❇️ This month in history ➡️ Smurfs ~ Scooby-Doo ~ Friends ~ Cheers
❇️ September Mini Bites of History ❇️
Dedicating this month to television and the epic shows debuted this month in history.
TELEVISION 📺
Sept 12, 1981– It’s just Smurf-tastic! Yes, the Smurf’s Saturday morning cartoons debuted on television September 12, 1981. Hanna-Barbera’s productions aired the cartoon on NBC, but this was not the where the Smurf’s first appeared.
The blue, humanoid creatures who lived in mushroom shaped houses originated in 1958 as a series of comic characters in a Belgian comic. There were 39 comic volumes created and published in many languages; French, Dutch, German and Turkish. The English translations came about in the mid-1980’s.
Smurf’s have also been in motion pictures as recent as 2017 and the first movie being in 1965, well before the Saturday morning cartoons we came to know and love. Some 100 named Smurf’s (Papa Smurf, Hefty Smurf and Brainy Smurf) appeared in cross over cartoons with the Looney Tunes franchise, Winnie the Pooh, Garfield, The Real Ghostbusters and even ALF.
The Hanna Barbara cartoons ran for 9 seasons and produced 248 episodes.
It is all just so Smurfy!
TELEVISION 📺
Sept 13, 1969 – Scooby-Doo where are you premiered on television, also produced by Hanna Barbara Productions. I was an animated comedy series that lasted for 3 seasons and produced 41 episodes. The shows aired from 1969 to 1976.
The teenagers Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy solved mysteries that involved supernatural creatures. Lots of humor in the missteps and antics, along with the main, lovable character pup Scooby-Doo.
There have been several spin-offs from the original show, and reruns continue to this day.
TELEVISION 📺
Sept 22, 1994 – Television sitcom “Friends” premiers. The sitcom featuring 6 friends in NY City go on to entertain us for 10 seasons!
They gained a huge following and whenever you hear “I’ll be there for you” by the Rembrants, you can’t help buy think of the show.
It lasted for 236 episodes and was acclaimed as one of the most popular television shows of all time. Chandler, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, and Ross were last seen on Friends when the last episode aired on May 6, 2004.
Rembrants "I'll be there for you."
So no one told you life was gonna be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke
Your love life's DOA
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month
Or even your year, but
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
TELEVISION 📺
Sept 30, 1982 – Television sitcom “Cheers” premiers. The regulars of the Boston bar “Cheers” shared their lives and experiences with all of us for 11 seasons! They had a total of 275 1/2hr episodes!
Sam (ex pitcher for the Boston Red Soxs), Diane and Carla (waitresses), Norm and Cliff (beer drinkers and comedians) and Coach (2nd bartender) were the original characters who were the starters in the great series. (No baseball pun intended).
Lots of great actors and actresses were on this show; Ted Danson, Shelly Long, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson and Kristie Alley (to name a few).
Yet another catchy theme song for this sitcom!
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
The “Cheers” box series is a must binge watch.
So many great television shows. What’s your most memorable show?
History is very interesting; tells us where we have been, how the world was and often what mistakes have been made. Memory Monday is based on fun and fascinating bits of history that may not be the big events, but helped shape or bring us to where we are today. If you are interested in this type of history and writing short articles like I've been doing, please contact me at stacey@yourlocalbuzz.ca
