Penny
Penny is a young girl who appears in the Season 1 episode "The Tomboy."
"The Tomboy" (Episode)[]
She is first introduced to Fat Albert and the gang at school by their teacher, Ms. Bryfogel. Penny has nine brothers, and as such she learned how to play numerous sports and became an excellent athlete, much to the chagrin of Fat Albert and the others as she is always wanting to play along with them in whatever they happen to be doing; when one of the gang tells her that she can't do something better than them, she manages to show them up every time, much to Russell's delight, but to the frustration of the others.
Penny is preternaturally strong. She was able to easily hold Russell off the floor with one arm at full extension. She was also able to lift a car axle over her head with only one hand, while Fat Albert was barely able to raise the same axle off the ground with both. In an Indian wrestling contest, she was not only able to overpower Fat Albert, but hurl him away.
Penny becomes so much of an annoyance to the gang that they run and hide whenever she comes around looking for them. A mutual friend, Violet, points out to Penny that she doesn't know much about being a girl and convinces her to compete in a baking contest, but when Fat Albert overhears their conversation and boldly declares that he is going to win, Penny's competitive spirit re-emerges, much to Violet's consternation.
Penny and Fat Albert compete against one another in the contest, and Penny attempts to sabotage Fat Albert's efforts by throwing him two eggs that break in his hands before he can use them in his cake mix. Despite this setback, and the fact that the gang were only able to get marshmallow candy eggs as a replacement, Fat Albert wins the contest, but Penny turns into a sore loser complaining that the contest was not fair. But Fat Albert puts her in her place when he points out that the judge was a woman.
Penny's poor sportsmanship earns an observation from Cosby that "Penny's style of L.G.L. (Little Girl Lost) turned out to be N.G. (no good)", and also a deserved put-down from Russell: "No class". Following the contest, Fat Albert and Penny begin to see more eye-to-eye on things, and Penny decides to teach Fat Albert some pointers in tennis.
Trivia[]
- Penny is voiced by Erika Scheimer
Gallery[]
