Country of origin United States
Canada Original network The Hub | No. of episodes 26 | |
Original release September 17, 2011 (2011-09-17) – April 21, 2012 (2012-04-21) | ||
The second 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 2 of the series premiered on September 17, 2011, on The Hub, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro.
Contents
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. Each represents a different face of friendship, and Twilight discovers herself to be a key part of the magical artifacts, the "Elements of Harmony". The ponies share adventures and help out other residents of Ponyville, while working out the troublesome moments in their own friendships.
Concept
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 marketing of the toy line. From season 2 onward, E/I ("educational and informational") content was dropped in favor of only TV-Y (designed for ages 2 and up).
Production
Lauren Faust left the show after the conclusion of the first season. She was credited in the second season as Consulting Producer. Her involvement in the second season consisted mainly of story conception and scripts, and the involvement ceased after the second season. Despite leaving, she still has high hopes for the staff members, stating that "the gaps I have left are being filled by the same amazing artists, writers, and directors who brought you Season 1. I'm certain the show will be as entertaining as ever".