Season 3 Having 13 Episodes

[Yellow Diamond 7,564]

Oh, I'm not immediately worried about members of the staff leaving the show. I get the impression a fair number of them are closely tied to the brony base and genuinely enjoy the work they are doing. But I remember, say, the last season of Dexter's Laboratory and how they royally muffed the show in its twilight period. That I hope to avoid, when all is said and done.

 

But do I have any reason to believe there will be a major exodus of writers and voice actors from the show within the near future? Not really. I would be fostering my own fears by that point rather than relying to substantive information. If anything, the quality of the show has continued to improve even after Lauren Faust distanced herself creatively (not in a negative sense) from the production of MLP: FiM.

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

Ah, yes, that's a very good point. A number of shows have suffered significantly in their final seasons relative to the strength they displayed throughout the rest of their run. Take The Powerpuff Girls, for example. The fourth and fifth seasons were arguably the strongest seasons in the entire show. The sixth and final season? Not only was it forgettable, it was one of the worst things I've ever had to suffer through watching. The quality had fallen through the floor, went down past the basement, continued to approximately halfway to the Earth's core only to be crushed by the ever increasing pressure and melted by the high temperatures.

 

I would never want to see that happen for Friendship is Magic. I want to see the show end with a bang, possibly even have a post-series finale movie, than to see it degrade the way I've seen other shows suffer.

[joeyh3 153]

I've always held the stance that the thirteen episodes for S3 is just a safety thing, nothing actually to be worried about. Here's how it works:

 

- Hasbro cannot make a final decision on if there will be a S3 until S2 is over - they need to know all the numbers to make sure that S3 is economical, and most of those numbers are not available until after S2 is over.

 

- Obviously, S2 cannot finish airing until production is complete on S2.

 

If you look at it like that, it becomes clear that a gap exists - there's a period of time between when S2 is out of production, and when S2 finishes airing and Hasbro can confirm S3. That creates a problem for Hasbro - they can't just tell the people working on the show to just sit around waiting for a decision - those people need to be making money. If Hasbro didn't want to commission a S3 until after S2 is done, then all of the people who worked on the show would be out working on other projects, and Hasbro would end up loosing most of the talent who created the show due to their waiting.

 

At the same time, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, so Hasbro can't just rush in and order S3 without having all of the data from S2 first. What would happen, for example, if the entire fanbase just disappeard (not at all likely to happen, but they are required, more or less by law, to ask all of these "what if" questions). TV shows are expensive to make, they can't just rush in and commission a new season without having the data to back up their decision. In the end, that creates a problem for Hasbro, because they have two obvious options:

 

- Wait until S2 is done airing before making a decision to make S3. If they do this, and decided to proceed with S3, they risk loosing much of the show's talent.

- Commission S3 before S2 is finished airing. If they do this, and then decide to not proceed with S3, the loose a lot of money.

 

So either way, they lose, because they don't know what their final decision will. HOWEVER! There is a third, slightly less obvious option - they can order half of a season. That way, they can keep the show's crew busy while they await the S2 data, but at the same time, they don't have the cost of an entire season to deal with. That way, if they decide to proceed with S3, they still have all of the talent on board, but if they decide to cancel, they don't loose as much money.

 

So it's all about risk management - they have to ask "how can we avoid the risk of loosing our talent?" and "how can we avoid the risk of loosing money?" at the same time. Granted, based on what's happening now, the odds of S3 being approved are extremely high. They're obviously making a good profit off of the MLP franchise, and as a business, they'll want to continue making money off it, so they have no reason to cancel the show so soon. However, there are stakeholders interest laws that require them to always take the safest route possible, so they can't just dive in and order S3 in entirety.

 

Final conclusion: my estimate is, that within about a month to maybe a month and a half after S2 finishes airing, S3 will be announced to be a full 26-episode season. They cannot announce a full S3 any sooner than that, as it would be considered an "unnecessary risk" by the shareholders.

[SailorCardKnight 84]

Yeah I don't think that they'll cut off at 65 episodes. That would be a stupid decision, honestly.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they do. This isn't the Simpsons, King of the Hill or any other animated show for adults, its a kids show. With it being a kids show Hasbro will most likely end up treating it the same way as any other network that makes an animated show for kids: make a certain # of episodes and rerun them to death. Disney has done it, Warner Bros has done it, Nickelodeon has done it. Its a way of maximizing profit, by just rerunning a show. After these 13 episodes are made, its at the perfect # for Hasbro and they could stop production if they want to. As remember MLP: FiM exists because Hasbro wants to sell toys. Those reruns ARE their "commercial".

 

However, with the popularity of the TV show, hopfully Hasbro will make the right choice and let production continue. Perhaps they will just make these 13 episodes for S3, rerun them for a while and take a break, then make another 13 or so later on. Plus, Hasbro will most likely want to make new episodes showcasing any new toys they might be making later on.

 

All I know is that syndicated TV shows can be rerun after the series cancellation. If the show is canceled before 65 episodes have been released, it doesn't get reruns.

 

I have a very long list of children's animated TV shows that would like to speak with you. Everything from Rainbow Bright to The Wuzzles to Marsupilami ('93 version).

Edited February 21, 2012 by SailorCardKnight

[Crispy 5,563]

Like that horrible ending music, to the credits in the last episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Well, the music was awesome. But it was horrible because it was rubbing salt in the wound, basically nailing home the fact that it was over. Forever.

^{I may have fallen in love with Katara for awhile...}

 

This. OH MY GOD THIS.

 

I don't even want to think about the last MLP:FiM episode.

[Alpha Centauri 169]

They will not stop! because we will use force if they try to.

[Gingerpotato 889]

Images of TheLivingTombstone's September comes to mind when I think about the finale of season 3.

Hopefully they'll make a few more seasons but I'm not so sure. What would the writers hope to gain from making 13 episodes for season 3 if they're just going to make 24 for season 4?

 

I wish MLP FiM wouldn't end but I can almost hear the clock ticking it down

[Mister Jack 565]

My Little Pony is the Hub's highest rated show. To end it at the peak of its popularity, especially when it's on a new network, would be suicidal. I'm pretty sure that the reason for having 13 episodes is because they just want to get that sweet, sweet syndication cash as soon as possible.

[SailorCardKnight 84]

What would the writers hope to gain from making 13 episodes for season 3 if they're just going to make 24 for season 4?

 

Not the first time studios have done that. Past times before I was mostly due to budget reasons, and they simply had more money the next season unlike the last one. Example: K-On! had 13 episodes in its 1st season, double that in the 2nd.

[Strafe 593]

My Little Pony is the Hub's highest rated show. To end it at the peak of its popularity, especially when it's on a new network, would be suicidal. I'm pretty sure that the reason for having 13 episodes is because they just want to get that sweet, sweet syndication cash as soon as possible.

 

True that, no ones ever even heard of the hub until early bronies started raiding 4chan.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

Kim Possible season episode breakdown.

 

21 episodes in season one,

30 in season two

14 in season three

Show was supposed to end then with the movie "So The Drama" but came back with

22 episodes for season four after fans petitioned for it.

 

Sadly, fan petitions and email campaigns later failed to get the much desired season five. Sadder still, Disney still has never released the whole series to DVD even though the show ended five years ago in 2007.

 

Attention Disney. I will dispose of my downloaded burned to DVD collection of the entire series if you release a box set for me to legally buy! I bought Darkwing Duck and Rescue Rangers after all! I even bought the KP DVDs you did release!

 

Sorry for ranting a bit. I am no stranger to wanting an animated series to continue! This is why I'm going to buy the MLP DVD, even though it isn't the start of retailing the whole series. I hope enough people buy where they give the go ahead!

Edited February 21, 2012 by cuteycindyhoney

[ScarletDagger 88]

The end of my little pony friendship is magic would be the end of the world. Everypony agrees right?

[Proailurus 214]

It would suck, but then again you could still RP and make fanfiction till the end of the world

[ScarletDagger 88]

I suck at Roleplay though lol. Messed up every thread I joined.

[Proailurus 214]

Nice to know. lol I used to love RPing but I'm not too creative and I just haven't done it yet Plus I'm not sure what to do to start RPing...

[SailorCardKnight 84]

~text~

 

Oh the pains of Disney....to this day I'm still waiting for the rest of Darkwing to be released and at the rate things are going i'll probably never see my 2nd favorite Disney Afternoon show, Bonkers, on DVD either. Don't get me started on Phineas and Ferb, which I know will be doomed to incomplete DVD releases as well, knowing Disney's track record...greedy jerks.

Joined in ranting aside...

 

I'm hoping Hasbro won't pull the same crap other companies have done in the past, but because i'm so used to it now, as stated, I won't be surprised if it does end with season 3. Which is also why I'm going to buy every DVD I can in the meantime to show my support...and toys too, as they also help fund the show and keep Hasbro alive.

[Ron Jeremy 2,032]

This is a classic example of why you shouldn't believe everything you hear.

 

Still, good to see it was a hoax. Would really hate to see the series die so soon like that. Would be a huge blow to the fandom, for sure.

[ScarletDagger 88]

I would love to see at least 20 seasons 20 episodes each.

[Proailurus 214]

Okay how did this go from the fact that the creators haven't confirmed how many episodes there will be to about when FIM will end to how the Hub was so unpopular before MLP FIM? lol

[ScarletDagger 88]

Like I said. I mess up everything.

[Arrow 236]

IF this will end after S3... Will we get G5 later on?

[Proailurus 214]

Did you seriously just send me a friend request? -_-

[ScarletDagger 88]

G5?

 

Did you seriously just send me a friend request? -_-

 

Yes I did! Lol

[Proailurus 214]

Yeah, Generation 5.

[Mephala 2,633]

If there is going to be a G5, it better be good D:<

Edited February 21, 2012 by PinkieDaShy