The Smurfs (1981 TV Series) - TV Specials

TV Specials

The popularity of The Smurfs was such that NBC aired several prime-time Smurfs specials over the years:

• Here Comes the Smurfs (1981) - an hour-long special that aired the episodes "The Smurfette", "Super Smurf" and "The Baby Smurf" with new wrap-arounds featuring Papa Smurf telling the stories.

• The Smurfs' Springtime Special (April 8, 1982) - Gargamel plots to capture six Smurfs for making gold by putting a spell on Mother Nature, freezing their forest. The Smurfs enlist the aid of the woodland animals to bring an end to Gargamel's evil plans and to bring spring back into the forest. This special is available on The Smurfs Season One Vol. 1 DVD set.

• The Smurfs' Christmas Special (December 12, 1982) - The Smurfs come to the rescue of two children and their grandfather when an evil mysterious stranger shows up and causes their sleigh to turn over, forcing them to seek help and inadvertently bring Gargamel in on the action.

• My Smurfy Valentine (February 13, 1983) - Smurfette wishes for a Prince Smurfing of her own on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, she gets into trouble when she is captured by Gargamel and the Smurfs set out to rescue her. But Gargamel is the least of their worries for the evil Chlorhydris plans to create a world without love. With the help of Cupid, the Smurfs rescue Smurfette and foil Chlorhydris' evil plot and Smurfette learns her lesson about love.

• The Smurfs Halloween (November 5, 1983) - This Halloween special finds Gargamel using a spell to make things scary for the Smurfs on Halloween. First aired as "Smurfs Halloween Special" in prime-time, then later renamed "All Hallows Eve" for its second airing.

• Smurfily Ever After (February 13, 1984) - Smurfette contemplates over who she would like to marry someday while the Smurfs help prepare for the wedding of Laconia and Woody. But Gargamel shows up to ruin this joyous occasion with his ghoulish calliope and Smurfette and Laconia foil his evil plot against the Smurfs.

• The Smurfic Games (May 20, 1984) - The Smurfs engage in athletic competition to settle a dispute between both ends of the village over misquoted compound words, which turns deadly when the medal Clumsy is awarded actually causes an earthquake.

• Smurfquest (1986) - Grandpa Smurf returns to the village from a 500-year voyage around the world to restore the power of the Long Life Force Stone. Papa Smurf and a few other Smurfs help Grandpa Smurf find the purest sources of the four primal elements from around the world while the remaining Smurfs stay behind to search for the Long Life Force Stone. Smurfquest was going to get a big-screen release, but ended up airing as a two-hour TV movie. It was later split into 4 episodes, but was edited for commercials. It has never re-aired in its complete form.

• 'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy (December 13, 1987) - Grandpa Smurf and Sassette visit a human village to witness how they celebrate the holidays and end up helping an old couple by having their fellow Smurfs bring some Christmas cheer into the old couple's lives while tracking down a thief in the process.