My Little Pony (TV series)
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| My Little Pony | |
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Starring | Ginny McSwain |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10 mins per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original run | September 15 1986 – September 23 1987 |
My Little Pony was an American animated television series based on the My Little Pony toys released by Hasbro.
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[edit] Synopsis
Ponyland is a mystical land, home to all kinds of magical creatures. The Little Ponies make their home in Paradise Estate, living a peaceful life filled with song and games. However, not all the creatures of Ponyland are so peaceful, and the Ponies often find themselves having to fight for survival against witches, trolls, goblins and all the other beasts that would love to see the Little Ponies destroyed, enslaved or otherwise harmed.
[edit] Format
The series featured as the first segment of a program called My Little Pony 'n Friends. The second segment would be an unrelated cartoon based on another Hasbro franchise - either Glo Friends, MoonDreamers or Potato Head Kids. The show was originally broadcast each weekday. Generally the 'My Little Pony' segments broadcast Monday to Thursday would form a 4-part story, or two 2-part stories, with standalone episodes broadcast on Fridays. Episodes that continued a story opened with a brief narrated recap: 'In our last episode...'. Almost every segment featured a musical number somewhere in the storyline.
The series debuted in the fourth quarter of 1986, a few months after the release of My Little Pony: The Movie, which had introduced the Paradise Estate and many of the series' main characters. 1987 saw a few new episodes added, mostly centering around the new products in the My Little Pony toy line that year. Two previous television specials were also edited into segments of My Little Pony and Friends: Rescue from Midnight Castle, first aired 1984, and Escape from Catrina from 1985.
[edit] Characters
Main article: Characters in My Little Pony (TV Series)
The Little Ponies of Paradise Estate included:
- Earth Ponies, brightly coloured, talking versions of real horses
- Pegasus Ponies, with feathered wings
- Unicorns, with horns that grant each of them a unique magic power. They are also able to move instantaneously through the air in a process known as 'winking in and out'.
Also living in Dream Valley are:
- Flutter Ponies, shy but powerful creatures with magic in their gossamer wings
- Sea Ponies, brightly coloured seahorse-like creatures who dwell in Dream Valleys's rivers
- Spike, a lone baby dragon who lives with the Ponies after being separated from his own kind
- The Bushwoolies, a joyful species of furballs
- 'The Grundles', a small race of creatures ruled by the Grundle King. They used to live in Grundleland before it was smoozed and now living with the Uglies.
Three human children often flew across the Rainbow to join the Little Ponies - siblings Megan, Danny and Molly. The group often sought advice on magical matters from the Moochick, a wise but eccentric gnome who lived in the nearby Mushromp.
[edit] Partial Voice Cast
- Ginny McSwain as Megan
- Scott Menville as Danny
- Keri Houlihan as Molly
- Charles Adler as Spike
- Susan Blu as Buttons, Paradise, Pluma
- Nancy Cartwright as Gusty, Posey, Truly, Honeysuckle, Baby Heart Throb, Baby Cuddles
- Ellen Gerstell as Lofty, Locket, Scoops
- Jennifer Darling as Draggle, Reeka
- Jeannie Elias as Whizzer, Masquerade, Magic Star, Cherries Jubilee
- Robbie Lee as Baby Quackers
- Katie Leigh as Fizzy, Gingerbread, Lickety-Split, Ribbon, Baby Shady, Heart Throb
- Sherry Lynn as Galaxy
- Tress MacNeille as Hydia, Furbob
- Sarah Partridge as Wind Whistler
- Russi Taylor as Morning Glory, Rosedust, Cupcake
- B. J. Ward as North Star, Surprise, Peach Blossom, Forget-Me-Not, Baby North Star
- Jill Wayne as Shady, Baby Lofty
- Frank Welker as Pointer, Bray, Additional Voices
- Bettina Bush as Queen Bumble
- Sandy Duncan as Firefly (Rescue from Midnight Castle)
- Tony Randall as The Moochick (Rescue from Midnight Castle)
- Tammy Grimes as Catrina (Escape from Catrina)
- Paul Williams as Rep (Escape from Catrina)
[edit] Mistakes
- A very fun and clever show, but notorious for these common errors:
- Changes of color in landscape or specific ponies in a scene (which therefore changes the pony's character).
- Change of voice of a specific pony. For example, Gusty, who is regularly voiced by Nancy Cartright, switches usually only momentarily to another pony's voice.
- Mistake of lips moving simultaneously (only one voice is talking but two or more ponies lips are also moving).
- Constant variation in physical appearance of characters (pony changes from small to tall, skinny to fat). Also proportional errors in size of babies to adults, and other characters to ponies.
- Plotholes.
- Ponies that neither exist in the line of toys nor the series decide to show up.
- Ponies not in a scene decide to pop in and suddenly be a part of the scene with no explanation.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Original standalone episodes
- My Little Pony (1984) - When several Little Ponies are transformed into monsters by the Power of Darkness, a young girl named Megan joins their battle. (Originally untitled, this feature is known as My Little Pony in Dreamland, Firefly's Adventure, Rescue from Midnight Castle or Escape from Midnight Castle in various releases. It was edited into two parts when syndicated.)
- Escape from Catrina (1985) - A magical cat forces the Bushwoolies to work to make Witchweed potion, the source of her powers. When they escape, she tries to make the Little Ponies her new slaves. (Edited into two parts when syndicated.)
[edit] My Little Pony 'n Friends, Series 1 (1986)
- The End of Flutter Valley (10 episodes) - The Witches from the Volcano of Gloom ally with an army of giant bees to get their revenge on the Flutter Ponies. The bees steal the precious Sun Stone - if the Flutter Ponies can't get it back, their home will be destroyed. This was a direct sequel to My Little Pony: The Movie.
- The Ghost of Paradise Estate (4 episodes) - A creature who lived in Dream Valley before the Paradise Estate was built returns to destroy the Little Ponies' home.
- The Great Rainbow Caper (1 episode) - A pair of gadget-loving monkeys take Danny and Surprise prisoner, demanding the Rainbow of Light for their release.
- The Glass Princess (4 episodes) - Self-obsessed witch Porcina wants to turn the world into glass, to see her reflection everywhere. Three captured ponies are key to Porcina's plan and must stop her using their own magic to destroy their friends.
- Pony Puppy (1 episode) - When a lost puppy saves Baby Tiddlywinks from a river, the ponies feel they must look after it - but it's already twice as big as they are.
- Bright Lights (4 episodes) - The Baby Ponies are delighted when rock star Knight Shade performs for them - but the concert is a front to steal their shadows and feed his dark master!
- Sweet Stuff and the Treasure Hunt (1 episode) - Sweet Stuff feels left out trying to play with the unicorns and Pegasus ponies, but soon realises she has talents of her own.
- The Return of Tambelon (4 episodes) - The ancient city of Tambelon disappeared 500 years ago. Now, it returns to Dream Valley - and all of the unicorns mysteriously vanish.
- Little Piece of Magic (1 episode) - Ribbon and Buttons teach the Baby Ponies the value of imagination.
- The Magic Coins (4 episodes) - The Little Ponies are delighted to discover a treasure chest of magic coins - until an ill-thought wish leaves Ponyland without water, putting all their lives in danger. To undo the spell, they must appease the troll to whom the treasure really belongs.
- Mish Mash Melee (1 episode) - After a magical mishap, Fizzy, Shady, Wind Whistler and Gusty must live each other's lives until they can restore the balance of nature.
- Woe Is Me (2 episodes) - The Little Ponies provide shelter to Woebegone, a wandering hobo who brings bad luck and disaster wherever he goes.
- Fugitive Flowers (2 episodes) - The arrival of walking, talking flowers puts the ponies in the middle of a war that could destroy Dream Valley - and they're not sure whose side they're really on.
- Would Be Dragonslayer (1 episode) - Spike is harassed by a young boy trying to become a knight. The Ponies help him to find a good deed that doesn't involve slaying their friend.
- Baby, It's Cold Outside (2 episodes) - The Ponies are delighted as snow falls in summer, not realising that it's a plot by the Penguin King to freeze Ponyland and destroy those that can't survive the cold.
- Crunch the Rockdog (2 episodes) - A vicious dog carved from rock charges through Ponyland, turning everything it encounters to stone.
- The Revolt of Paradise Estate (2 episodes) - A magic spell brings the Paradise Estate to life - and its furniture declares war on the Little Ponies.
- Through the Door (2 episodes) - A door is opened to the world of fairy tales, and the ponies meet such legends as Robin Hood, Aladdin's genie and Hercules.
[edit] My Little Pony 'n Friends, Series 2 (1987)
- The Quest of the Princess Ponies (4 episodes) - Lavan, a lava demon, kidnaps the Princess Ponies and steal their magic wands. As Lavan grows in power, Ponyland's magic is thrown into chaos - can he be stopped before everything is destroyed?
- Spike's Search (1 episodes) - Spike goes in search of his roots and joins a dragon horde, but finds he does not agree with their bullying ways.
- The Golden Horseshoes (2 episodes) - When a mysterious illness strikes the unicorn Mimic, the search is on to find the four Golden Horseshoes, scattered all around Ponyland - their ancient magic is her only hope.
- Flight to Cloud Castle (2 episodes) - The Pegasus Ponies take to the skies to help a handsome prince rescue his true love.
- The Ice Cream Wars (1 episode) - When a feud between two chefs leaves the Sweet Shoppe without ice cream, the Baby Ponies are determined to establish a truce.
- Somnambula (2 episodes) - An ancient witch lures the ponies into a fantasy world where all their dreams seem to come true. In truth, she is stealing their magic to keep herself young and powerful, and the ponies are withering away.
- The Prince and the Ponies (1 episode) - The ponies are delighted to be invited to dine with royalty - until they discover they are to be kept as royal pets.
[edit] Overseas Editions
The series has been translated into several different languages for European markets, including:
- Czech, as Malí poníci a jejich přátelé
- French, as Mon Petit Poney
- German, as Mein Kleines Pony
- Dutch, as My Little Pony, retaining the original on-screen titles and character names. Some songs remained in English.
- Finnish, as Pikku Ponit
- Hungarian, as Én pici pónim
- Italian, as Vola Mio Mini Pony
- Lithuanian, as Mano Mažieji Poniai
- Portuguese, as O Meu Pequeno Pónei (in Portugal)
- Portuguese, as Meu Querido Pônei (in Brazil)
- Spanish, as Mi Pequeño Pony
- Swedish, as Min Lilla Ponny
[edit] Trivia
- The voice of Gusty was provided by Nancy Cartwright, better known as the voice of Bart Simpson.
- Princess Sparkle from The Quest of the Princess Ponies would make a return to television in The OC as a toy owned by Summer Roberts. She first appears in the 2004 episode The Heartache.
- Smooze was a living enchanted purple gunk created by witches. If you get "smoozed", you are put in a bad mood until it is removed.
[edit] DVD Releases
Main article: My Little Pony DVD releases
[edit] Related Series
A very different set of Little Ponies featured in the 1992 series My Little Pony Tales. This series removed the more fantastic elements of the original series and had the ponies living essentially as human beings.
A new series of My Little Pony movies launched in 2005 with My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas. It was followed in 2006 by My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
My Little Pony
My Little Pony: The Movie
My Little Pony Tales
