''My Little Pony Tales'' was an American
animated television series
An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
produced by
Sunbow Productions
Sunbow Entertainment (known as Sunbow Productions until 1995) was an American animation studio and distributor, founded on June 23, 1980, and owned until May 4, 1998, by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York City and in the United States. Griffin ...
and
Graz Entertainment Graz Entertainment is an American licensing and distribution company, run by Jim and Stephanie Graziano, which obtains and provides programming and licensing rights for children's television animation. They currently control ''Z Blade'', ''The Attic ...
with animation being produced by
AKOM
AKOM Production, Ltd. (Animation KOrea Movie 애이콤 프로덕션) is a South Korean animation studio in Songpa-gu, Seoul that has provided much work since its conception in 1985 by Nelson Shin. Its biggest claim to fame is the overseas animati ...
. The series, based on the
My Little Pony
''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature c ...
toys by
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
, weekly aired for 26 episodes from August 2 to December 25, 1992 on
The Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Company. ...
.
[''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 10, no. 4, August/September 1992: p. 51.][Mein Kleine Pony](_blank)
auf fernsehserien.de (German)
The series was noted for its contrast to the previous series, and was also
syndicated from 1993 to 1995.
, ''My Little Pony Tales'' has been released on DVD in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Plot
The series followed seven young female ponies who live in Ponyland, a society of
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
ponies. They are: Starlight, Sweetheart, Melody, Bright Eyes, Patch, Clover, and Bon Bon. They live like humans as they attend school, frequent the local ice cream shop, enter talent contests, and even roller skate. Some of the girl ponies begin to show a romantic interest in the male ponies, Teddy, Ace, and Lancer; they even go on dates with them.
Trivia
In contrast to
the previous series which focused on ponies and humans, the new series centered only on ponies. Each episode featured at least one song, which was performed by the ponies.
Characters
Like the toys the show was based on, each of the ponies has a distinct flank symbol.
Main
The seven
preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is c ...
female ponies are sometimes referred to as the 7 Pony Friends.
;
:
: Starlight, a pink pony with golden-yellow hair, is the sensible and responsible leader of the group. She regards school teacher
Miss Hackney highly and aspires to become a teacher herself. Her mother owns the Rainbow Beauty Salon and an ice cream shop where Starlight works. Starlight has a
one-sided crush on
Ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
. Her flank symbol is a yellow star that is surrounded by four blue stars.
;
:
: Sweetheart, a white pony with dark pink hair, dislikes letting anyone down, however, she occasionally finds herself in the middle of fights between her friends. She tends to see the good in ponies, including ones that seem bad like
Teddy
Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to:
People Nickname
* Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator
* Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer
* Tedd ...
, whom she likes. Her friends don't like Teddy and this causes friction between them. She is the oldest of four ponies; two of her siblings are named Sugar and Peaches. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Her flank symbol is a big red heart that is surrounded by three little orange hearts.
;
:
: Melody, a dark pink pony with sea-blue hair, is the lead singer in the band ''The Rockin' Beats''. She has a somewhat shallow personality and likes to gossip. She occasionally acts spoiled and puts her own interests ahead of those of her friends. She sometimes offers beauty advice to the others, and aspires to become a famous rock star. Her mother is a nurse who works at a hospital. She has younger twin sisters named Jing-A-Ling and Ting-A-Ling. Her flank symbol is a yellow microphone that is surrounded by several music notes.
;
:
: Bright Eyes, a bluish pony with orange red hair, loves to learn things. She tends to think things out logically whenever there is a problem. She wants to be an environmentalist when she grows up. She is infatuated with
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
. Her father works for the newspaper. Her flank symbol is a notebook and pen.
;
:
: Patch, a peach pony with dark pink hair, who is a member of the soccer team. She acts like an adventurous tomboy and is constantly looking for something to do. She enjoys practical jokes. She wants to join the circus when she grows up. She is the only character in the series to witness magical or supernatural phenomena. Her flank symbol is a patch of pink cloth.
;
:
: Clover, a lavender purple pony with rose-pink hair, tends to be accident prone. She frequently bursts into tears because of her ineptitude, but things generally work out for her in the end because of either luck or because her friends help out. She is very superstitious and gullible. She wants to become a ballerina like her big sister Meadowlark when she grows up. Her flank symbol is a clover leaf.
;
:
: Bon Bon, a yellow pony with burgundy purple hair, enjoys food and cooking. She hates getting dirty. She wants to become a fashion model when she grows up. She keeps a diary. She comes from a large family, with an older sister named Misty and four younger siblings named Amber, Twink, Rusty, and an unnamed baby brother.
[In the UK 1994 ''My Little Pony'' annual, Bon Bon is also said to have a sixth unnamed older sibling.] Her flank symbol is a piece of blue candy.
Supporting
;
:
: Teddy is a blue male pony with an orange
mohawk Mohawk may refer to:
Related to Native Americans
*Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York)
*Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people
*Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...
who wears sunglasses. He is an impulsive show off who tends to irritate others. Despite his bold personality, it is later revealed that he sleeps with a teddy bear, which he keeps hidden from nearly everyone. He becomes a love interest for
Sweetheart. His flank symbol is a comb.
;
:
: Ace, a gold male pony with light blond hair, is an athletic and confident jock at the school. Many of the female ponies admire him and consider him a dream date. He is Teddy's best friend, and teams up with him in influencing Lancer. He enjoys soccer and many other activities. He has a crush on
Melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
, but this is largely unrequited, while
Starlight
Starlight is the light emitted by stars. It typically refers to visible electromagnetic radiation from stars other than the Sun, observable from Earth at night, although a component of starlight is observable from Earth during daytime.
Sunligh ...
has a crush on him.
Bright Eyes thinks "Ace likes Ace better than anyone". His flank symbol is a soccer ball.
;
:
: Lancer, a dark blue male pony with crimson red hair, is quiet and gentle. He is shy and fond of books. His parents are wealthy and are sometimes away on trips. He has feelings for Bright Eyes, and often sides with the girl ponies in order to impress her. He is talented at
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
. He wants to be an explorer when he grows up. His flank symbol is a
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
.
;
:
: Miss Hackney is a periwinkle pony with lavender hair. She teaches the girl and boy ponies at the school. She shows a high degree of patience, especially with
Patch
Patch or Patches may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Patch Johnson, a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives''
* Patch (''My Little Pony''), a toy
* "Patches" (Dickey Lee song), 1962
* "Patches" (Chairmen of the Board song) ...
, who has behavior issues. She is strict, but fair. Starlight considers her a role model. It is hinted that she may have feelings for Mr. Kiddoo, who pilots a hot air balloon. Her flank symbol is a small chalkboard.
; Others
Production
Broadcast
''My Little Pony Tales'' began airing on
The Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Company. ...
on Sunday mornings starting on August 2, 1992, and on weekday mornings starting on September 1, 1992.
Reruns of the show continued on The Disney Channel until 1996.
In the half-hour block, the first part featured an episode from the old 1980s series ''
My Little Pony 'n Friends
''My Little Pony'' is a 1986–1987 American cartoon series, animated television series produced by Sunbow Entertainment, Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions and animated by Toei Animation and AKOM based on the My Little Pony toys released ...
'' and the second part was an episode made for the new ''My Little Pony Tales'' series. The production codes when ''My Little Pony Tales'' and its songs were submitted to the US Copyright Office in 1993, were numbered from 200-01 to 200-13.
Broadcast UK history
*''
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
'' (1993–1995)
Voices
*
Brigitta Dau - Patch (episodes 17-26)
*
Laura Harris
Laura Harris is a Canadian actress.
Early life
Harris is the daughter of schoolteachers. She began acting in radio dramas and animation series when she was five years old. As a child Harris was educated at Crofton House School and attended co ...
- Bright Eyes
*
Willow Johnson
Willow Johnson is a Canadian voice actress who has worked in Vancouver, voicing characters in English language versions of anime and cartoons. She is best known for voicing List of Ranma ½ characters#Kasumi Tendo, Kasumi Tendo in the ''Ranma ½ ...
- Starlight
* Lalainia Lindbjerg - Clover
*
Shane Meier
Shane may refer to:
People
* Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress
* Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946)
* iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer
* Shane (name), a masculine given name and a su ...
- Lancer
*
Maggie Blue O'Hara
Maggie Blue O'Hara (born March 16, 1975), born Blueberry Sunshine, also credited as Maggie O'Hara, is a Canadian actress noted for her voice acting. She is well known as the voices of Madison Taylor in ''Cardcaptors'' and Shadowcat in '' X-Men ...
- Sweetheart
* Kate Robbins - Miss Hackney
*
Tony Sampson
Tony Sampson (born August 17, 1977) is a Canadian musician, oiler and retired actor. From 1999 to 2009, he voiced Eddy in the Cartoon Network animated series ''Ed, Edd n Eddy''.
Biography
Tony Sampson was born on August 17, 1977 in Vancouver ...
- Teddy
*
Kelly Sheridan
Kelly Sheridan is a Canadian voice actress best known for being the voice for Barbie in the ''Barbie'' film series from 2001 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2015. She had also voiced in numerous animations and English-language dubs of Japanese animati ...
- Melody
*
Brad Swaile
Bradley Swaile is a Canadian voice actor. His major roles include Light Yagami in ''Death Note'', Rock in ''Black Lagoon'', and Nightcrawler in '' X-Men: Evolution''. In the 1990s, he voiced Mousse in ''Ranma ½'' and Teen Gohan in the Ocean ...
- Ace
*
Venus Terzo
Venus Terzo is a Canadian actress who played Detective Angela Kosmo in ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' and its spinoff, ''Da Vinci's City Hall''. She was nominated in 2002 for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dra ...
- Patch (episodes 1-16)
*
Chiara Zanni
Chiara Zanni (; born July 19, 1978) is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is known for her roles as Amy Ryan on The N series '' About a Girl'' and Maggie Buckman on the CBC series '' Edgemont''.
She is also known for her voice-work as Hahli i ...
- Bon Bon
Crew
*
Wally Burr
Walter Story Burr (June 2, 1924 – July 9, 2017), also credited as Wally Burr and Walter Burr, was an American voice actor and director.
As the voice director for '' The Transformers'' and '' The Transformers: The Movie'', Burr was known for h ...
– Voice Director, Songs Producer
*
Doug Parker
William Douglas Parker (b. October 31, 1961) is an American businessman who was the Chairman of American Airlines Group, Inc., the parent company of American Airlines.
Early life and education
Parker grew up in Michigan and received a BA in ...
– Casting Advisor
*
Cathy Weseluck
Cathy Weseluck is a Canadian actress and comedian who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia and is known for her roles as Near in '' Death Note'', Cybersix/Adrian Seidelman in ''Cybersix'', and Spike in '' My Littl ...
– Singers' Director
Episodes
Merchandise
In 1992,
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
released toys of the 7 Pony Friends to the European market to complement its first generation My Little Pony toy line. They did not produce models for the three male ponies or the teacher from the series, Miss Hackney. Although ''My Little Pony'' originated in the United States, the toys were not marketed there. The family ponies, the Barringtons (known as the Berrytowns in toy form), the Sunbrights, and the Meadowsweets were also made into toys, but were only marketed in select European countries.
Several pieces of merchandise were marketed in Europe with the Seven Characters on them, such as comic books, an alarm clock, a backpack, an umbrella and a money box.
Media
Australia
In 2005, MRA Entertainment released the complete series in the country on four DVD sets.
[MRA Entertainment citations provided by ]National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
:
*
*
*
*
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a single DVD containing ten episodes from the series was released by Metrodome Distribution in August 2004.
Metrodome's "Girls World" and "Girls World 2" DVDs (released in February 2004 and May 2005, respectively) contain two episodes each from the series, however these episodes were not released as part of the standalone DVD.
United States
Shout Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
licensed the series for the United States (Region 1) area. It was released as ''My Little Pony Tales – The Complete TV Series'' on DVD on April 28, 2015. The two-disc set contains all 26 episodes of the series.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{My Little Pony
My Little Pony television series
1992 American television series debuts
1992 American television series endings
1990s American animated television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
American children's animated musical television series
Disney Channel original programming
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
Animated television series about children
Animated television series about horses
Television series by Sunbow Entertainment
Television series set in fictional countries
Television series by Claster Television