"The Smurf's Apprentice" is based on the 1970 story titled, "L'apprenti Schtroumpf" ("The Smurf Apprentice" in English). Unlike the cartoon adaption, in the original comic story, it was an unnamed Smurf that dabbled with magic, not Clumsy.
While not the first episode in the cartoon series' original 1981 airing, "The Smurf's Apprentice" was the first in production order (which the Region 1 DVD release follows).
Following the production order, "The Smurf's Apprentice" is the debut of Clumsy who is one of many Smurfs created by Studio Peyo for the cartoon series. Eventually, he will make his comic debut in the early 1990s but mostly appear in the gags.
"Smurf-Colored Glasses" is one a few episodes where Smurfette is referred to as "The Smurfette." This is how she is always referred to in the comics, not simply as "Smurfette."
In some countries, "The Smurf's Apprentice" was part of a theatrical compilation film called "Here Are the Smurfs", produced around 1983 and 1984. The other episodes included were "The Astro Smurf", "The Hundredth Smurf", "Smurphony In 'C'", and "The Smurfs Springtime Special", and featured Papa Smurf (through voice-over) narrating the stories in between the episodes.