Expanding the show's lifespan with an effective narrative device

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,794]

In the past few days I thought a few times about the lifespan of the show itself. If you try to compare it to others, you'll probably figure out for yourself that many TV-shows follow a "classic" development. While the whole concept has to proof it's qualities within the first season, the more interesting possibilities of it are revealed within the second and third season. Actually the best episodes are mostly in the middle seasons. The first big changes occur somewhere around the third and fourth season and mostly the concept starts to show first signs of "age" in the fifth or sixth season. And then comes often the phase when many people start to say "It's simply not the same anymore", somewhere around the seventh season. That doesn't mean that every TV-show has to follow this pattern, but it often appears to work that way. The best show staffs simply decide to allow their shows to end in a "dignified" way.

 

Now we all know that the writers of FiM appear to enjoy their work on the show. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to come to the conclusion that they shall end the series as soon and as "dignified" as possible, but two major things come to my mind when I think about the show in the context of it's own future.

 

1) Big change in MMC. Closing a door opens a window here. The amount of possibilities that are ready for use now is massive. It can take seasons until Twilight fits into her new role. And meanwhile her fiends will develop as well. Or do they? Will Twilight even do so? Because here comes my second point.

 

2) Partially inconsistent character development. Yes, inconsistent. Not because they wouldn't face problems, conflicts and lessons; But how often did an event of one episode, or a lesson from one, really affect another episode? Only a few times. Not even an episode from the same season, of course. These are the limits of the whole writing and production. But by introducing such a big change - transforming Twilight into an alicorn - that simply has to affect the future episodes, couldn't that be an incentive to test how far "permanent" character development can go?

 

You see, in my opinion the biggest difficulty that many long-time TV-shows have shown, is that at a certain point the quality may stay the same, but it starts to feel very repetitive. To maintain it's actual quality, changes have to happen. They shouldn't be too sudden (I think MMC came too early, but: Hasbro, syndication, "Was it the writers' idea?" and so on) and at the same time they should be both, decent and reasonable enough to be accaptable to the audience. There are so many things in the show that could develop for many seasons but at the same time they could start to feel repetitive after a certain time if the "path" is too long.

 

The Cutie Mark Crusaders obtaining their Cutie Marks. Rainbow Dash becoming a Wonderbolt. Twilight becoming a true leader. These are all things that simply have to happen if we still handle the show as being one that contains character development. And of course, the journey is the reward. But what when it ends?

 

Hasbro owns the whole thing, yes. But the franchise was never more succesful, also thanks to the show. And from the pure technical/creative point of view, the series can still run for more than just a fourth or a fifth season. In case it keeps its quality. But expanding the things that are elements of the show now will not be enough to do so, if the changes are still presented in a way to fit into the setting as it is now. Adding changes that are only half-changes because they merely add something and don't really alter it. I'm not talking about changing the premise or turn it into something that is less watchable for the intended audience.

 

What I want to "suggest", what I want to hear your opinion about, is a change that is more than turning Twilight into an alicorn while her character stays the same. It is even more than her being Celestia's sucessor in the end, even though it is possible.

 

How about a timeskip?

 

Instead of ending the show after the big changes will possibly have happened in the future, and instead of over-expanding the time until they happen; how about letting them come sooner, without rushing it, and then show their long-time effects? Continuing the show after a temporal gap.

 

The CMC as teenagers, "replaced" by the Cake-twins. Spike not so out of range to Rarity anymore. Main characters that are still there, still themselves, but also new faces.

 

I know, I had a lot of speculating, determination and possibly even "empty" stuff in here.

But I simply wanted to share my idea, my... well, not necessarily a hope, but at least something that I would actually like.

 

And it is only my idea. How about you? Would you like a timeskip? Would you like to see other ways of continuing the show? Or do you want to be surprised and will take whatever comes?

 

And most important: Do you think that a timeskip is actually possible? Could they pull that off? Could it work?

 

I'm awaiting your responses.

Edited July 6, 2013 by StatesTheOblivious

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,314]

You mentioned so many reasons to why I love the Twilicorn idea. While I do agree that it was a bit early (for justifiable reasons though), it opens up so many new possibilities for the advancement of Twilight and other characters. This is what I want to see. I don't want to see Twilight as a student of Celestia forever, I don't want to see Rainbow Dash just 'dream' about being a Wonderbolt forever, I don't want the CMC's to BE the CMC's forever, at least not those three in particular. I want to see these character achieve their goals. Eventually, something must be accomplished and that is a door that is now open. It depends on how they handle it though.

 

In terms of other ways to developing the show...Pretty much what I said above I guess. Have the characters learn and accomplish things, whatever they might be. Have these things that they learn and accomplish stick, unlike what a lot of cartoons do. I don't want to be too picky, as I want the writers to have creative freedom of course, but the core essentials of what I mentioned, that is what I absolutely want at least.

 

A time skip would be interesting and it actually is a good idea. Once the mane 6 have run their course, which could take a long time, this could be a great way to open the door for newer characters and adventures. It is possible, but again, it is all about how it is approached. This is why Twilight becoming an Alicorn has made me incredibly excited for the future of the show.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Kyoshi

[Orablanco Account 3,706]

1. Not that big a fan of the time skip idea, specifically with FiM. Like you said, the show isn't utterly dedicated to continuity and completely consistent characters, but both those elements exist throughout. I'm exited to see where these characters go, and I want to see every funny, awkward, terrifying, heart breaking, and triumphant moment. With a time skip, not only could we skip all that, thus wasting time explaining what happened in the interim, but there's a lot of opportunities to screw this up and make the characters even more inconsistent. I don't want to risk it, and I want to watch these characters grow, as opposed to being told how they grew off-screen.

I actually hope this show ends when it needs to. I'd rather it pull a Calvin and Hobbes and ends with six, maybe seven seasons that are overall high in quality, instead of those good seasons followed by a couple of mediocre ones that only make me regret the show not being over and done with.

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,794]

 

1. Not that big a fan of the time skip idea, specifically with FiM. Like you said, the show isn't utterly dedicated to continuity and completely consistent characters, but both those elements exist throughout. I'm exited to see where these characters go, and I want to see every funny, awkward, terrifying, heart breaking, and triumphant moment. With a time skip, not only could we skip all that, thus wasting time explaining what happened in the interim, but there's a lot of opportunities to screw this up and make the characters even more inconsistent. I don't want to risk it, and I want to watch these characters grow, as opposed to being told how they grew off-screen.
2. I actually hope this show ends when it needs to. I'd rather it pull a Calvin and Hobbes and ends with six, maybe seven seasons that are overall high in quality, instead of those good seasons followed by a couple of mediocre ones that only make me regret the show not being over and done with.

 

I don't want them to only grow offscreen in case this would (what it won't be likewise) happen, and I didn't even say that. But as you say, making the show too long is also a bad idea. The balance is always the problem.

[Dzastur 1,719]

Well first, the boring marketing stuff: the ramifications of a time skip right now would be huge for Hasbro in terms of merchandising. I wouldn't think they'd be ready to go that route until they'd started to exhaust the merch they're able to sell with all of the character's ages as they are today. Given where sales are right now (they're red hot) I don't expect to see any big changes re: massive skips ahead in time in season 4, and probably longer.

 

That being said, I would very much like to see a time skip - in the form of another series which commences once MLP: FiM's run is over. The original target demographic would be older and ready for it, and the brony fandom would undoubtedly stick around for more mature themes if the new show were done well. I think greater peril / more complicated relationships are 100% possible with the groundwork the writers have already done character-wise. I also wouldn't be opposed to a different animation style, either (though I love the current one). There's no reason such a show couldn't stand out amongst the fray - I would expect it to do very well.

 

Possibly the biggest benefit for a new series could be that it would be aware from the beginning of its diverse inherited fan base, whereas MLP: FiM was not.

 

[~StatesTheOblivious~ 1,794]

Well first, the boring marketing stuff: the ramifications of a time skip right now would be huge for Hasbro in terms of merchandising. I wouldn't think they'd be ready to go that route until they'd started to exhaust the merch they're able to sell with all of the character's ages as they are today. Given where sales are right now (they're red hot) I don't expect to see any big changes re: massive skips ahead in time in season 4, and probably longer.

 

That being said, I would very much like to see a time skip - in the form of another series which commences once MLP: FiM's run is over. The original target demographic would be older and ready for it, and the brony fandom would undoubtedly stick around for more mature themes if the new show were done well. I think greater peril / more complicated relationships are 100% possible with the groundwork the writers have already done character-wise. I also wouldn't be opposed to a different animation style, either (though I love the current one). There's no reason such a show couldn't stand out amongst the fray - I would expect it to do very well.

 

Possibly the biggest benefit for a new series could be that it would be aware from the beginning of its diverse inherited fan base, whereas MLP: FiM was not.

 

I thought about that again and then I realized something. They already have a sequel to the series that can be expanded to something more mature and watchable for the now younger but someday older audience.

 

Equestria Girls.

 

Because obviously this is someway how Hasbro thinks the franchise can be possibly more suitable for an older audience (tweens) in the future. But I don't like that idea. I hope they won't turn down FiM to simply replace it with EqG at some point. Of course this is just a possibility and not what necessarily will happen, but for now the movie is damn successful, no matter how good or bad it is. A perfect opportunity for Hasbro to test how successful it actually can be.

[hawkflame 3,308]

Not a fan of the timeskip idea.  A timeskip is best used when there is a goal in mind, and the characters spend their time preparing for that goal.  You know what's going on, you know what they have to do, but you don't have to see every moment of it yourself.  Anime like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and One Piece used it very effectively in this sense.  A timeskip should have a purpose, be building to something, and as mentioned above, I don't want the development to take place off screen.  With this kind of apporach, I think it's best to just spin it off into a new series.

[Dzastur 1,719]

I thought about that again and then I realized something. They already have a sequel to the series that can be expanded to something more mature and watchable for the now younger but someday older audience.

 

Equestria Girls.

 

Because obviously this is someway how Hasbro thinks the franchise can be possibly more suitable for an older audience (tweens) in the future. But I don't like that idea. I hope they won't turn down FiM to simply replace it with EqG at some point. Of course this is just a possibility and not what necessarily will happen, but for now the movie is damn successful, no matter how good or bad it is. A perfect opportunity for Hasbro to test how successful it actually can be.

 

I hear ya. This seems to be the central concern re: the movie being successful. I'm not thrilled at this idea, either.

 

I don't think Equestria Girls - The Series would work without the pony aspect of who they are, and it'd be awfully hard to regularly "hammer home the horsey" in an EqG series without re-visiting Equestria fairly frequently. It would be easy for the show to melt away into simple magical girls in high school territory with nary a reference to MLP, and I don't think that would compete well with other shows. It's too well-traveled territory already.

 

Execs should be looking at the response to the movie with a discerning "man, those ponies have staying power" eye, and keep investing in their golden goose. Hopefully that equates to another maturated pony series, and a proper MLP: FiM movie send-off for the current series. One can dream...