The Smurfs (1981 TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = The Smurfs


caption =
format = Comic book series
Children's television series
runtime = 22 minutes
creator = Peyo
starring =
country = United States
network = NBC
duration = 22 minutes
first_aired = September 12, 1981
last_aired = December 2, 1989
num_episodes = 256
list_episodes = List of The Smurfs episodes
website = http://www.smurf.com
imdb_id = 0081933
tv_com_id = 3352|

"The Smurfs" is a American cartoon series that aired on NBC from 1981 to 1989. Made by Hanna-Barbera, it is based on the Belgian comic series "The Smurfs", created by Peyo, and aired for 256 episodes, with a total of 421 stories.

History

In 1976, Stuart R. Ross, an American media and entertainment entrepreneur who saw the Smurfs while travelling in Belgium, entered into an agreement with Editions Dupuis and Peyo, acquiring North American and other rights to the characters. 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 television executive 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.cite book|last=Barbera|first=Joseph|title=My Life in "Toons": From Flatbush to Bedrock in Under a Century|year=1994|publisher=Turner Publishing|location=Atlanta, GA|isbn= 1-57036-042-1|pages=184-187]

Run on NBC

The Smurfs secured their place in North American pop culture in 1981, when the Saturday-morning cartoon "The Smurfs", produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with SEPP International S.A., aired on NBC from 1981 to 1990. The show became a major success for NBC, spawning spin-off television specials on an almost yearly basis. "The Smurfs" was nominated multiple times for Daytime Emmy awards, and won Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series in 1982–1983.cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1703303,00.html |title=The Smurfs Are Off to Conquer the World - Again|accessdate=2008-01-15 |author=Leo Cendrowicz |date=2008-01-15 |publisher=Time] "The Smurfs" television show enjoyed continued success until 1990, when, after a decade of success, NBC cancelled it due to decreasing ratings.

The animated versions of Papa Smurf and Brainy Smurf were featured in "Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue".

yndication

The series currently airs in reruns on Boomerang, and 26 selected episodes were aired in DiC Entertainment's syndicated programming blocks. The series is still being shown regularly on many channels throughout the world. The cartoon was formerly distributed by Television Program Enterprises (later Rysher Entertainment), Tribune Entertainment (for DiC) and Worldvision Enterprises. The cartoon is now distributed direct from Warner Bros. Television; Time Warner is the current owner of all Hanna-Barbera properties (now known as Cartoon Network Studios), having inheirited them in their 1996 merger with Turner Broadcasting. Some episodes are available through the online video service In2TV.

DVD releases

Warner Bros. has announced its tentative plans to start releasing the complete "Smurfs" cartoon series on DVD in the United States in season box sets in 2008.

In Australia, volumes 1-9 are available of The Smurfs. The 9 discs contain 52 episodes from The Smurfs

Voices

* Don Messick: Papa Smurf, Azrael, Dreamy Smurf, Sleepy Smurf, Sweepy Smurf
* Paul Winchell: Gargamel, Baby Smurf, Nosey
* Lucille Bliss: Smurfette
* Barry Gordon and Danny Goldman: Brainy Smurf
* Frank Welker: Clockwork Smurf, Hefty Smurf, Peewit, Poet Smurf, Puppy, Wild Smurf
* William Callaway: Clumsy Smurf, Painter Smurf
* Alan Young: Miner Smurf, Farmer Smurf, Scaredy Smurf
* Hamilton Camp: Greedy Smurf, Harmony Smurf
* Michael Bell: Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Johan
* June Foray: Jokey Smurf, Mother Nature
* Alan Oppenheimer: Vanity Smurf, Enchanter Homnibus, Father Time
* Kip King: Tailor Smurf
* Marshall Efron: Sloppy Smurf
* Pat Fraley: Tuffy Smurf
* Bernard Erhard: Timber Smurf
* Jonathan Winters: Grandpa Smurf
* Dan Radloff: Sneaky Smurf, Spy Smurf, Stinky Smurf
* Susan Blu: Granny Smurf
* Russi Taylor: Puppy, Smoogle, additional voices
* Julie McWhirter: Baby Smurf, Sassette Smurfling
* Pat Musick: Snappy Smurfling
* Noelle North: Slouchy Smurfling
* Charles Adler: Nat Smurfling, additional voices
* Jennifer Darling: Princess Salvina
* Linda Gary: Dame Barbara
* Bob Holt: The King, Peewee
* Phil Proctor: King Gerard
* Lennie Weinrib: Bigmouth
* Janet Waldo: Hogatha
* Brenda Vaccaro: Scruple
* Keene Curtis: Balthazar
* Amanda McBroom: Chlorhydris
* Ed Gilbert:Additional voices
* Brian Cummings:Additional voices
* Jim Cummings:additional voices
* Tress MacNeille:additional voices
* Harold John 'Hal' Smith:additional voices
* Kenneth Mars:additional voices
* Kath Soucie:additional voices
* Jack Angel:additional voices
* Ruth Buzzi:additional voices
* Marvin Kaplan:additional voices

Use of classical music

"The Smurfs" was noted for its frequent use of classical music as background music or themes for particular events. Notable works found in the Smurfs include: [ [http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/1997/071097/jfl1.html Montreal Mirror article] , [http://www.astrostreasurechest.net/websmurfclub/faq.htm Astro's Treasure Chest website article] ]

* Johann Sebastian Bach, "Arioso"
* 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, "Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral")", first and forth movements
* Ludwig van Beethoven, "Symphony No. 9 ("Choral")", second movement
* Hector Berlioz, "Symphonie fantastique", second movement
* Claude Debussy, "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune"
* Paul Dukas, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
* Edward Elgar, "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Land of Hope and Glory)
* César Franck, "Symphony in D minor", first and second movements
* Edvard Grieg, "Peer Gynt: Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King"
* Edvard Grieg, "Lyric Suite: March of the Dwarfs"
* Albert W. Ketelbey, "In a Persian Market"
* Franz Liszt, "Piano Concerto No. 1"
* Franz Liszt, "Totentanz"
* Felix Mendelssohn, "Spring Song"
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, "The Magic Flute".
* 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 [ [http://bluebuddies.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/1090.html Bluebuddies website article] Classical Music in the Smurfs] .
* Modest Mussorgsky, "Night on the Bare Mountain"
* Sergey Prokofiev, "Symphony No. 1 ("Classical"): Gavotta"
* Sergey Prokofiev, "Peter and the Wolf"
* Sergey Prokofiev, "Lieutenant Kijé"
* Sergei Rachmaninov, "Prelude in G minor"
* Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, "Scheherazade"
* Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, "The Snow Maiden: Dance of the Tumblers"
* Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, "The Golden Cockerel"
* Gioachino Rossini, "William Tell Overture"
* Franz Schubert, "Symphony No. 8 ("Unfinished")", first movement. Used as theme music for Gargamel.
* Jean Sibelius, "Finlandia"
* Richard Strauss, "Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche"
* Igor Stravinsky, "The Firebird"
* Igor Stravinsky, "Petrushka: Russian Dance"
* Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "The Nutcracker"
* 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"
* Richard Wagner, "The Ring: Ride of the Valkyries"

Broadcast history

USA

*National Broadcasting Company (1981-1989)
*Syndication
*USA Network
*Cartoon Network
*Boomerang (TV channel) (2000-present)

United Kingdom

*ITV
*Boomerang (UK & Ireland)
*Cartoon Network (UK & Ireland)

Australia

*Seven Network (1982-1997)
*Boomerang (Australian TV channel)]

Southeast Asia

*Boomerang (Southeast Asia TV channel)

Canada

*Global Television Network (1981-1989)
*Teletoon Retro

India

*Cartoon Network (India)

Austria

*ORF1

Germany

*Tele 5
*Super RTL

Hungary

*Magyar Televízió
*RTL Klub

Notes

External links

* [http://www.mushroomvillage.com/smurfs-tv.html The Smurfs] at mushroomvillage.com