This is one of the more famous cartoons of the '80s. Like He-Man, Thundercats, G.I. Joe and Transformers, this cartoon was pure '80s. The difference here is that Smurfs was a Saturday morning toon, opposed to being an after school weekday toon like the others. And it was probably the best made Saturday morning toon of the '80s. Waking up at 6 in the morning to see these toons was a treat that kids in the '80s will always remember.
Wow I feel old because I actually remember watching the very FIRST episode of Smurfs as it originally aired in 1981. I must have been about 5 or 6 years old. It's a vague memory, but it's there. My older sister who was 11 at the time watched it with me with just as much passion and awe.
I'm really surprised to find out that this series ran through the entire '80s and even into 1990. That's really something. No wonder this show has so many fans that are a lot younger then me. I always wondered why this series has so many fans so much younger then me, and finding out that "The Smurfs" ran into 1990 explains that part. I guess I thought this show must have been cancelled around 1986 or 1987, because I remember I stopped watching this show at that time when I was around 11 years old. It's a great toon and it's too bad they don't release these on VHS or DVD.