The Smurfs


 * This article is about the TV series. For the species, see Smurfs.

The Smurfs, also known as Smurfs, is an American-Belgian animated fantasy-comedy TV series produced by Hanna-Barbera and SEPP International for NBC's Saturday morning children's programming. It ran from 1981 to 1989, airing 259 episodes that spanned nine seasons, and an additional seven specials within that time, making it Hanna-Barbera's longest consecutive running series, without any format changes (succeeding The Flintstones, which ran from 1960 to 1966 in prime-time). It is based on the works of Belgian comics artist Peyo, first appearing in 1958.

The Smurfs is about the lives of a race of the same name; tiny, blue humanoids, wearing Phrygian caps, who live in a village of mushroom-shaped houses. Their names are based on adjectives that emphasize their personalities, such as "Jokey" Smurf, who pulls pranks. Their leader and mentor is the wizened Papa Smurf, who, unlike the others, dresses in red, instead of white. One of the main gimmicks of the show is that their kind is almost entirely made up of males, with Smurfette, being the exception (although a couple of others were added towards the series run). Their primary antagonist is the human, Gargamel, who knows of the Smurfs' hidden existence and wants to melt them into gold.

The narrator refers to the show as The Smurfs, while the card refers to it as Smurfs (while international versions also referred to it as The Smurfs). When the show went into syndication in 1986, it was renamed Smurfs' Adventures.

Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin until season nine when he was replaced with Tom Worrall.

Cast

 * Don Messick as Papa Smurf, Azreal
 * Lucille Bliss as Smurfette
 * June Foray as Jokey Smurf
 * Danny Goldman as Brainy Smurf
 * Frank Welker as Hefty Smurf
 * Paul Winchell as Gargamel

In popular culture

 * In the film Field of Dreams, Karin uses a Smurfs glass.
 * In the Saved By the Bell episode "Aloha Slater," Zach apologizes for having Screech crammed in Belding's file cabinet for so long, but he brushes it off and says, "Just paint me blue and call me a Smurf." Both Saved By the Bell and Smurfs enjoyed success on NBC.
 * In the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Career Oppor-Toon-ities" (the "Working Pig" segment), Porky gets a job at a toy store at Acme Mall and tries selling Elmyra "The Muffy Smuffs".
 * In The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "The Schlubs," there is a race of creatures known as the Schlubs living in the mushrooms in Billy's front yard. Grim wants to melt the 100 Schlubs into gold bars to revive My Troubled Pony, in reference to Gargamel wanting to melt the Smurfs into gold. There is also a single female Schlub like Smurfette, only she is giant-sized and fiercely jealous of any competition. Mandy ended up melting all the Schlubs herself, except for the female Schlub.
 * In The Cleveland Show episode "Our Gang," Cleveland calls Rallo Super Smurf because of the blue costume he's wearing.
 * In Thundermans episode "Blue Detective," a blue-skinned Max refers to himself as a Smurf.
 * In the Sugar and Toys episode "Burning Scouts," Smurfs are purple.
 * In the Saturday Night Live episode "John Mulaney/The Strokes," John Mulaney's uses his opening monologue to compare the way Governor Cuomo kept on saying New York like he was a Smurf.
 * In the Cobra Kai episode "First Learn Stand," Johnny says the deck is as "Smooth as a Smurf's ass" after working on it.
 * In the 2022 Disney+ film Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, the bootleg facility has a Smurfs hat, and when Captain Putty is caught working with the bad guys, he calls himself a "greedy little Smurf".

Breaking Bad

 * "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal:" Jesse uses the term "smurfs" for his drug buyers.
 * "Dead Freight:" Mike talks about putting to work a dozen skells "smurfing" out cold pills.

Comic Book Men

 * "Tough Sh*t:" They talk like the Smurfs, which includes bedroom talk, and mention Gargamel.
 * "Stash Wars:" They talk about living in the background of a cartoon, with Brian picking Smurfs, which would put Lazy Smurf out of a job (Gargamel is also mentioned).
 * "Holy Zap Copter:" Mike thought The Smurfs was the most outlandish cartoon.

Family Guy

 * "Emission Impossible:" Stewie watches an episode of The Smurfs, where two Smurfs discuss one of them having sex with Smurfette, using the word "smurf" as a euphemism for sex.
 * "Halloween on Spooner Street:" A girl dresses up as Smurfette, attending the same party as Meg and her friends.
 * "Guy, Robot:" A drunken Peter claims that the mushrooms on his side of the bed are where the Smurfs live.

Riverdale (2017)

 * "Chapter Thirty-Four: Judgment Night:" Penny calls Toni a Southside Smurfette.
 * "Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam:" Cheryl calls Jughead an "insufferable Smurf."

Robot Chicken

 * "Atta Toy:" In the sketch, "Murder In Smurf Town X," Papa tasks Brainy with investigating the deaths of several Smurfs, which he discovers was done by Jokey.
 * "Massage Chair:"
 * "Slaughterhouse on the Prairie:"
 * "Unionizing Our Labor:"
 * "Especially the Animal Keith Crofford:"
 * "Dear Consumer:" At Christmas, a father pulls a prank on his son when he opens up his gift, only to discover it explodes. This obliterates the son, which the father was not expecting, and says to his wife, "Oh, it was a lot funnier when Jokey Smurf did it, huh?"
 * "Saving Private Gigli:" Skeletor's accountant calls him "Smurfy."
 * "Terms of Endaredevil:"
 * "Punctured Jugular:"
 * "Butchered in Burbank:"
 * "Papercut to Aorta:"
 * "G.I. Jogurt:"
 * "Secret of the Booze:"
 * "Up, Up and Buffet:"
 * "Bitch Pudding Special:"
 * "Batman Forever 21:"
 * "Lots of Holidays (But Don't Worry Christmas is Still in There Too So Pull the Stick Out of Your Ass Fox News) Special:"
 * "Your Mouth Is Hanging Off Your Face:"
 * "May Cause Light Cannibalism:"

The Venture Bros.

 * "Careers in Science:" Manstrong argues with Baldavitch that Brock has a Smurf living in his genitalia because it's as big as a mushroom.
 * "Are You There, God, It's Me, Dean:" Henchmen 24 debates with Henchman 21 whether or not Smurfette lays eggs, but Henchman 21 counters that they're mammals, as Papa Smurf has a beard.
 * "Past Tense:" One of the original Team Venture members mentions Smurfs.