Similarities between The Smurfs and The Gummi Bears

Nexonius

Ten, count em', ten years!
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Messages
8,213
Location
Earth Two
Have you ever compared Hanna-Barbera's The Smurfs to Disney's Adventures of The Gummi Bears?



I did.



From watching all the Smurf and Gummi Bears episodes on my DVD (I converted my old and new tapes to DVDs), I started to realize the similarities between the two shows.




Similarities:

- Both were successful

- Both was on NBC (well, until last 2 seasons of Gummi Bears)

- Both ended in 1990

- Both were fantasy adventure-like shows

- Paul Winchell (Gargamel, Nosy & Baby Smurf on The Smurfs, Zummi (season 1 to 5) on GB), June Foray (Grammi Gummi on GB and Jokey Smurf & Mother Nature in The Smurfs), Noelle North (Cubbi Gummi on GB and Slouchy Smurf), Alan Young (Various on GB, and Farmer and Minor Smurf) and others did voices for both shows

- Both had Villans: Gargamel and Duke Igthorn

- Kid Humans: Calvin and Princess Calla (Gummi Bears), Johan and Princess Savina, Prince Gearld (The Smurfs)

- Mystical Powers (Zummi Gummi, Papa Smurf and Gargamel)






That's the comparisons I only know for know. For the members: Smurfs, or Gummi Bears?


-John
 

Silverstar

Adorable Li'l Monster
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
30,467
Location
Cartoonland
Both shows were set in psuedo-medieval times.

The central characters on both shows lived in fantasy forest settings.

The central casts of both shows were friends with human royalty.

Both casts featured an elderly sorcerer (Papa, Zummi), a cute girl (Smurfette, Sunni), a glutton (Greedy, Tummi), a mother-figure (Grammi, Nanny) and a grouch (Grouchy, Gruffi).

Both casts had ogres as antagonists.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Silverstar

Adorable Li'l Monster
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
30,467
Location
Cartoonland
I think gummie bears was the diseny rip-off of the smurfs . the smurfs was THE 80 cartoon to beat

Eh, I wouldn't call Gummi Bears a flat-out rip-off of Smurfs per se, while indeed similar in parts, when you compare the 2 shows they're also in many ways fundamentally different. But no doubt it was the runaway success of Smurfs that was at least partially responsible for Gummi Bears' creation.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

MonkeyFunk

Kids and grown-ups love me so
Joined
Jan 2, 2004
Messages
6,003
Location
UK
The Smurfs pretty much spawned a small genre. Gummi Bears, Snorks, Bluffers...
 

Samurai

Active Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Messages
1,010
How about the cannibalistic undertones: Gargamel spends every episode trying to capture & eat the Smurfs... and well the Gummi Bears are candy bears that kids love to eat...
 

Antiyonder

Amalgam Universe Overlord
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Sep 13, 2002
Messages
18,008
Location
Washington
Eh, I wouldn't call Gummi Bears a flat-out rip-off of Smurfs per se, while indeed similar in parts, when you compare the 2 shows they're also in many ways fundamentally different. But no doubt it was the runaway success of Smurfs that was at least partially responsible for Gummi Bears' creation.

One difference I'd point out is that the Gummi Bears take the sterotypical characteristics of the Smurfs and add a little depth to them.
 

HellCat

Lesser spotted Brit
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Reporter
Joined
May 6, 2001
Messages
40,813
The Smurfs pretty much spawned a small genre. Gummi Bears, Snorks, Bluffers...

That and everything in between. These were mean streets and I knew it, but someone had to tidy 'em up. Too many families were being ruined by the Snorks and the Bluffers. I lamented the fate of my good friend Johnny Curlyfries and bit my lip, hard. As I entered my office, I poured my usual dosage of gin and reclined into my chair. My blood burned with a mix of anger and cheap booze...
 

DrTooth

Active Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
3,966
Location
Dog City
Eh, I wouldn't call Gummi Bears a flat-out rip-off of Smurfs per se, while indeed similar in parts, when you compare the 2 shows they're also in many ways fundamentally different. But no doubt it was the runaway success of Smurfs that was at least partially responsible for Gummi Bears' creation.

I agree. While similar, it wasn't quite as sweet as the Smurfs was, plus it definately did have more depth to it. I can remember the Duke tried to over throw the king in every episode (vauge memory. I didn't get a chance to get the DVD, and the last time I saw a full episode was years ago). So that one was a little different as far as villains go.

And I feel that the Gummi Berry Juice thing is quite a different element from the get go. It seems sort of lifted out of Asterix (Getafix's magic potion) than anything that happened in the Smurfs.

besides, weren't the Gummies a smaller group of several that lived in a tree, whilest the Smurfs were an entire village, and lived in little Mushroom houses.

Seriously... need to see both again.
 

Leviathan

"It's against nature!"
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 4, 2004
Messages
6,122
Location
Katy, Texas, United State
The difference is I can make it through a Gummi Bears episode.

familyguy2uu.jpg


Hehehhehehheheheheheheheheheheeh!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Spotlight

Staff online

Who's on Discord?

Latest profile posts

I have to lay low for awhile. I need to take a break from this for right now, but I'll be back soon.
Bought Cat City (1986) on Prime today. Never seen it before, looking forward to watching it!
Super Metroid on the SNES turns 30 today in North America.
The sub-only anime releases in North America are the invention of the 2010s.
Not all of Family Guy has aged well (and he knows this - hell, he's friends with the PTC president now) but I genuinely think Seth MacFarlane is a really good guy.

Featured Posts

Top