Nickelodeon orders new Smurfs series
If you've been wishing until you were blue in the face that The Smurfs would return to TV for new adventures, you're in luck.
Nickelodeon announced Thursday that it has ordered The Smurfs, a new CG-animated fantasy comedy series that continues the stories from the wildly popular 1980s animated kids series. The reboot will revolve around such familiar characters as Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, and Clumsy, as well as other Phyrgian cap-wearing creatures, and promises tales that are "packed with humor, heart and high-stakes action."
Based on a comic series created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre "Peyo" Culliford, The Smurfs aired Saturday mornings on NBC from 1981 to 1989, churning out more than 25o episodes and several specials. Three Smurfs films were released over the last decade, including 2011's The Smurfs, 2013's The Smurfs 2, and 2017's Smurfs: The Lost Village.
The new series — which is directed by William Renaud (Calimero) and written by Peter Saisselin (Alvin!!! And the Chipmunks) and Amy Serafin (Alvin!!! And the Chipmunks) — is scheduled to premiere in 2021.
“The Smurfs have entertained generations of kids and families globally, and we are thrilled to bring these identifiable characters, their stories and universal themes of cooperation, sharing and caring for their community to Nickelodeon,” said Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships, in a statement."
The Smurfs' popularity lives on; in March, 3,549 fans thumbed their blue noses at science and gathered in France to break the world record for the largest gathering of Smurfs, despite warnings not to gather in large groups during the global pandemic.
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