"The Smurfs" Returns to TV in January

[Zach Williams]

DIC Entertainment has acquired from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution the broadcast rights to 26 half-hour episodes of The Smurfs, DIC Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward announced today. The series will begin airing in January 2005 on the DIC Kid's Network, a unique three-hour programming block designed to provide stations with children's programming that meets "core" FCC requirements. DIC has acquired the select episodes of The Smurfs that were produced for an educational purpose in order to meet the standards of the programming block.

The Smurfs follows the adventures of the Smurfs, lively blue creatures who live in the mushroom cottages of Smurf Village with their leader, Papa Smurf. The Smurfs would lead an almost perfect life were it not for an evil wizard who spends his days trying to capture them. The Smurfs made their first appearance in 1956, when creator Peyo introduced them in a story of Johan & Peewit in Le Journal de Spirou.

[Source: PR Newswire]

Thanks to Zedd for the info. ;)
Sounds cool, even if they are the educational eps. As long as my DiC Kids Network airs them, I'm happy. Got me thinking of when the Trollz crap will be coming. :shrug:

[Jave]

If it's educational, they probably got the season when the Smurflings took over the show... meh, that was one of my least favorite seasons...

[Doyng]

:sad:

It's probably going to be edited, just like the episodes we've seen from syndication that started airing nearly 20 years ago. DIC can acquire the rights to air the Smufs, but why is it that we can't see the original opening/closing titles of the Smurfs' 1st, 2nd seasons, and so on? And while we're at it, Why can't we see episodes of the 1988 and 1989 seasons? This isn't fair to Smurf/HB fans and viewers. If anyone was born before 1981, they would know the syndicated opening/closing titles of all Smurfs seasons aren't the ones they've seen on NBC. I prefer the original NBC version that was broadcasted in '81.

[Mister Intensity]

That Warner gave DIC the rights to air 26 episodes of the Smurfs says a lot about how much they value the show. You would think that Warner would use the show as a cornerstone of their Boomerang lineup or prep the show for eventual DVD release with the original Saturday Morning opening credits in place.

The only good that I could see come from this is if the 26 half-hours are from "lost" 1988 season. Maybe those weren't the best episodes of the series but they do deserve to be seen after being missing from the syndication package.

Mister Intensity

[Brettfern]

I wonder if these will be titled "Smurfs Adventures", rather than the original Smurfs and I wonder if these are the later episodes.. Has anyone heard that all 121 episodes of "Garfield and Friends" along with the last 2 prime-time specials are hitting syndication at the end of the month? Because i received an email from Mark Evanier, the co-producer that since 1992, only 73 of 121 episodes have been sold to syndication, but that deal expires this year so it looks like all episodes will be in syndication soon. But I'm hoping all of them come to DVD because I like the original theme from the 1st 2 years...

[Zach Williams]

Yeah, Garfield & Friends has been in syndication for a LONGB time now, and it was just pulled in my area about a month ago. Maybe to get ready for the upcoming new episodes. And also, yes they only aired a certain amount of episodes, so I guess its true. Hopefully my provider airs them again, along with Dennis the Menace!!!

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

I am looking forward to watching The Smurfs on TV Again do you know when in January of 2005 when The Smurfs will be Returning to Televison.

[Zach Williams]

Well, its syndicated, so its gonna be different for each area perobably. But, I know the first three episode airing in my area:

"The Abominable Snowbeast; The Smurfs and the Money Tree"
"Never Smurf Off `Til Tomorrow"
"Squeaky; Clumsy Smurfs the Future"

[PeppeRaskell1]

Ahhh, I remember the opening from the '81 season as if it were yesterday: "Long ago, deep in a forest, there was a hidden village where tiny creatures lived. They called themselves...Smurfs. They were good..."

Now, forward to the present: Anyone know when The Smurfs begins airing in January?

[Tobias]

In Indiana, it starts Monday, January 3rd at 2:30 on WB4.

And I'm guessing those episodes are from the first two seasons, at least 'Smurfs and the Money Tree' is. I just wonder which opening sequence it'll use.

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

I just frounded out that The Smurfs will be airing on WVUE-8 on Saturday Morning's at 11:30 am 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm starting Saturday, Janurary 8, 2005.

[oz615]

just got conformation that The Smurfs are coming to Nashville by way of WZTV fox17 @ 9am mon

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

I just went to www.wztv.com (http://www.wztv.com) and WZTV Has Ace Lighting on there Schedule weekday's at 9:00 am Central Time.

[ZumbidoMetal]

It's the the same time compressed syndicated "Smurfs Adventures" versions that have been airing on TV for years. Dic did put together some nice but simple bumpers for the show. The most interesting thing is maybe Dic's choice to insert their I.d. before the old Hanna-Barbera swoosh on the closing credits.

[Tintin]

"Smurfs" air on WFFF 44 Fox monday to wednesday at 8am

Recently, DEP Canada released a 4-disc DVD feature 20 Smurfs episodes entirely restored and remastered. So nice!!

[swarlock]

Hopefully The DIC network will take up the space taken by TRIO which I thought wouldn't go. I liked their programming too.

I can only hope that the 8X11 books get released here with that as well. I have to go on ebay to search for those. :(

[chris3116]

"Smurfs" air on WFFF 44 Fox monday to wednesday at 8am

Recently, DEP Canada released a 4-disc DVD feature 20 Smurfs episodes entirely restored and remastered. So nice!!
Oh yeah that DVD. I saw them on HMV. I'm wondering is this version had kept the same old french song theme?

I never knew that FOX 44 airs them. I hope it's not that time travel crap season.

[Tobias]

Oh yeah that DVD. I saw them on HMV. I'm wondering is this version had kept the same old french song theme?

I never knew that FOX 44 airs them. I hope it's not that time travel crap season.

Unless USA showed it when they had the show, that season, and I believe the three seasons previous to that, have never aired outside of it's original run on NBC's Saturday morning lineup.

For some reason, Cartoon Network's always aired the syndicated package of the first few few seasons (up to the season where Grandpa and the Smurflings arrive).

[madara]

There are so many season. I wish they get cracking on dvd box sets by now :p

[Steve Carras]

As that show is post-70s, I'd sugest Boomernag! Which suppoedly dealt with PRE-1980s fare (note caps on "pre-"!_ should retire the Smurfs-newxt thing, Animanaics and other cutesty wootsy shows will appear.

Down with Elmyra!

[Howard Fein]

Very strange how DIC acquires and reruns cartoons originally produced by other studios. Reruns of the Filmation ARCHIES library on the old Family Channel in the early nineties were carried under the DIC banner. It was very bizarre to see the "DIC kid in bed" logo after the original 1968-74 series credit sequences.

But then DIC already owned the Archie franchise as early as 1987, because that's when they premiered a new version on NBC's Saturday AM schedule. Like most remakes (and DIC product), it was absolutely dreadful: murky foreign animation, unfamiliar Canadian voice cast, ticky-tacky Saban/Levy score, forced topical references (music videos, break-dancing) and the youthifying of the familiar characters into 'tweens. As expected, it only ran four 13-episode cycles over a single season.

DIC also reran the 1985-87 Ruby-Spears PUNKY BREWSTER cartoon (without its catchy Cyndi Lauper theme song) in mix with its first-run syndie MAXIE'S WORLD (1990) and reruns of its 1987 syndicated BEVERLY HILLS TEENS. How it acquired the rights to an old R-S show is quite puzzling.

Hopefully, DIC won't produce some quickie bumper animation of the Smurfs in their distinctive anime style for this compilation.

[Tobias]

DIC also reran the 1985-87 Ruby-Spears PUNKY BREWSTER cartoon (without its catchy Cyndi Lauper theme song) in mix with its first-run syndie MAXIE'S WORLD (1990) and reruns of its 1987 syndicated BEVERLY HILLS TEENS. How it acquired the rights to an old R-S show is quite puzzling.

Hopefully, DIC won't produce some quickie bumper animation of the Smurfs in their distinctive anime style for this compilation.

I remember that show. They were going for My Little Pony & Friend's audience by copying their format (the core show with two other shows tacked on), only Maxie's World rarely showed the Maxie portion. They'd air a Maxie/Punky combo, a full BHT ep, or two back to back Punky Brewsters. As you can imagine, the show was off the air after a year.

They did use the PB theme, but it was EXTREMELY shortened. I believe it was less than thirty seconds compared to it's regular minute and a half theme. And I'm guessing the episodes themselves were time compressed and edited.

Then the end credits would be the Maxie's world credits, but with the BHT and PB animation credits copied onto it.

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

I am enjoying watching The Smurfs on Saturday's Morning's.

[Steve Carras]

Very strange how DIC acquires and reruns cartoons originally produced by other studios. Reruns of the Filmation ARCHIES library on the old Family Channel in the early nineties were carried under the DIC banner. It was very bizarre to see the "DIC kid in bed" logo after the original 1968-74 series credit sequences.

But then DIC already owned the Archie franchise as early as 1987, because that's when they premiered a new version on NBC's Saturday AM schedule. Like most remakes (and DIC product), it was absolutely dreadful: murky foreign animation, unfamiliar Canadian voice cast, ticky-tacky Saban/Levy score, forced topical references (music videos, break-dancing) and the youthifying of the familiar characters into 'tweens. As expected, it only ran four 13-episode cycles over a single season.

DIC also reran the 1985-87 Ruby-Spears PUNKY BREWSTER cartoon (without its catchy Cyndi Lauper theme song)
Oh..my..god. You mean she did the theme for that (I KNWO PEE WEE PLAYHOUSE had her, billed as Ellen Shaw).

Was she mentioned in the credits..it does sound a bit like her,now that I THINK about it..:)

[Martianinvader]

DIC also reran the 1985-87 Ruby-Spears PUNKY BREWSTER cartoon (without its catchy Cyndi Lauper theme song)
What? Lauper sung that? I thought Punky/Frye sung that.

[Tobias]

Oh..my..god. You mean she did the theme for that (I KNWO PEE WEE PLAYHOUSE had her, billed as Ellen Shaw).

Was she mentioned in the credits..it does sound a bit like her,now that I THINK about it..:)

It doesn't say who sings it in the end credits. All there is this:


http://www.geocities.com/bartallenii/PDVD_001.GIF

[Steve Carras]

It doesn't say who sings it in the end credits. All there is this:


http://www.geocities.com/bartallenii/PDVD_001.GIFYa gotta REMIND us?:p

[New Noise™]

Awesome news! I love The Smurfs! :anime:

[Gmfox8@cox.net]

I am enjoying The Smurfs on on Saturday's from 11:00 AM Until 12:30 PM.