is interrupted by a visit to his studio from Punky, Cherie, and Cherie's grandmother Betty, Henry takes some memorable pictures of Punky, Cherie, Betty, Brandon and himself at his photography studio, and Henry has his hands full with a customer named Agnes (Elizabeth Kerr), who has fallen for him.

Later, Punky decides to clean Henry's apartment while he's out, but when Henry gets home, he's furious, because he liked everything the way it was before Punky cleaned the place. Henry is especially furious that Punky has put his late wife Claudia's picture out on the table in the living room, because years ago, Claudia died shortly after marrying Henry, and it still hurts Henry too much to look at that picture. After Henry's done yelling, he calms down and tells Punky that he's going to turn her over to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Punky decides to leave, thinking that she's a horrible person and that wherever she goes, no one wants her around. Henry spends three and a half hours looking for Punky, and when he returns to the apartment, he finds Punky in his apartment. She says she wasn't going anywhere, because it was raining outside, and she has decided to give Henry another chance to not be grouchy. Henry decides to let Punky spend the night in his apartment.

Cast

 * Soleil Moon Frye as Punky Brewster
 * George Gaynes as Henry Warnimont
 * Susie Garrett as Betty Johnson
 * Cherie Johnson as Cherie Johnson
 * Sandy as Brandon "the Wonder Dog"