The Smurfs | |
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Also known as | Smurfs' Adventures (in syndication) |
Genre | |
Created by | Pierre "Peyo" Culliford |
Based on | The Smurfs by Pierre "Peyo" Culliford |
Directed by |
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Voices of | See Voices |
Theme music composer |
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Opening theme |
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Ending theme |
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Composers |
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Country of origin |
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Original languages |
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No. of seasons | 9 |
No. of episodes | 256 (417 segments) [1] (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Editor | Gil Iverson |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | 12 September 1981 – 2 December 1989 |
Related | |
The Smurfs (syndicated as Smurfs' Adventures) is an animated fantasy-comedy children's television series that originally aired on NBC from 12 September 1981 to 2 December 1989. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, it is based on the Belgian comic series of the same name, created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (who also served as story supervisor of this adaptation) and aired for 256 episodes [1] with a total of 419 stories, excluding three cliffhangers episodes and seven specials episodes.
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 the Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. [3]
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), debuted on NBC at 8:30 AM in 1981. The series became a major success for the network [4] (one of the few hits to emerge from the Silverman era) and one of the most successful and longest-running Saturday morning cartoons in television history, spawning seven 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. [5]
By 1989, the show was in its ninth season and had reached the 200-episode threshold, an extreme rarity when most cartoons were gone after two seasons and 22 episodes (it also far exceeded the typical 65-episode run of a first-run syndicated show of the era). In an effort to come up with new ideas to keep the show fresh, NBC changed the format of the show, taking some of the Smurfs out of the forest and omitting the Smurf Village. These changes were adopted to a lost-in-time format similar to The Time Tunnel (at the same time NBC had a hit with the prime time series Quantum Leap which also dealt with time travel). The show continued through the end of the season, airing the last original episode 2 December 1989 on NBC,[ citation needed ] after a decade of success, NBC later cancelled The Smurfs along with other Saturday-morning cartoons to make way for another block of live-action programming on 9 April 1990. The Smurfs had its last re-run on NBC on 25 August 1990. The total number of individual eleven minute and twenty-two minute cartoons in the entire series run came to 417.[ citation needed ]
Season | Segments | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
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First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | 39 | 26 | September 12, 1981 | December 5, 1981 | |
2 | 46 | 36 | September 18, 1982 | December 4, 1982 [6] | |
3 | 55 | 32 | September 17, 1983 | November 26, 1983 | |
4 | 48 | 26 | September 15, 1984 | November 17, 1984 [6] | |
5 | 40 | 24 | September 21, 1985 | November 9, 1985 [6] | |
6 | 61 | 36 | September 13, 1986 | November 29, 1986 | |
7 | 65 | 36 | September 19, 1987 | December 5, 1987 | |
8 | 24 | 16 | September 10, 1988 | October 29, 1988 | |
9 | 39 | 24 | September 9, 1989 | December 2, 1989 | |
Specials | N/A | 7 | 1980 | December 13, 1987 |
Outsourced production work was done by Wang Film Productions/Cuckoo's Nest Studios and, only for Season 7, by Toei Animation.
The background music for The Smurfs was composed by Hoyt Curtin, Hanna-Barbera's primary musical director, but Curtin's work on the series is noted for its frequent use of classical music as themes or leitmotifs. Notable classical works excerpted in The Smurfs include: [7] [8]
A half-hour version for syndication was broadcast under the title Smurfs' Adventures since 1986. Although each season had its own unique opening song during the original broadcast, syndicated airings usually use a shortened version of the season 4 opening. The series aired on Cartoon Network and Boomerang until 7 April 2023. On 7 August 2023, the series began airing on Discovery Family, [ citation needed ] and on MeTV Toons on 25 June 2024.
Warner Home Video released the complete first season on DVD in a two-volume set in 2008. [10] [11] Despite high sales of both sets, [12] no further seasons have been released. Warner Home Video later released a series of three single-disc releases of The Smurfs in 2009, each containing five episodes from the second season. [13] [14] [15] A two-disc DVD was set to be released in 2011 to tie into the theatrical film with 10 episodes which would be culled from the entire run of the series, [16] instead, it included episodes from the second season. Another DVD with both Smurfs Christmas specials was released later that year. [17] It is unknown if Warner Archive will release the rest of the show's seasons (uncut and unedited) on MOD DVD.
In 2020, HBO Max released seasons one to four on its online streaming platform. The available seasons are presented in 1080p high definition.
DVD title | Season(s) | Episode count | Release date | Description | |
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Season 1 Volume 1 | 1 | 13 | 26 February 2008 | This two-disc release contained the first 19 season one episodes, uncut and digitally remastered, and presented in their original broadcast presentation and order. Special features included a bonus episode "The Smurfs Springtime Special", and the Smurfs music video. | |
Season 1 Volume 2 | 7 October 2008 | This two-disc release contained the remaining 20 season one episodes, plus one special feature, "I Smurf The Smurfs". | |||
True Blue Friends | 2 | 5 | 3 March 2009 | Contains five season two episodes: "S-Shivering S-Smurfs", "Turncoat Smurf", "The Smurf Who Couldn't Say No", "The Haunted Castle", and "The Black Hellebore". Special features include a storyboard of "Gormandizing Greedy". | |
Smurfy Tales | 18 August 2009 | Contains five season two episodes: "The Last Laugh", "The A-maze-ing Smurfs", "The Lost City of Yore", "Johan's Army", and "The Good, The Bad, and the Smurfy". Special features include bios of Handy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Smurfette, and Vanity Smurf. | |||
World of Wonders | 17 November 2009 | Contains five season two episodes "All's Smurfy That Ends Smurfy", "The Littlest Giant", "Sleepwalking Smurfs", "Squeaky", and "The Sorcery of Maltrochu". Special features include the Meet The Smurfs feature, which shows Jokey, Brainy, and Greedy, plus an Easter egg: if the viewer clicks on the telescope, it shows something that is "rated S for Smurfy", presented as if it was a science-fiction movie. It starts out with Dreamy asking if there is life in "outer smurf", and shows Hefty saying, "There is no life in outer smurf", ending with the announcer saying "It Came from Outer Smurf. Coming Soon." Also of note is that Greedy's image is actually Cook Smurf's image, which is what the cartoon version of Greedy is based on. | |||
A Magical Smurf Adventure | 10 | 19 July 2011 | Contains 10 season two episodes "Smurf Van Winkle", "Revenge of the Smurfs", "Magic Fountain", "Smurf Me No Flowers", "The Cursed Country", "The Blue Plague", "The Ring of Castellac", "A Mere Truffle", "Gormandizing Greedy", and "Sister Smurf". Special features include Smurf Speak. | ||
Holiday Celebration | — | 2 | 11 October 2011 | Contains both Christmas specials "'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy" and "The Smurfs Christmas Special" | |
The Best of Seasons 1 and 2 | 1, 2 | 24 | 12 March 2013 | Repackage contains the first discs from the Season 1 Volumes 1 and 2 and A Magical Smurf Adventure sets. | |
Smurfs to the Rescue! | 6 | 16 July 2013 | Contains one season one episode, and five season two episodes "The Goblin of Boulder Wood", "Sideshow Smurfs", "The Three Smurfketeers", "It Came from Outer Smurf", "One Good Smurf Deserves Another", and "The Sky is Smurfing! The Sky is Smurfing!" | ||
Smurftastic Journey | 1 | 15 October 2013 | Contains six cartoons (equal to four episodes worth) from season one, "The Astrosmurf", "Painter and Poet", "Paradise Smurfed", "Supersmurf", "Dreamy's Nightmare", and "All That Glitters Isn't Smurf" | ||
The Smurfs Springtime Specials | 3 TV specials | 21 February 2023 | Contains three TV Specials "The Smurfs Springtime Special", "My Smurfy Valentine", & "Smurfily Ever After" |
Fabulous Films and Arrow Films have released the first five seasons on DVD in the UK. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] The company has also released the film The Smurfs and the Magic Flute on Blu-ray and DVD, as well as several compilation DVDs, containing themed specials from the show.
DVD Name | Ep # | Release date |
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Complete 1st Season | 27 | 5 July 2010 |
Complete 2nd Season | 24 | 6 September 2010 |
Complete 3rd Season | 31 | 1 July 2013 |
Complete 4th Season | 28 | 1 July 2013 |
Complete 5th Season | 25 | 1 July 2013 |
The Complete Seasons 1–5 | 135 | 1 December 2014 |
The Smurfs – Four Smurf-tastic Episodes | 4 | 30 July 2011 |
The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (Blu-ray + DVD) | 0 | 11 October 2011 |
The Smurfs: 'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy | 4 | 5 November 2011 |
The Smurfs: My Smurfy Valentine | 4 | 8 January 2012 |
The Smurfs Springtime Special | 6 | 17 March 2012 |
The Smurfs: The Smurfic Games | 7 | 4 June 2012 |
The Smurfs Halloween Special | 6 | 1 October 2012 |
The Smurfs: Love, Smurfette | 6 | 1 July 2013 |
The Smurfs: Papa Smurf Rocks! | 6 | 1 July 2013 |
The Smurfs: World Cup Carnival | 5 | 23 June 2014 |
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the release of the full Series in 9 Season Sets on DVD in Germany, with German sound only, beginning in August 2011. [23]
DVD Name | Ep # | Release date |
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Die komplette erste Staffel | 27 | 4 August 2011 |
Die komplette zweite Staffel | 24 | 4 August 2011 |
Die komplette dritte Staffel | 31 | 14 October 2011 |
Die komplette vierte Staffel | 28 | 14 October 2011 |
Die komplette fünfte Staffel | 25 | 16 August 2012 |
Die komplette sechste Staffel | 39 | 16 August 2012 |
Die komplette siebte Staffel | 40 | 25 July 2013 |
Die komplette achte Staffel | 16 (including 16 additional episodes of Johan and Peewit) | 25 July 2013 |
Die komplette neunte Staffel | 26 | 25 July 2013 |
Collector's Edition (Amazon.de exclusive) | 272 | 4 July 2013 |
Magna Home Entertainment has released various best-of volume collections on DVD.
In 2017, the Belgian companies IMPS and Dupuis Audiovisuel began production on an updated Smurfs series with CG animation, similar to Smurfs: The Lost Village . [44] [45] The series made its world premiere, on RTBF's OUFtivi channel in Belgium, on 18 April 2021. [46] It premiered on Nickelodeon & Nicktoons in September 2021 in the U.S., with other international markets following soon.[ citation needed ]
Papa Smurf is one of the protagonists from the comic strip The Smurfs. Most Smurfs are said to be about 100 years old, but at the advanced age of 546, Papa is the oldest Smurf and the leader of all Smurfs. Despite his age, he is still quite energetic. Easily distinguishable from all the other Smurfs, Papa Smurf has a bushy white mustache and beard and is typically dressed in red pants and a matching red Phrygian cap, making him the only Smurf who does not wear white. He was introduced in Peyo's 1958 Johan and Peewit story "La Flûte à Six Trous", the first appearance of the Smurfs.
Smurfette is one of the protagonists from the comic strip The Smurfs. Smurfette was created by the evil wizard Gargamel, the Smurfs' archenemy, in order to spy on them and sow jealousy. However, she decides that she wants to be a real Smurf and Papa Smurf casts a spell that changes her hair from black to blonde as a sign of her transformation. She was the only female Smurf until the creation of Sassette. A Granny Smurf was also later introduced, although it is unclear how she was created. Thierry Culliford, the son of the comics' creator, Peyo, and current head of the Studio Peyo, announced in 2008 that more female Smurfs would be introduced in the stories. Smurfette has stereotypical feminine features, with long blonde wavy hair, long eyelashes, and wears a white dress and white high heels. She is the love interest of almost every Smurf.
The Smurfs is a 2011 American fantasy adventure comedy film based on the comic series of the same name created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Sofía Vergara and Hank Azaria, with the voices of Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin, Fred Armisen and Alan Cumming. It is the first live-action Sony Pictures Animation film and the first of two live-action animated Smurfs feature films.
Gargamel is the main antagonist of the Smurfs show and comic books. He is a wizard and the sworn enemy of the Smurfs.
The Smurfs is a Belgian comic series, created by cartoonist Peyo. The titular creatures were introduced as supporting characters in an already established series, Johan and Peewit in 1958, and starred in their own series from 1959. More than forty Smurf comic albums have been created, 16 of them by Peyo. Originally, the Smurf stories appeared in Spirou magazine with reprints in many different magazines, but after Peyo left the publisher Dupuis, many comics were first published in dedicated Smurf magazines, which existed in French, Dutch and German. A number of short stories and one page gags have been collected in comic books next to the regular series. By 2008, Smurf comics have been translated into 25 languages, and some 25 million albums have been sold.
Futurama's fifth season is composed of the TV edits of the four direct-to-video films, split into four episodes each. While the films were originally released between November 27, 2007 and February 24, 2009, the TV edits began airing on March 23, 2008 and concluded after 16 episodes on August 30, 2009. These episodes were the first produced for Comedy Central, after their negotiations with Fox for syndication rights gave the opportunity to create new episodes.
The Smurf Apprentice is the seventh album of the original French-language Smurfs comic series created by Belgian artist Peyo.
The Smurflings is the thirteenth album of the original French-language Smurfs comic series created by Belgian artist Peyo.
Smurf Soup is the tenth album of the original French-language Smurfs comic series created by Belgian artist Peyo.
The Baby Smurf is the twelfth album of the original French-language Smurfs comic series created by Belgian artist Peyo.
The Smurfs is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. The Smurfs was created and introduced as a series of comic characters by the Belgian comics artist Peyo in 1958, wherein they were known as Les Schtroumpfs.
The Smurfs 2 is a 2013 American fantasy comedy film loosely based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo, produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, The Kerner Entertainment Company, and Hemisphere Media Capital, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It serves as a sequel to the 2011 film The Smurfs, the second installment of Sony's Smurfs film series, and the second and final live-action film in the franchise. The film was again directed by Raja Gosnell from a screenplay written by Karey Kirkpatrick and the writing teams of J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, and Jay Scherick and David Ronn, and a story conceived by the latter four. The entire main cast reprised their roles from the first film. New cast members include Christina Ricci and J. B. Smoove as members of the Naughties, Brendan Gleeson as Patrick Winslow's stepfather, and Jacob Tremblay as Blue Winslow.
The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol is a 2011 American animated short film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo, and is an adaptation Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. The animated short was written by Todd Berger and directed by Troy Quane, and it stars the voices of George Lopez, Jack Angel, Melissa Sturm, Fred Armisen, Gary Basaraba, Anton Yelchin and Hank Azaria. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation with the animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Duck Studios. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released on DVD on December 2, 2011, attached to The Smurfs film.
The Smurfs have appeared in five feature-length films and two short films loosely based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. They theatrically debuted in a 1965 animated feature film that was followed by a 1976 animated film titled The Smurfs and the Magic Flute. Twenty-eight to thirty years after The Magic Flute was released in the United States, a 2011 feature film and a 2013 sequel were produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Columbia Pictures. Live-action roles include Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, and Jayma Mays, while the voice-over roles include Anton Yelchin, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, and George Lopez. A fully animated reboot titled Smurfs: The Lost Village was released through Sony in April 2017. An animated musical film titled The Smurfs Movie produced by Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies will release in July 2025.
The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow is a direct-to-video American animated comedy adventure short film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. A sequel to The Smurfs 2 (2013), the short was written by Todd Berger and directed by Stephan Franck, and it stars the voices of Melissa Sturm, Fred Armisen, Anton Yelchin and Hank Azaria. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation with the animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Duck Studios. The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow was released on DVD on September 10, 2013. The film is loosely based on Washington Irving's 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".
Smurfs: The Lost Village is a 2017 American animated fantasy adventure comedy film based on The Smurfs comic series by Peyo, produced by Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, The Kerner Entertainment Company, and Wanda Pictures, in association with LStar Capital, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. A reboot to Sony's previous live-action/animated hybrid films and the third and final installment in Sony's Smurfs film series, the film was directed by Kelly Asbury from a screenplay written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon, and stars the voices of Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Jake Johnson, Meghan Trainor, Mandy Patinkin, and Julia Roberts. In the film, a mysterious map prompts Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy, and Hefty to find a lost village before Gargamel does. The film introduced the female Smurfs, who appeared in the franchise the following year.