 The appreciation of the show by an older audience came as a surprise to Hasbro , Faust , and others involved with its development , but they have embraced the older fans while staying focused on the show 's intended audience . Such reciprocity has included participation in fan conventions by the show 's voice actors and producers , recognition of the brony fandom in official promotional material , and incorporating background characters popularized by the fans ( such as the fandom @-@ named " Derpy Hooves " ) into in @-@ jokes within the show . As a result of these efforts in part , My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic has become a major commercial success with the series becoming the highest rated original production in Hub Network 's broadcast history . 
