Originally created in 1958 by the Belgian cartoonist Peyo, the Smurfs didn't make their way to North America until 1981 when they joined NBC's Saturday-morning lineup. The show, which featured such characters as Brainy Smurf, Papa Smurf, and Smurfette, was an immediate success and captured the imagination of children across North America. It went on to win several Emmy Awards before it was cancelled in 1990.