At the audition, Frye beat out over 3,000 girls (including her future Sabrina, the Teenage Witch co-star Melissa Joan Hart) to win the titular role on the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster. The series, which was conceived by NBC's then-head of programming Brandon Tartikoff, premiered in September 1984. Scheduled opposite CBS's highly rated 60 Minutes, the series struggled in the ratings, but the character of Punky was popular among children. Frye routinely appeared at parades, participated in an anti-drug walks with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan, and was the honorary chairman for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Frye also voiced and reprised the role in the animated series It's Punky Brewster, which began airing during Punky Brewster's first season. Despite the series' low ratings, Brandon Tartikoff decided to renew the show for a second season because it was the highest rated show watched by children 2 to 11 years old. Punky Brewster'''s second season, which dealt with more serious subject matters such as CPR and first-aid training, drug use and the Just Say No campaign, and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, did not improve ratings, and NBC cancelled the series in April 1986. The series was quickly picked up by Columbia Pictures Television and began airing in first-run syndication. Punky Brewster aired for an additional two seasons, ending on May 27, 1988.
At the audition, Frye beat out over 3,000 girls (including her future Sabrina, the Teenage Witch co-star Melissa Joan Hart) to win the titular role on the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster. The series, which was conceived by NBC's then-head of programming Brandon Tartikoff, premiered in September 1984. Scheduled opposite CBS's highly rated 60 Minutes, the series struggled in the ratings, but the character of Punky was popular among children Frye routinely appeared at parades, participated in an anti-drug walks with then-First Lady Nancy Reagan, and was the honorary chairman for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Frye also voiced and reprised the role in the animated series It's Punky Brewster, which began airing during Punky Brewster's first season. Despite the series' low ratings, Brandon Tartikoff decided to renew the show for a second season because it was the highest rated show watched by children 2 to 11 years old. Punky Brewster'''s second season, which dealt with more serious subject matters such as CPR and first-aid training, drug use and the Just Say No campaign, and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, did not improve ratings and NBC cancelled the series in April 1986. The series was quickly picked up by Columbia Pictures Television and began airing in first-run syndication. Punky Brewster aired for an additional two seasons, ending on May 27, 1988.