New Smurfs Series Premieres Sept. 10 on Nick; HBO Max Orders New Comedy Sort Of

Friday, August 13, 2021

New Smurfs Series Premieres Sept. 10 on Nick; HBO Max Orders New Comedy Sort Of

Blue and small, and standing only three apples tall, The Smurfs are set to make their Nickelodeon debut in an all-new series premiering Friday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The news was announced by Nickelodeon, the number-one network for kids, and LAFIG Belgium and IMPS, the worldwide licensors for The Smurfs, alongside the official trailer reveal for the CG-animated series, which follows the beloved characters embarking upon rousing adventures. All-new episodes will continue to rollout Friday nights on Nickelodeon and debut internationally in the fall.

The original series marks the return of the globally renowned characters to television for the first time in nearly 40 years and follows Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Brainy, Hefty, Clumsy and the other inhabitants of Smurf Village on all-new adventures, packed with humor, heart and high-stakes action. In the premiere episode, "Smurf-Fu," when Smurfette rescues Brainy from a giant snake, the other Smurfs ask her to teach them "Smurf-Fu." Next in, "Diaper Daddy," when everyone is tired of changing Baby's diapers, Handy decides to invent a robot that will do the job.

The voice cast pushing the charm and absurdity of the original comics to even greater heights includes: David Freeman (7 Promises) as Papa Smurf, the father figure keeping the other Smurfs in line; Berangere McNeese (Matriochkas) as Smurfette, a curious Smurf who is always ready to take part in new adventures; Lenny Mark Irons (No Man's Land) as Gargamel, a conniving human wizard with a bottomless thirst to capture Smurfs; Youssef El Kaoukibi (NRJ Belgium) as Brainy, who considers himself the smartest of the bunch; and Catherine Hershey (Boundary Games) as Willow, the brave and wise matriarch of a new tribe of girl Smurfs.

Sort Of

HBO Max announced a new eight-episode half-hour comedy series Sort Of, created by Bilal Baig (Acha Bacha) and Fab Filippo (Save Me). Commissioned by HBO Max and the CBC, the series is produced by Sienna Films, a Sphere Media company with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Sort Of follows the journey of Sabi Mehboob (Baig), a gender fluid millennial who straddles various identities from sexy bartender at an LGBTQ bookstore/bar, to the youngest child in a large Pakistani family, to the de facto parent of a downtown hipster family. Sabi feels like they’re in transition in every aspect of their life, from gender to love to sexuality to family to career. A coming-of-age story, Sort Of exposes the labels we once poured ourselves into as no longer applicable...to anyone.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, October 23

Abbott Elementary - "Class Pet" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Janine gets a budget for class pets, but Melissa is resistant to taking on the added work and responsibility for her room’s guinea pig. An IT rep from the school district arrives to set up new computers.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Bullies" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris gets a gig DJ-ing at a drag ball and develops drag queen eyes.

Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Career Tests" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris and Greg tape over a porno rented from Caruso and must replace it.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 21)

Wednesday, October 23

Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Watch Billy on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Anna Kendrick (Love Life) - Anna appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Matty Matheson (The Bear) - Matty stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Bernadette Peters (High Desert/Mozart in the Jungle/All's Fair) - Bernadette is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples) - NBC's Today catches up with Olivia some time between 7-9am.
Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere) - Bridget talks about Somebody Somewhere on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
David Henrie (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place/Wizards of Waverly Place/How I Met Your Mother/The Pitts) - David discusses Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings. One or two Wizards Beyond Waverly Place cast members will be on New York Living at 10:05am.
Judith Light (Who's the Boss?/Phenom/Transparent) - Judith talks about Before on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Billy Crystal (The Comedians/Soap) - Billy chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska talks about the greatest thing sheâ€™s learned since turning 60 on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
Dexter Darden (Saved by the Bell) - Dexter talks about Peacock's Fight Night; The Million Dollar Heist on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
Essence Atkins (Poppa's House/Marlon/Mr. Box Office/Are We There Yet?/Half & Half/Smart Guy/Under One Roof) - Essence talks about Poppa's House on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.