The Smurfs (1981 TV series)

The Smurfs (1981 TV series)
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 by the same name, created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo (who also served as story supervisor of this adaptation) and aired for 258 episodes with a total of 419 stories, excluding three cliffhangers episodes and seven specials episodes.
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.
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), debuted on NBC at 8:30 AM in 1981. The series became a major success for the network (one of the few hits to emerge from the Fred 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.
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, 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 425.
Episodes
Voice cast and characters
Charlie Adler as Natural "Nat" Smurfling, Glut (in "Clumsy's Cloud")
Jack Angel as Enchanter Homnibus, Additional voices
Marlene Aragon as Additional voices
Bob Arbogast as Additional voices
Lewis Arquette as Additional voices
René Auberjonois as Additional voices
Jered Barclay as Additional voices
Bernard Behrens as Additional voices
Michael Bell as Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Johan, Gargamel (Season 9), Additional voices
Gregg Berger as Additional voices
Lucille Bliss as Smurfette
Susan Blu as Nanny Smurf, Pansy
Sorrell Booke as Additional voices
Peter Brooks as Additional voices
Greg Burson as Additional voices
Ruth Buzzi as Additional voices
William Callaway as Clumsy Smurf, Painter Smurf, Additional voices
Joey Camen as Natural Smurf (adult form)
Hamilton Camp as Greedy Smurf, Harmony Smurf, Woody, Slag the Wartmonger Jester, Additional voices
Roger C. Carmel as Additional voices
Victoria Carroll as Additional voices
Mary Jo Catlett as Madame Hildegarde (in "Stop and Go Smurfs")
William Christopher as Angel Smurf
Philip L. Clarke as Additional voices
Selette Cole as Additional voices
Townsend Coleman as Additional voices
Henry Corden as Drako (in "The Magic Fountain”)
Regis Cordic as Additional voices
Peter Cullen as Zeus (in "The Smurf Odyssey"), Gluttonous the Gourmet (in "A Fish Called Snappy"), Additional voices
Brian Cummings as Additional voices
Jim Cummings as the Sultan of Sweets (in "Sky High Surprise")
Keene Curtis as Lord Balthazar
Jennifer Darling as Princess Sabina, Additional voices
Leo De Lyon as Additional voices
Barry Dennen as Additional voices
Bronwen Denton-Davis as Additional voices
Patti Deutsch as Bignose, Additional voices
Walker Edmiston as Additional voices
Marshall Efron as Sloppy Smurf
Paul Eiding as Additional voices
Dick Erdman as Additional voices
Bernard Erhard as Timber Smurf
June Foray as Jokey Smurf, Mother Nature, Additional voices
Pat Fraley as Tuffy Smurf, Additional voices
Teresa Ganzel as Additional voices
Linda Gary as Dame Barbara, Chlorhydris (all episodes except the special "My Smurfy Valentine")
Dick Gautier as Wooly Smurf
Joan Gerber as Priscilla (in "The Tear of a Smurf"), Gowagga Puppet (in "Snappy's Puppet"), Additional voices
Henry Gibson as Additional voices
Ed Gilbert as Additional voices
Patty Glick as Additional voices
Danny Goldman as Brainy Smurf
Barry Gordon as the Gamemaster (in "The Grouchiest Game in Town"), Additional voices
Joy Grdnic as Additional voices
Ernest Harada as Additional voices
Phil Hartman as Additional voices
Bob Holt as the Good King
Jerry Houser as Ripple (in "The Smurflings' Unsmurfy Friend"), Tebuli the Genie (in "The Clumsy Genie"), Additional voices
John Ingle as Additional voices
Robert Ito as Additional voices
Tony Jay as Merlin (in "The Smurfs of the Round Table")
Arte Johnson as Devil Smurf
Marvin Kaplan as Gourdy (in "Farmer's Genii", "The Tallest Smurf", and "Master Scruple")
Zale Kessler as Additional voices
Aron Kincaid as Additional voices
Kip King as Tailor Smurf
Paul Kirby as Additional voices
Clyde Kusatsu as Additional voices
Robbie Lee as Additional voices
Ruta Lee as Evelyn (in "Gargamel's Sweetheart"), Morgan le Fay (in "The Smurfs of the Round Table")
Katie Leigh as Denisa (in "A Smurf for Denisa", "Denisa's Greedy Doll", and "Denisa's Slumber Party")
Michael Lembeck as Additional voices
Marilyn Lightstone as Additional voices
Keye Luke as Additional voices
Allan Lurie as Additional voices
Jim MacGeorge as Additional voices
Norma MacMillan as Brenda (in "The Littlest Witch")
Tress MacNeille as Sylvia (in "The Smurf Oddysey"), Additional voices
Patty Maloney as Blue Eyes (in "The Little Orange Horse with the Gold Shoes")
Danny Mann as Additional voices
Kenneth Mars as King Bullrush, Julius Geezer (in "Gnoman Holiday"), Additional voices
Mona Marshall as Weepy Smurf, Flowerbell (in "Papa's Wedding Day"), Andria (in "Wedding Bells for Gargamel")
Amanda McBroom as Chlorhydris (in the special "My Smurfy Valentine"), Additional voices
Chuck McCann as Additional voices
Julie McWhirter as Baby Smurf, Sassette Smurfling
Allan Melvin as Dufus (in "Gargamel's Giant"), Additional voices
Don Messick as Papa Smurf, Azrael, Dreamy Smurf, Chitter the Squirrel, Sickly Smurf, Sweepy Smurf, Additional voices
Sidney Miller as Additional voices
Larry Moss as Additional voices
Janice Motoike as Additional voices
Pat Musick as Snappy Smurfling
Frank Nelson as Nosey Smurf, Additional voices
Noelle North as Slouchy Smurfling
Alan Oppenheimer as Vanity Smurf, Father Time, Additional voices
Patricia Parris as Acorn
Rob Paulsen as Marco Smurf, Additional voices
Clare Peck as Additional voices
Diane Pershing as Additional voices
Patrick Pinney as Additional voices
Henry Polic II as Tracker Smurf, Keswick (in "Legendary Smurfs"), Additional voices
Philip Proctor as King Gerard
Clive Revill as Additional voices
Robert Ridgely as Additional voices
Neil Ross as Additional voices
Joe Ruskin as Additional voices
Will Ryan as Slime the Wartmonger, Anton (in "Legendary Smurfs")
Michael Rye as Morlock (in "The Prince and the Hopper" and "Gargamel's New Job"), Additional voices
Robert Sarlatte as Additional voices
Ronnie Schell as Pushover Smurf, Reporter Smurf, Jokey Smurf (in "The Smurfette", "Vanity Fare", and "The Astrosmurf"), Additional Voices
Marilyn Schreffler as Additional voices
Avery Schreiber as Additional voices
Franklin Seales as Additional voices
Susan Silo as Petaluma (in "Smurfette's Flower"), Additional voices
Hal Smith as Sludge the Wartmonger, Additional voices
Kath Soucie as Adella (in "Stop and Go Smurfs"), Ali Baby (in "Sky High Surprise"), Additional voices
John Stephenson as Treasure Hunter Imp and Spirit of the Ancient Trolls (in "Smurfette's Dancing Shoes"), Additional voices
Kris Stevens as Additional voices
Alexandra Stoddart as Additional voices
Andre Stojka as Additional voices
Dee Stratton as Additional voices
George Takei as Additional voices
Mark Taylor as Additional voices
Russi Taylor as Smoogle, Brenda (in "Scruple's Sweetheart"), Additional voices
Susan Tolsky as Additional voices
Fred Travalena as Additional voices
Marcelo Tubert as Additional voices
Brenda Vaccaro as Scruple, Architect Smurf
Janet Waldo as Hogatha
Ray Walston as Additional voices
Peggy Walton-Walker as Additional voices
B.J. Ward as Hermes (in "The Smurf Odyssey"), Additional voices
Peggy Webber as Elderberry
Lennie Weinrib as Bigmouth
Frank Welker as Hefty Smurf, Clockwork Smurf, Peewit, Poet Smurf, Puppy, Wild Smurf, Nemesis, Sandman, Additional voices
Paul Winchell as Gargamel, Flighty Smurf
Jonathan Winters as Grandpa Smurf
Francine Witkin as Lady Luck (in "Bad Luck Smurfs")
Anderson Wong as Additional voices
Michael Wong as Additional voices
Alan Young as Farmer Smurf, Miner Smurf, Scaredy Smurf, Additional voices
Production
Outsourced production work was done by Wang Film Productions/Cuckoo's Nest Studios and, only for Season 7, by Toei Animation.
Use of classical music
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:
Isaac Albéniz, Suite española, "Asturias"
Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, BWV 1047, Allegro moderato
Johann Sebastian Bach, Concerto for harpsichord, strings & continuo No. 5, BWV 1056, Arioso. Largo
Johann Sebastian Bach, Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068, Gavotte
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 8 (Pathétique), first movement
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight), third movement
The above two tunes are frequently used in scenes where the Smurfs are in danger, or which otherwise have a great deal of dramatic tension.
Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 23 (Appassionata), first movement
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 1, first movement
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral), first and fourth movements
Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (Choral), second movement
Hector Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique, second movement
Léon Boëllmann, Suite gothique, Toccata
Alexander Borodin, Polovtsian Dances, Fifth Dance: "Dance of the Boys" (used in dramatic moments)
Johannes Brahms, Wiegenlied (Brahms)
Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 2, third movement
Claude Debussy, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (used primarily in season 1)
Claude Debussy, Prelude Book 2 No. 6, Général Lavine – eccentric
Paul Dukas, The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Edward Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 ("Land of Hope and Glory")
Edward Elgar, The Wand of Youth, Suite No. 1
César Franck, Symphony in D minor, first and second movements
Edvard Grieg, Peer Gynt: "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King"
"Morning Mood" is frequently heard when Mother Nature makes an appearance
Edvard Grieg, Lyric Suite, "March of the Dwarfs"
Albert Ketèlbey, In a Persian Market
Lev Knipper, Cavalry of the Steppes
Zoltán Kodály, Háry János Suite
Franz Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Friska (episode "Harmony Steals the Show")
Franz Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1
Franz Liszt, Totentanz
Franz Liszt, Transcendental étude No. 6, "Vision"
Felix Mendelssohn, Spring Song
Felix Mendelssohn, Wedding March (Mendelssohn) (episode "The Three Smurfketeers")
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Magic Flute
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 35 in D major, K.385 "Haffner", 4th movement, "The Smurflings" episode (just a very slowed down version)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550, 1st movement, (episode "The Haunted Smurfs")
Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition: Gnomus, Tuileries, Gargamel's theme variation about 1.5 minutes in, and a scene segue part about 10 minutes in, are used in the cartoon.
Modest Mussorgsky, Night on the Bare Mountain
Sergey Prokofiev, Symphony No. 1 ("Classical"): Gavotta
Sergey Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
Sergey Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf
Sergey Prokofiev, Lieutenant Kijé
Sergey Prokofiev, Scythian Suite
Sergei Rachmaninov, Prelude in G minor
Maurice Ravel, Gaspard de la nuit: Le gibet
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade (introducing theme for Gargamel)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Snow Maiden: Dance of the Tumblers
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, The Golden Cockerel
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Flight of the Bumblebee
Gioachino Rossini, William Tell Overture
Camille Saint-Saëns, Symphony No. 3 ("Organ"), first movement
Franz Schubert: Rosamunde: Ballet Music No. 2
Franz Schubert: Serenade
Franz Schubert, Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished"), first movement, used as Gargamel's theme and used in scenes when the Smurfs are in danger
Jean Sibelius, Finlandia
Richard Strauss, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche
Igor Stravinsky, The Firebird
Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring
Igor Stravinsky, Petrushka: Russian Dance
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Natha Waltz
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian Dance
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, Reed Flutes (episode "How To Smurf A Rainbow")
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, The Seasons: June, August
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4: Finale (Allegro con fuoco)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 ("Pathétique"), second theme from first movement
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (used in scenes of love)
Richard Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Overture
Richard Wagner, The Ring
Syndication
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 Boomerang until April 7, 2023. On August 7, 2023, the series began airing on Discovery Family.
Home media
Region 1
Warner Home Video (via Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released the complete first season on DVD in a two-volume set in 2008. Despite high sales of both sets, 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. 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, instead, it included episodes from the second season. Another DVD with both Smurfs Christmas specials was released later that year. It is unknown if Warner Archive will release the rest of the show's complete seasons (under the Hanna-Barbera Classics Collection banner or not) 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.
Region 2
Fabulous Films and Arrow Films have released the first five seasons on DVD in the UK.
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.
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.
Region 4
Magna Home Entertainment has released various best-of volume collections on DVD.
The Smurfs and the Magic Flute has been released, but in a new 'Original Collector's Edition' with new packaging released on 2 September 2011.
The Smurfs – Time Travellers (3 Disc Set) was released on 5 November 2008.
The Smurfs – Smurfette Collection (3 Disc Set) was released on 1 September 2009.
The Smurfs – Papa Smurf Collection (3 Disc Set) was released on 4 November 2009.
The Smurfs – Favourites Collection (6 Disc Box Set) was released on 29 June 2010.
The Smurfs – Just Smurfy 1 (Box Set) (BONUS Figurine) was released on 3 November 2010.
The Smurfs – Just Smurfy 2 (Box Set) (BONUS Figurine) was released on 3 November 2010.
The Smurfs – Just Smurfy 3 (Box Set) (BONUS Figurine) was released on 1 December 2010.
The Smurfs – Just Smurfy 4 (Box Set) (BONUS Figurine) was released on 2 March 2011.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 1 (3 Disc Digipak) and The Smurfs – Complete Season 2 (3 Disc Digipak) were released on 24 August 2011.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 3 (4 Disc Digipak) and The Smurfs – Complete Season 4 (4 Disc Digipak) were released on 5 October 2011.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 5 (3 Disc Digipak) was released on 1 December 2011.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 6 (5 Disc Digipak) was released on 4 January 2012.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 7 (5 Disc Digipak), The Smurfs – Complete Season 8 (2 Disc Digipak) were released on 1 August 2013.
The Smurfs – Complete Season 9 (3 Disc Digipak) was released on 14 August 2013.
The Smurfs – Ultimate Collection 1: Limited Edition – Seasons 1–5 (18 Disc Box Set) released on 24 August 2011.
The Smurfs – Ultimate Collection 2: Limited Edition – Seasons 6–9 (16 Disc Box Set) released on 2 November 2011.
In popular culture
The animated versions of Papa Smurf and Brainy Smurf were featured in Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. Hefty Smurf also makes a brief cameo in the beginning of the movie with the other Smurfs, his only line being, "Who smurfed the bell?" Smurfette is shown on the promotional poster and VHS cover artwork, but was not seen in the special. Harmony Smurf made a small cameo as the Smurfs comic book was flipping through pages.
Gargamel and Azrael made guest appearances on Family Guy in 2009.
The Smurfs were often parodied in Robot Chicken where Danny Goldman reprises his role of Brainy Smurf, while Dan Milano voiced Papa Smurf and Seth Green voiced Gargamel.
In the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Guitar Control", a tank can be seen destroying a Smurf house.
2021 reboot
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. The series made its world premiere, on RTBF's OUFtivi channel in Belgium, on 18 April 2021. It premiered on Nickelodeon & Nicktoons in September 2021 in the U.S
See also
List of works produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions
List of Hanna-Barbera characters
Notes
References
External links
The Smurfs at Big Cartoon DataBase
1981 American television series debuts
1989 American television series endings
1980s American animated television series
1980s American children's comedy television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
English-language television shows
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera
Television about magic
NBC original programming
Television series based on Belgian comics
Television series by Hanna-Barbera
Television series set in the Middle Ages
Television shows set in forests
TV
Wizards in television