THEY are blue and small, and stand only about three apples tall.
Oh, and they also live in mushroom-shaped little houses in the woods.
They are of course, what children in the late 1980s remember as Smurfs.
The Smurfs are set to make its debut on Nickelodeon in an all-new series premiering in Malaysia (as well as in the neighbouring countries Indonesia and the Philippines) on Monday at 5.30pm, with fresh episodes to continue rolling out on weekdays at 6.30pm.
The original CG-animated series marks the return of the globally renowned characters to television for the first time in nearly 40 years and follows Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy and the other inhabitants of Smurf Village on all-new adventures, packed with humour, heart and high-stakes action.
More to join Smurfette
That's not all — joining them will be a new tribe of girl Smurfs, led by brave and wise matriarch Willow.
In the premiere episode, "Smurf-Fu," when Smurfette rescues Brainy from a giant snake, the other Smurfs ask her to teach them "Smurf-Fu."
Next in the following episode "Diaper Daddy," when everyone is tired of changing Baby's diapers, Handy decides to invent a robot that will do the job.
The voice cast pushing the charm and absurdity of the original comics to even greater heights includes: David Freeman (of 7 Promises) as Papa Smurf, the father figure keeping the other Smurfs in line; Berangere McNeese (Matriochkas) as Smurfette, a curious Smurf who is always ready to take part in new adventures; Lenny Mark Irons (No Man's Land) as Gargamel, a conniving human wizard with a bottomless thirst to capture Smurfs; Youssef El Kaoukibi (NRJ Belgium) as Brainy, who considers himself the smartest of the bunch; and Catherine Hershey (Boundary Games) as Willow, the brave and wise matriarch of a new tribe of girl Smurfs.
Nickelodeon's growing portfolio
With The Smurfs Nickelodeon expands its growing portfolio of influential properties that already includes SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Blue's Clues & You! and The Loud House.
Other exciting titles making their way to screens across Asia include The Patrick Star Show, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, Big Nate, the all-new animated Star Trek: Prodigy series and the Rugrats reboot.
The Smurfs is originally a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest.
The Smurfs CG-animated series acquisition is overseen by Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships and Dana Cluverius, Senior Vice President, Current Series Animation for Nickelodeon.
The Smurfs is a Peyo Productions and Dupuis Audiovisuel production, in co-production with KiKA, Ketnet and RTBF, with the participation of TF1 and with the participation of Wallimage (La Wallonie), of Screen Flanders, of BNPPFFF and with the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Government and the participation of the CNC.
Fun facts about the Smurfs
•Smurfs stand at three apples high, and have tails as well!
•The addition of the all-new tribe of female Smurfs bumps the number of Smurfs up to 100, and each of them has its own unique personality! How many can you name?
•Sarsaparilla and Smurfberries are staple foods for the Smurfs in the original comics. Sarsaparilla, also known as sarsi locally, is said to taste similar to root beer! Have a sip and find out!
•Our little blue friends celebrate 63 years of zany adventures in 2021! The very first Smurfs comic "The Smurfs And The Magic Flute" was published in 1958.
•1 Smurfs Haribo sweet is eaten each minute across the world.
•The word "Smurf" in the Smurf language has limitless meanings! It can be used as a both a verb and a noun – how Smurfy is that?
*The animated series The Smurfs premieres on Monday at 5.30pm on Nickelodeon (Astro channel 636).
