The Smurfs (also known as simply Smurfs and syndicated as Smurfs' Adventures) is an American-Belgian animated fantasy-comedy television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1981, to December 2, 1989. Made by Hanna-Barbera Productions, it is based on the Belgian comic series by the same name, created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (who also served as story supervisor of this adaptation) and aired for 256 episodes with a total of 418 stories, excluding three cliffhanger episodes and seven specials.
History[]
In 1976, Stuart R. Ross, an American media and entertainment entrepreneur who saw the Smurfs while traveling in Belgium, entered into an agreement with Editions Dupuis and Peyo, acquiring North American and other rights to the characters, whose original name was "les Schtroumpfs". Subsequently, Ross launched the Smurfs in the United States in association with a California company, Wallace Berrie and Co., whose figurines, dolls and other Smurf merchandise became a hugely popular success. NBC President Fred Silverman's daughter, Melissa, had a Smurf doll of her own that he had bought for her at a toy shop while they were visiting Aspen, Colorado. Silverman thought that a series based on the Smurfs might make a good addition to his Saturday-morning lineup.[1]
The Smurfs secured their place in American pop culture in 1981, when the Saturday morning cartoon The Smurfs, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with SEPP International S.A. (from 1981 to 1987) and Lafig S.A. (in the years 1988 and 1989), aired on NBC. The series became a major success for the network and one of the most successful and longest running Saturday morning cartoons in television history, spawning spin-off television specials on an almost yearly basis. The characters included Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy Smurf, the evil Gargamel, his cat Azrael, and Johan and his friend Peewit. The Smurfs was nominated multiple times for Daytime Emmy Awards, and won Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series in 1982–1983.[2]
In 1989, NBC changed the format of the show, removing some of the Smurfs from the forest and omitted the Smurf village and adopted a lost in time format similar to The Time Tunnel, and then ultimately cancelled it due to decreasing ratings. In addition. NBC executives prepared a Today weekend program for Saturdays as well as programmings for teenagers such as Saved by the Bell, which came later on and led to the elimination of Saturday morning animated children's shows. The show continued through December 2, 1989 on the NBC network. The show continued to air on reruns the USA Network until 1993, followed by the Cartoon Network until 2003. Smurfs is still broadcast on Cartoon Network's sister station Boomerang throughout the United States.
Characters[]
- Main article: List of The Smurfs characters
Episodes[]
- Main article: List of The Smurfs episodes
Voices[]
- Charlie Adler – Natural "Nat" Smurfling (1985–1989)
- Jack Angel – Enchanted Omnibus (1982–1988)
- Marlene Aragon
- Bob Arbogast
- René Auberjonois
- Ed Begley, Jr.
- Bernard Behrens
- Michael Bell – Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Johan (1982–1988), additional voices
- Gregg Berger
- Lucille Bliss – Smurfette
- Susan Blu – Nanny Smurf (1988), Pansy
- Sorrell Booke
- Greg Burson
- Ruth Buzzi
- William Callaway – Clumsy Smurf, Painter Smurf, additional voices
- Joey Camen – Natural Smurf (1983–1985)
- Hamilton Camp – Greedy Smurf, Harmony Smurf, Woody, additional voices
- Roger C. Carmel
- Mary Jo Catlett
- William Christopher – Angel Smurf
- Philip L. Clarke
- Selette Cole
- Henry Corden – Grako (Ep. "The Magic Fountain")
- Tandy Cronyn
- Peter Cullen – Zeus (1989)
- Brian Cummings
- Jim Cummings – Sultan of Sweets (1989)
- Keene Curtis – Lord Balthazar
- Jennifer Darling – Princess Sabina
- Leo De Lyon
- Patti Deutsch
- Richard Dysart
- Marshall Efron – Sloppy Smurf
- Richard Erdman
- Bernard Erhard – Timber Smurf
- June Foray – Jokey Smurf, Mother Nature, Gargamel's Mother, additional voices
- Pat Fraley – Tuffy Smurf (1984)
- Steve Franken
- Linda Gary – Dame Barbara, Chlorhydris (all episodes except "My Smurfy Valentine")
- Richard Gautier – Wooly Smurf
- Henry Gibson
- Ed Gilbert
- Patty Glick
- Danny Goldman – Brainy Smurf
- Ernest Harada
- Phil Hartman
- Bob Holt – The King (1982–1985)
- Jerry Houser
- John Ingle
- Tony Jay – Merlin (1989)
- Arte Johnson – Devil Smurf
- Marvin Kaplan – Gordy (Ep. "Farmer's Genii")
- Zale Kessler
- Aron Kincaid
- Kip King – Tailor Smurf
- Paul Kirby – Narrator (1985–1989)
- Robbie Lee
- Ruta Lee – Morgan Lafay (1989)
- Marilyn Lightstone
- Allan Lurie
- Norma MacMillan – Brenda (1983)
- Tress MacNeille – Blue Eyes' Mother
- Kenneth Mars – King Bullrush, Yves, Julius Geezer (1989)
- Mona Marshall – Andria (1983)
- Amanda McBroom – Chlorhydris (Ep. "My Smurfy Valentine")
- Cindy McGee
- Julie McWhirter – Baby Smurf (1986–1989), Sassette Smurfling (1985–1989)
- Allan Melvin
- Don Messick – Papa Smurf, Azrael, Dreamy Smurf, Sickly Smurf (1983), Sweepy Smurf, additional voices
- Sidney Miller
- Larry Moss
- Pat Musick – Snappy Smurfling (1985–1989)
- Noelle North – Slouchy Smurfling (1985–1988), Blue Eyes
- Alan Oppenheimer – Vanity Smurf, Father Time
- Patricia Parris – Acorn
- Rob Paulsen – Marco Smurf (1985)
- Clare Peck
- Vic Perrin
- Henry Polic II – Tracker Smurf
- Philip Proctor – King Gerard
- Dan Radloff – Sneaky Smurf, Spy Smurf, Stinky Smurf
- Robert Ridgely
- Neil Ross
- Joseph Ruskin
- Will Ryan – Wartmonger
- Michael Rye – Morlock
- William Schallert
- Ronnie Schell
- Marilyn Schreffler
- Avery Schreiber
- Mimi Seton
- Susan Silo – Petaluma (1986)
- Hal Smith – Sludge
- Kath Soucie – Adella (1987), Ali Baby (1989)
- John Stephenson – Imp and The Spirit of the Ancient Trolls (Ep. "Smurfette's Dancing Shoes")
- Kris Stevens – Narrator (1981–1985)
- Andrea Stoddart
- Andre Stojka
- Dee Stratton
- Russi Taylor – Smoogle (1988–1989), Brenda (1986)
- Fred Travalena
- Brenda Vaccaro – Scruple (1986–1989), Architect Smurf, Ripple
- Janet Waldo – Hogatha
- B.J. Ward
- Lennie Weinrib – Bigmouth
- Frank Welker – Hefty Smurf, Clockwork Smurf, Peewit (1982–1989), Poet Smurf, Puppy (1985–1988), Wild Smurf (1987–1989), Nemesis (1988), Darkness Monster, Sandman, additional voices
- Paul Winchell – Gargamel, Baby Smurf, Nosey Smurf
- Jonathan Winters – Grandpa Smurf (1986–1989)
- Francine Witkin – Lady Luck, Ripple
- Alan Young – Miner Smurf, Farmer Smurf, Scaredy Smurf, additional voices
Movies[]
- The Smurfs and the Baby Animals (1979)
- Smurfette (1988 film) (1988)
Specials[]
- The Smurfs Springtime Special (1982)
- The Smurfs Christmas Special (1982)
- A Smurfy Valentine (1983)
- The Smurfs Halloween Special (1983)
- Smurfily Ever After (1984)
- The Smurfic Games (1984)
- 'Tis the Season to be Smurfy (1987)
Production[]
Outsourced production work was done by Wang Film Productions/Cuckoo's Nest Studios and, only for the Season 7, by Toei Animation.
References[]
- ↑ Barbera, Joseph (1994). My Life in 'Toons': From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century. Atlanta: Turner Publishing. pp. 184–187. ISBN 1-57036-042-1.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).