 My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series produced by Hasbro as part of the My Little Pony toy franchise , which is tied in with the 2010 launch of dolls and play sets , and original programming for U.S. cable channel Discovery Family ( formerly Hub Network ) . Lauren Faust was selected as the creative developer and executive producer for the show , based on her previous animation experience with shows like The Powerpuff Girls and Foster 's Home for Imaginary Friends . Under Hasbro 's guidance , Faust developed the show to appeal to the target demographic of young girls and their parents , but created characters and settings that challenged formerly stereotypical norms of " girly " images , and added adventure and humorous elements to keep parents interested . The show is animated using Flash , and produced at DHX Media 's animation studio in Vancouver , Canada . Its production is overseen by director Jayson Thiessen , who took over as showrunner after Faust stepped down after the second season . 
