Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellzAll's subject for April is "The Smurfs"
Have you ever wondered what cartoon shows children in the past watched? Well one of the shows that your parents probably enjoyed was "The Smurfs." The program was on television from 1981 to 1990.
The Smurf characters first appeared in a comic strip series drawn and written by Pierre Culliford, a Belgian cartoonist. Introduced in 1958, the Smurfs quickly gained international fame. The Smurfs were small, blue creatures, who almost always wore white. An older Smurf, who wore red and had a white beard, was the Smurfs' leader. The Smurfs lived in mushrooms or in stone houses that resembled mushrooms. They had their own language, which was characterized by the repetitive use of the word "smurf." The tone that a character used to utter this term supposedly determined the word's meaning. Only Smurfs could truly comprehend the meaning.
In the mid 1970s, Stuart R. Ross acquired the rights to the Smurfs in North America. In 1981, Hanna-Barbera Productions produced a television cartoon show. This show aired on NBC on Saturday mornings from 1981 until 1990. The Smurfs lived in a virtual utopia, where life was generally wonderful. They loved each other, and rarely did they ever have any differences among themselves. They lived in a near communist society, with everyone working together for the common good. Papa Smurf, the only Smurf to wear red, was the leader. At first, all of the Smurfs were adult males, but eventually an adult woman, Smurfette, and other girl Smurfs, all children, appeared on the program. The only issue preventing the Smurfs from living a perfect life was Gargamel, an evil man, and Azrael, his cat, who sought to destroy the Smurfs' happiness. They never triumphed over the Smurfs.
During the show's airing, thousands of products existed promoting "The Smurfs." A line of action figures existed, as well as items like toothbrushes, banks, clothing, and sheets. For the 1982-1983 season, "The Smurfs" won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series. In 1991, the television program ended production due to decline popularity, but many people missed the camaraderie and happiness of the Smurfs. Illustrating the Smurfs' continued popularity, in February 2008, the show's first season was released on DVD. A motion picture is planned for 2010, bringing the Smurfs to a new generation.
