R.I.P. David W. Duclon, Punky Brewster creator

David W. Duclon—the creator of Punky Brewster and co-developer of Silver Spoons—died Wednesday morning in Franklin, Tennessee after a long illness. His death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his daughter, Danielle Duclon. He was 74.

Born Warren David Duclon in 1950, Duclon got his first Hollywood job in 1972 as a writer and assistant producer on The Odd Couple, which starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. He went on to join the writers rooms of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley (which he also produced) before creating his own sitcom, Punky Brewster, in 1984. The series, which starred Soleil Moon Frye as a young girl, Punky, who was raised by a widowed photographer (George Gaynes), ran for two seasons on NBC and two in syndication. The show was nominated for three Emmys, including Best Children’s Program in both 1985 and 1986. It also got a Duclon-produced reboot from Peacock in 2021, which saw Punky as a single mother of her own three children. 

Around the same time, Duclon also co-developed Silver Spoons with Ron Leavitt, which ran for six seasons from 1982 to 1987. The show starred Ricky Schroder as Ricky Stratton, a spoiled kid who still suffers from normal teenage problems.

Other writing credits of Duclon’s include The Jeffersons, Family Matters, Boys Will Be Boys, On Our Own, Built to Last, Guys Like Us, Malcolm & Eddie, Eve, Working Stiffs, and Makin’ It. Throughout his career, he also took time to mentor up-and-coming TV writers and developers just like him, including Greg Garcia, who created Built To Last, and Meg DeLoatch, who created Family Reunion. “For some reason, Dave Duclon believed in a 23-year-old me and gave me my first job,” Garcia told Deadline. “During the four years I worked under him, I not only learned the ins and outs of sitcom writing, but also how to be a showrunner. Dave ran his shows with confidence, a clear vision, unbridled enthusiasm and, above all else, kindness. I’m a better person for having known Dave, and I’ll always be in his debt for the time he took to be my mentor.”