The Smurfs
The Smurfs | |
---|---|
On-screen title card. | |
Network | NBC |
Production company | Hanna-Barbera |
Original release | September 12, 1981−December 13, 1987 |
Run time | 22 minutes |
Starring | Don Messick Lucille Bliss June Foray Danny Goldman Frank Welker Paul Winchell |
Executive producer(s) | Joseph Barbera William Hanna |
Producer(s) | Gerard Baldwin |
Music composed by | Hoyt Curtin |
Director(s) | George Gordon Bob Hathcock Carl Urbano Rudy Zamora |
Second title card | |
On-screen title card in syndication. | |
Third title card | |
On-screen title card for international markets. |
The Smurfs, also known as the 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, and an additional seven specials within that time, making it Hanna-Barbera's longest consecutive running series, without any title changes (succeeding The Flintstones, which ran from 1960-1966 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. When the show went into syndication in 1986, it was renamed Smurfs' Adventures.
Production
Development
Music
The music was composed by Hoyt Curtin until season nine when he was replaced with Tom Worrall.
Episodes
Specials
Title | Number | Air date |
---|---|---|
"Here Comes the Smurfs" | 1 | June 19, 1981 |
"The Smurfs Springtime Special" | 2 | April 8, 1982 |
"The Smurfs Christmas Special" | 3 | December 12, 1982 |
"My Smurfy Valentine" | 4 | February 13, 1983 |
"The Smurfic Games" | 5 | May 20, 1984 |
"Smurfily Ever After" | 6 | February 13, 1985 |
"Tis the Season to Be Smurfy" | 7 | December 13, 1987 |
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 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 Cleveland Show episode "Our Gang", Celevand calls Rallo Super Smurf because of the blue costume he's wearing.
- 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.
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 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
- Main article: 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."
Venture Bros.
- Main article: 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 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.