The first season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on The Hub in the United States. The series is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works and is often referred by collectors to be the fourth generation, or "G4", of the My Little Pony franchise. Season 1 of the series premiered on October 10, 2010 on The Hub, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro, and concluded on May 6, 2011.
The show follows a studious unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor Princess Celestia guides her to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, as they all teach each other the magic of friendship. Each of the ponies represent a different facet of friendship, and Twilight soon discovers herself to be a key part of the "Elements of Harmony", ancient artifacts with powerful magic properties. The ponies share adventures and help out the residents of Ponyville, while working out the troublesome moments in their own friendships.
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Development
Hasbro selected animator Lauren Faust as the creative director and executive producer for the show. Faust sought to challenge the established "girly" nature of the existing My Little Pony line, creating more in-depth characters and adventurous settings, incorporating Hasbro's suggestions for E/I ("educational and informational") content and marketing of the toy line.
Cast
Recurring
Nicole Oliver as Princess Celestia
The Cutie Mark Crusaders
Michelle Creber as Apple Bloom
Madeleine Peters as Scootaloo
Claire Corlett as Sweetie Belle
Michelle Creber as Sweetie Belle (singing voice)
Episodes
Each episode is directed by Jayson Thiessen with James Wootton as co-director.