How do you think FiM would've done if it was an original IP?

[Plonkett 345]

If FiM wasn't an MLP related show, rather inspired by it, how do you think it would've done? For one, it wouldn't be owned by Hasbro, and instead some other company. Plus, it wouldn't be part of a franchise that's marketed toward little girls, and instead being something entirely different. Do you think it would've benefitted FiM more bring in original IP instead of being affiliated with MLP? For one, I'm sure Lauren Faust would've had a little more creative freedom for the show.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I think it would majorly depend on who owned it and who produced it. For one thing, if it wasn't produced in-house by the networks, it would have been liable to be majorly screwed as far as scheduling.

 

As a standalone IP, you bet Lauren and the rest of the crew would have had much more creative freedom. For one, there probably would have been a much larger adventure component to the show than there already is, a tighter continuity, and more flexibility as far as planning the episodes. There also would have been more room for experimental storytelling, but this has just as much potential to backfire ("Feeling Pinkie Keen") as it does to do good. The benefit would have been, depending on the theme of the show, that it could have allowed for a better context for more complex morals than presenting them as friendship lessons.

 

In this hypothetical version of the show, toy mandates from "A Canterlot Wedding", "The Crystal Empire", and Princess Twilight to even the Crusaders (originally intended to only consist of Apple Bloom, in development named "Appleseed") would not have happened. I also have no idea how the slice-of-life and fantasy elements would have been balanced or interwoven. They would more likely have been interwoven under a tighter continuity unless network mandates would demand otherwise.

 

As for the fanbase, MLP has a built-in support base of legacy collectors from the earlier generations and people who grew up with the nostalgia of the older shows, so that component of the fanbase would not be there. Nor would anyone else who jumped on purely to investigate how something with the My Little Pony name could overcome the inevitable stigma attached to it.

 

However, if there's anything that the success of shows like Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Gravity Falls can tell us, it's that the right ideas can pull large amounts of fan support even if they aren't tied into 30-year-old franchises from other media. So even though the composition of the fanbase might have looked a little bit different, I still think the show could have been very successful on a large scale. But still, that goes down to the specifics of what exactly a non-MLP FiM series would look like.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Wind Chaser

[SolyWack 482]

Were all thinking, "oh it would be great, more freedom, better writing, etc, viva de revolution". But we take publishers (is that right?, whatever people that own other companies) like Hasbro, EA, and whatnot for grant it ( God im bad with words today). But its because of these companies that stuff is so successful. maybe not 100% so, but if a big-budget corporation likes something, it must mean it has potential. If this show came out, without the MLP IP, I bet people would have just dismissed it as a MLP clone, and it would have failed after the first season.

 

Sure companies like this force the creators to do certain things, but why shouldn't they, the big corporation did all the advertising, gave all the money to get it off the ground, to make sure it looks as great as it does today, and not like some 1st graders crayon drawings.

 

That's my take anyway, so to answer the OQ, I think it would have failed if it was its own IP, and im glad I isn't, toy marketing and all.

 

Also: as a little bias, its because of Hasbro that we have Equestria Girls, and im one of the few who thoroughly likes EQG

[Misty Rose 3,216]

Well really it all depends on the studio and people in charge. Truthfully Hasbro's name is what gave the show so much marketing in the first place since it's from a popular and big company. If it were just an independent studio or one lesser known, who knows what channel it could have ended up on or how the show would be. It's fun to always wonder, but in this case I really don't know where we would be without Hasbro

[colt_following 169]

I can't really see it being more than a show truly for little girls. Like others have said... Take away Hasbro, the toy line, and 30-some years of past marketing. Youmre left with a show about friendship and magical ponies. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to watch it because it would have to FORCE the kind of creativity that comes in shows like Adventure Time and Frederator Studios, especially when set in a world with restrictions like MLP has.

In the least bit, I can't really see a fan base like THIS growing out of that. It would probably spawn it's own toy line and really cater to 9 and younger little girls. That's the way I see it, at least.

Edited June 6, 2015 by colt_following

[superdogz1999 551]

The TV show would just be a thing that only true hipsters and animation reviewers will be the only types of people who watch the show. As for Hasbro, there would not be an MLP fandom and the ponies would still be using gender stereotypes.

[FlyingLikeDash 33]

It depends on the writers involved.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,164]

There's possibly an infinite number of variables that could influence how an independent FiM would operate and grow.

 

Honestly, I'm skeptical the show would be any better than what we have right now. If there is one thing season one taught us it's that Lauren Faust isn't the best of writers. She's not bad, but the later seasons have shown us better quality in that regard (IMO). As such if she was still in creative control things would probably look a lot different. Granted the focus on adventure might be stronger, but that does mean it would be better.

 

As such, I'm glad someone brought up Steven Universe and Gravity Falls. Along with their story-telling, what really makes them work is their characters, which is something that MLP has done well with llargely thanks to the SoL episodes.

 

But yeah, as I said, it's hard to say one way or another.

[The Awesome One 1,315]

I like it the way it is right now but if you must ask I would say that it wouldn't have been as famous and there might not even have been a Brony fandom then.

[colt_following 169]

Does anyone else think it'd just be another little girls' show? I mean, let's be real... if a show like this was created, it would be designed to be uber-girly. It would have been much frillier from the start. It perhaps would have been marketed to an even younger audience.

[chirox the pony 1,336]

I think if it was a show completely made by Faust with no outside involvement it would just mean that galaxy girls would have finally come out. I think the only way MLP would've influenced it would be in the form of the plots that were inspired by certain things Faust did with the toys.