KiKa has teamed up with Peyo Productions to co-produce The Smurfs, a new animated television series featuring the iconic blue characters.
KiKa will serve as co-producer and German broadcaster of the CGI show, which is aimed at kids between the ages of 5 and 10. France’s TF1 and Belgium’s Ketnet and OUFtivi are also on board as co-pro partners for the series.
Véronique Culliford, president and founder of Peyo Productions and I.M.P.S. was quoted as saying, “I’m very happy to once again be able to continue my father’s work by co-producing a new TV series about the Smurfs, almost 40 years after the universally known series. You will discover Smurfs in 3D-CGI, as in the last movie (The Lost Village, 2017), with lots of fun, humor, and adventures full of twists.”
Astrid Plenk, managing and programming director for KiKA, was quoted as saying“The Smurfs are absolutely cult! They are a highlight and an animated classic in the comic and animation culture of the last decades in Europe, and of course well known in Germany. And so, I’m really excited to be able to present Die Schlümpfe exclusively to our viewers from 2021 on.”
Recently, Belgium celebrated the 60th anniversary of the ‘Smurfs’ on Tuesday.
To celebrate the anniversary, authorities in Brussels have turned the town blue. A special “Smurf Experience” has been laid on at the Brussels Expo park, where visitors can explore a real-life Smurf village. The interactive show is spread over 1,500 square meters.
The exhibit boasts nine rooms, including the Smurfs’ village, a cage where evil sorcerer Gargamel wants to imprison them, and an array of sound and video presentations.
The Smurfs were first introduced as comic book characters in 1958, created by Pierre Culliford, who used the pseudonym “Peyo”.
