As my name indicates, I get a huge kick out of Brainy. He's the Smurf everyone loves to hate. He's firmly convinced that he knows everything, and no amount of screwing up can dissuade him from his notion of his superior intellect. Most of my favorite Smurf cartoons are centered around one of Brainy's misadventures. Examples: The Answer Smurf, Smurfiplication, Essence of Brainy, Monster Smurfs, Tailor's Magic Needle, and of course, King Smurf.

As far as the Smurf whose personality is the most appealing, I'd have to go with Handy. He's intelligent, creative and resourceful, and he's always coming up with those Smurfy inventions. Plus, he's kinda cute with that little peak on his cap and those overalls.

My favorite classic first-season episode is probably The Clockwork Smurf, where Handy first creates Clockwork, and Clockwork ends up rescuing then-Prince Gerard from his evil aunt's clutches. For Smurfs episodes of a later vintage, it's probably a tie between The Gingerbread Smurfs, another Brainy-plays-with-magic-and-makes-a-big-mess episode, where Brainy bakes a magical gingerbread smurf that comes to life, multiplies and wreaks havoc on the village, and Fire Fighting Smurfs, where Snappy accidentally causes a huge forest fire.

In general, my favorite episodes were the ones where the Smurfs developed a problem within the village (usually created by either Brainy or Jokey), and had to solve it, rather than the ones where they battled an enemy from elsewhere. (Examples: The Masked Pie Smurfer, Waste Not Smurf Not, The Astrosmurf, and numerous Brainy-related ones cited above.) And when they did deal with outside foes, the best ones dealt with good old tried-and-true Gargamel.

The most amusing takeoff on a movie had to be Smurfing For Ghosts, where Brainy and Clumsy go into business as ghostsmurfers. It even had background music that was VERY similar to the theme from Ghostbusters.

My favorite human friend is probably King Gerard. He was such an innocent soul. What the heck kind of family did he come from, when it seems like every one of his relatives wanted to steal his crown? First Aunt Imperia imprisons him and tries to prevent his coronation, then Uncle Leopold nearly drowns Clockwork Smurf in the fountain, then Cousin Malcolm the Mean turns Gerard into a stag. Somebody find this boy a decent family!

I don't know if I'd say I have a least favorite Smurf. The Smurflings could be annoying at times, but I didn't dislike them. As a female, I sometimes got annoyed with Smurfette's obsessing over dresses and flowers and her "oh boo-hoo" every time something upsetting happened. Sassette was a tomboy and more my speed, but geez, if her voice were any higher, only animals could hear it. It actually hurts my ears to listen to her. And Hefty's macho, often belligerent attitude got on my nerves a bit, but he was basically a smurfy guy underneath it all.

Oh, and I couldn't stand the Wartmongers. Of all the villains, they were definitely my least favorite.

And what happened to the handful of Smurfs who disappeared after the first couple of seasons, never to be smurfed from again? I know Natural Smurf became Nat Smurfling, but what ever became of Sloppy, Scaredy, Tracker and Tuffy?

Anyway, I just thought I'd share some thoughts on the TV show, if anyone here is into that, and I'd be interested to hear others' thoughts, favorites and least favorites.

Brainy Smurfette

I love the cartoon series as well. Although it really was "coasting" near the end of the series, I can honestly say it really made me happy when I was a little boy, and I still enjoy it today.

I particularly enjoy the episodes where Papa Smurf must leave the village to complete a task (why Papa? Don't do it!) and of course...Chaos ensues. I love it when Brainy takes charge...Becomes king...the usual Brainy behavior.

I also love the episode with the magic pudding pot. Selfish Brainy, with a pudding pot that can make unlimited pudding, keeps it all for himself. "Ohh, the other Smurfs wouldn't appreciate this as much as me!" Ahh..I love those episodes.

As for the Wartmongers...No thanks!

By the way...who's Tuffy?

I have to admit I love to hate Gargamel, Azrael, and Big Mouth.

I love hearing Gargamel gleefully expound on how he's going to eat/cook/transform the Smurfs.

I love seeing poor Azrael getting kicked aside, perpetually relegated to second-best. I love seeing Azrael yawn in disbelief when Gargamel explains his latest Smurf-catching plan.

I love Big Mouth, particularly when Gargamel has to deal with him. "BIG MOUTH HUNGRY!"

I love to hate the baddies.