Another really interesting tidbit from Lauren Faust's DA page. Apparently a full on Big Mac episode was planned, but turned down in the end. It sounds like it would have been a fun one too!
I'll let you read about it above, or copy pasted below:
Big Mac is a stallion of little words. He just keeps his opinions to himself. I think he knows he's around three opinionated mares and it's easiest to just go with the flow.
We had a Big Mac centered episode idea where he was helping all three of them one day, just going along with what they wanted to keep the peace (the running gag being that his three family members were quite verbose and he spoke only with facial expressions) but finally got fed up and took off. The Apple ladies worried that they had taken his easy going nature for granted and made a big production out of apologizing and promising not to take him for granted ever again, only to find out that he went into town to get another hand- er, hoof- to help. Of course the only words he'd say were to graciously accept their apologies and promises anyway.
I thought it was cute and I LOVE non-verbal gags and acting in cartoons, but it was turned down. - Lauren Faust
145 comments:
Lame :/
THEY WHAT?!?
Shame this was cancelled. I'm sure they had their reasons, but this could have made for an interesting episode.
Hasbro, I am disappoint.
Well, there's a Big Mac episode NOW...
To be fair, it does sound rather anti-climatic
Too bad this would have been a very weird but interesting episode Big Mac doesn't get enough screen time
Well who knows, maybe they have another episode in mind
Aw darn, it does sound like it would have been a fun one. I wonder why it got rejected.
Huh, to bad it was cancled. Could have been intresting, not enough male ponies in the show in my opinion. It would be nice to have a few more (balance things out)
Incoming fanfics.
This shall not stand! This is an outrage! The Lord Pimpington demands entertainment in the form of the episode described!
Damn, they could have done the entire episode silent film style.
Hrmmmmmm.... Shoulda kept it. Lauren..... I don't know what to say. Just... Shaken ma head at hasbro.
@Travis Smith That's true. They could have worked elements of this into the Valentines Day special, or maybe there's something else down the road involving Big Mac and the CMC.
Damn. Executive Meddling?
Im gonna cry now.
*sniff* That would have been a great episode
time....
for....
FANFICTION. :D
@Travis Smith well maybe your right as they say where there's a will there's a way or at least I hope for Big Mac's sake
@Vurtax
@Mike
Maybe that's why.
Awww I wanted a Big Mac episode :\
@wackypony It's probably being written right now. Not by me, of course. I'm still not knowledgeable enough in ponies yet to write something.
CURSES. That sounds like it would have been really good, too...
People! We need to make sure this episode gets made! Email your hearts out to the producers! Make them change their minds!
Lauren: Let's do a Big Mac episode! :D
Hasbro CEO: No.
Lauren: :(
"Hasbro,I'm disappoint" indeed.
That does sound interesting, but I can see why it was turned down. Making an episode like that would have appealed a great deal to older audiences, but kids would've been left in the dirt. With animation, and specially TV animation, you have to appeal to every type of audience, kids and adults alike.
AAAAAAAAAANNNNDD let the fanfics roll in!
@RavensDagger
I hear spitfire's a dude in at least one of the other-language versions.
...but I guess that still doesn't quite balance it out.
...plus, it makes for strange implications about the REA poster things...
I have to admit, despite the obviously cute idea, it sounds like it'd have been a pretty tough episode to successfully pull off, if its main character says as little as it sounds like he would've. I imagine that that would be why it was canceled.
Perhaps it's heresy to say so :P, but the mere fact that Lauren had an idea doesn't immediately mean that it would've worked in practice. Executive Meddling (if indeed that's what this was) is not always a bad thing.
I DEMAND somepony make an animation out of this. This really sounds like a fantastic episode, wish it could have come to pass.
Wow this post really exploded with comments I guess everypony really likes they're Macs.... You see what I did there... I'll just be quiet now
go go go go
Fanfic rangers
This would have been a wonderful concept...for the older audiences.
Little kids? They wouldn't get it. And the little kids have to be considered when episodes are floated.
A pity this was turned down, but I'm not that surprised.
@Destroyer Nah, keep it coming. :D
But that being said, I guess we all have some input on this. Maybe some of us are right that it would have been difficult to bring this to a child's level of comprehension without totally screwing it up.
Can picture some things, but having issues with spanning anything out into 22 minutes. Love the idea, though. Hope it goes phenix and comes back some day.
that does sound like it woulda made a cute ep...its a shame
@Kyronea This is just me, but now that I'm older and have seen some of the stuff that I watched when I was younger, some of it makes so much more sense then it did back then. Sure, I understood enough back then. But now, I get the whole picture.
Oh,that' sucks. I've always wanted to see more Big Mac.
Interesting idea, but I can see where it would have been very hard to do right.
Btw, something weird is going on at Know Your Meme. Apparently some trolls are botting the "forever alone" page to push it passed MLP. It's gotten hundreds of thousands of views in the past few days with almost no new content submitted or comments. Please write KYM to see if they can do something about this. Getting sick of anti-bronies lol.
Oh wait, I forgot the magic word:
CHAAAARRRRGGGEEE!!!
Fanfiction writers, start your stories!
Damn, that sounded like it could be a great episode! At least he gets spotlight in the Valentines day episode.
@wackypony
DARN STRAIGHT!
Yeah, not really for little kids. But would have been awesome for us ^^
Wait, if somebody wrote a fanfic off of gunned down canon ideas, will it be a demi-canon?
Why did the silent responses thing make me think of Gromit?
Whoa, these garner so many comments so fast.
I can see why it may have been turned down for a couple reasons. Still, it could have been a fun episode. I think it'd be hard to honestly make a truly bad episode of FiM. In my opinion anyway.
Hasbro, Y U NO approve?
Hasbro's totally sexist against Stallion episodes. You heard it here. :P
@Mike
2 Reasons come to mind:
1. a Focus character being mostly silent isn't something you see very often in kids shows, and Hasbro probably didn't want to take many artistic risks with the show that's mainly meant to be a Toy advertisement.
2. Big Mac isn't a main character, nor does he have a toy of his own, so they likely didn't like the idea of focusing an entire episode around him.
>the running gag being that his three family members were quite verbose and he spoke only with facial expressions
That sounds amazing. It's a shame it was turned down.
@NDupree93 This.
@Kyronea
I have to disagree with you there. Kids can totally get non-verbal comedy. Just look at the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote Looney Tunes shorts. Kids are a LOT smarter than we tend to give them credit for.
This actually reminds me of the episode of Fosters where Wilt was basically forced to do stuff through out a day and missed out on a basketball game.
This actually reminds me of the episode of Fosters where Wilt was basically forced to do stuff through out a day and missed out on a basketball game.
@NDupree93
TL;DR version:
BIG MAC DON'T SELL TOYS
Damn...
Man such an episode like hat would have been worth it to see it produce on TV. I mean Why did Hasbro turned down a good idea like that ? :(
Big Mac episode would be awesome I can't wait for the upcoming one.
Eeyup.
They should come up with a better episode.
@mycutiemarkisagun
On the bright side, this kind of corporate logic might give us a canon Transformers/MLP crossover someday. (lol why not?)
No doubt that Hasbro thought 5 year old girls could not handle an episode focusing on a stallion
@FireKatKid
If that were the case, we wouldn't have an episode, such as "Hearts and Hooves Day". Though Lauren's idea is unique, I'm not sure how an episode entirely about Big Mac would work, so in this case, I understand why Hasbro wouldn't accept it.
this could've been interesting
I'm actually disappointed that this didn't happen.
Big Mac needs some more airtime.
@CityFlyer502
I know that feeling all too well. I experience it regularly with stuff I watched as a kid. Heck, sometimes I experience it with something I last watched six months ago, just because life's changes can always surprise you and enrich your knowledge and understanding.
Argh! That sounds like a great ep and silent eps are usually the ones I remember as being truly amazing like a few eps of Samurai Jack. Oh well maybe they can try it with a Derpy ep someday
Too bad, sounds like a very interesting episode :) I love background character story development ^^
Well that's a shame. I probably would've enjoyed that episode.
Let's be fair, It's kinda getting close to becoming the Apple family show. Apple Bloom and Apple Jack have many of their own episodes, Granny Smith shared "Family Appreciation Day" with Apple Bloom, Do we really need another episode just for Big Mac?
I'll be honest, I sorta like this idea more than the canon shipping one, although I suppose an episode of his own wouldn't do so well in the main demographic (which I'm pretty sure is little girls, not us, though it could be the other way around)
Honestly, it's easy to see why it was turned down. A story focusing on a quiet man would be unconventional for a girl's cartoon and hard to do well. It likely would've turned out well considering Studio B's talent, but it would've been risky.
Seemed legit.
this doesnt mean that there is no Big mac Episode maybe they made another but with other focus maybe big mac preventing the cmc of doing somthing stupid lol or him helping spike with his crush on rarity (actually this could work for a fanfic lol)
There Goes The Neighborhood
You know who's not upset about this? Big Macintosh's VA. That guy must have like the easiest job in voice acting.
@NDupree93 But consider that almost all of the Coyote/Road Runner material works off of visual gags. This show has their own style, one that I don't think you can easily compare with something else. I'm not saying that the silent gag thing couldn't work. And I am definitely not saying that kids wouldn't figure it out. Even when I don't underestimate my little sister, I get caught off guard; she is one smart cookie. But someone in Hasbro must have decided that it wouldn't work and/or it wasn't their style. For all we know, maybe all our speculation is wrong and the reason for cancelling is something we haven't thought up of.
@Scribejay Sir, you just gave an outstanding idea. Too bad, I can't do animation.
A shame it was cancelled, but I can understand why. When Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron came out, I took my little cousin who was five at the time, and she kept asking me what was going on during the scenes where the characters spoke primarily through body language. The target audience is still little kids after all and they have to keep them happy.
This idea is similar to an episode of Inuyasha. Kirara disappears.
@CaptainDash
Yeah, they need to focus on other main characters, like Fluttershy, as well as more Spike, Pinkie, and Twilight, also. If they do another CMC episode, they need to develop Scootaloo's character.
This idea is similar to an episode of Inuyasha. Kirara disappears.
@NDupree93
It's not just the non-verbal comedy aspects about this episode that would have been a problem. It's the fact that the way in which it would unfold would make it more difficult to understand what's going on if you don't understand the sort of perspective that Big Mac would be holding.
It's not really similar to a coyote strapping rockets to his back and flying off a cliff. The humor would be much more subtle, much more subdued.
Why the fuck did she leave? What could she have been planing that would be better than all these cool ideas she has?
eps. 17 is about big mac falling in love with cheerilee so we get to see some big mac action.
It sounds like a decent episode but to be fair this season feels like they've focused more on the Apple family than the Mane 6 themselves. Not that focusing on background characters is a bad thing or anything but seriously at least try to appeal to every type of fanbase and give some time for their favorite characters with a episode around them or at most, a fair amount of screentime.
So we hear this when A Cherilee - Mack episode is coming out. Well, Hasbro should know we don't take replacements. Emailers and Trollers, ready up......it's about to get magical.
I would watch that episode. We need a Big Mac Episode.
Bu-but... TT__TT Big Macintosh is my favorite pony. This sounds like it would have been a great episode.
*pouts forever*
Would've been awesome, especially seeing what crazy shenanigans Granny Smith and Applebloom would put him through, and an awesome lesson indeed, especially around Mother's Day or Father's Day or if put right after the Sisterhoove's Social, even if they were different seasons.
jeeze.. what a waste of a perfectly good idea for an episode too...
Please lay off Hasbro's inbox. While this sounds good, I can see why they turned it down. It is a show aimed for little girls, so centering an episode on one of the stallions doesn't appeal to that as much as playing it safe. Add in some less conventional devices and prioritize screen time for ponies with no merch, and from a business standpoint it starts to sound like a bad idea. Their goal is to move as many toys with as little risk as possible. If I weren't a Brony and had to make the call, I would have asked "what else do you have?" as well.
This would have been pretty funny imo.
I'd love to hear if there was plans for a Celestia-based episode. But I'll wait, since there might actually be more than just plans for a Celestia themed episode
Why did this not happen?
To be honest, I am getting some severe Apple fatigue this season, but dammit, Big Mac is STILL underrepresented. And I'm still on the fence about the Cheerimac episode (the Twimac fan inside me wants to rage and scream about it, but I'm keeping it in check).
IT'S RAGE TIME MUTHAS!!!! >8(
Aww... tis would have been so fun.
Ah man, that would've been great. I've really been wanting to see more of Big Mac.
eeNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOpe
also FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
well, Wall-E was mostly a non-verbal movie and look that turned out...I hope Hasbro realize what they missed out on.
u_u...wudve loved to see this
*WARNING: CONSPIRACY CONTENT AHEAD*
Lauren: so we had this episode idea about Big Mac, you know the male colt in Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack and Applebloom's older brother?
Hasbro: an episode about a male colt in My Little PONY? *in AJ's voice* mmmmmhmmmmm....NAH we're still going to stick My Little Pony with the girly brand and male colts simply should not be the focus...
Lauren: I am disappoint.
Bronies: HASBRO, Y U SO SEXIST U CONSERVATIVE- MINDED CORPORATION?
@James Corck
Courage the cowardly dog had plenty eps like this, and i loved it when i was only 9-10.
@One Radical Dude
A joke is a joke is a joke is a joke. :T
Hasbro, like many companies, as stated before in this discussion, think far too little of their audience. Honestly I hope they add it as an extra if they ever decide "hey let's tell the DVD company to actually make a dvd boxset like our customers ask for. Man, those customers sure do know what they want from a company!"
Lauren Faust should post it as a fanfic instead. :p
Time to write fan fictions! What would the lesson of this episode have been?
Well there was no danger anyway. If they hadn't apologised and recognised his value, nothing would have changed. The lesson would have been hollow. But it sounds like a great ep still.
Pretty much what Vutrax said: it'd be somewhat anticlimactic.
There's a Big Mac toy NOW, right? Because... if Cheerilee and Big Mac being together is going to be a Valentine's thing... there needs to be a stallion to give the mare flowers in a playset about this. (See flowers are edible, so you don't even need the chocolate!)
@ALazyFriend
I know, right. Just like how they turned down that one Spike episode where he feared he was going to lose his job to an owl or that other idea where he was having his birthda-- oh wait.
Although it won't be good for a full episode, I think this idea would be great for a short, if they're planning to release one.
WRRRRYYYYYY HASBRAH?
This would have been such a good episode. Unique, taking risks with its storytelling, and returning to the roots of cartooning. What could have gone wrong, really? At worst, it would have been remembered as an experiment that didn't work out. At best, it might have won all sorts of awards and accolades for the show.
Still, it would have compromised Big Mac as a character, shoehorning him into the role of an eternally silent pony. Furthermore, some might have used the episode to contend that Big Mac was mentally crippled or something. The biggest loss would have been the fact that no other Big Mac episodes would have been viable afterwards. I mean, what can you do with a character that only ever says two lines?
You know what? I think I understand now. The episode might have been good, but it would have closed so many doors for future episodes.
I'm fine with this now. Besides, we get the upcoming Cheerilee+Big Mac episode, and that promises to reveal LOADS more about both characters if done right. Better yet, Big Mac won't be a near-mute (hopefully) and will evolve into a strong character that future episodes will be able to rely on.
Gosh dangit, this sounded like it could have been awesome! Now I'm reminded of Ferb, as in Phineas And.
Can't say I wish to complain.
I strongly dislike Big Mac. Less episodes about him is a good thing in my book.
Sorry to all his fans, though.
@CityFlyer502 some guys don't know a dent about my little pony and they are doing fanfics, and some of them are pretty decent.
Shame this got cut, sounds like a fun episode.
Developing stallions in my litle pwny? U WISH TROLOLOL - Hasbro execs.
Ah shucks. That sounds like it would be a really good episode!
Seems like a good chuck of this was folded into the Last Roundup, if the synopsis holds out.
D'aw that would've really been cute, poor BigMac.
Too bad that episode was thrown away.
The idea itself is an excellent foundation to build upon. Like other have pointed out, the idea being used as an entire episode would run a risk of falling flat on children (I say "run a risk of falling flat", not "most definitely fail", because children are a damn sight smarter than people give them credit for).
But the core idea, an episode showing how Big Mac copes with troublesome family members on a day to day basis, is brilliant. And how, even though he's near-silent and non-confrontational the whole time, he's still a valuable member of the family. This is an important point to put across, because some people believe that you're only important if you're "making a lot of noise" in a group.
The end part, however, could probably have been improved, so instead of him just heading off to fetch some more help, it could involve (going the obvious easy route here) Mac actually getting a bit tired of being taken for granted and decide to chill out (or at least focus on just doing chores where he can be alone). Naturally, the rest of the Apple Clan would notice Mac's absence when each of their latest schemes, rants, tasks, etc. all suffer from Mac not being there.
I dunno, my mind is drawing a blank for the ending. But the general idea is something
I wish was made into an episode. Maybe now, since FiM is a very popular show, and the current Season appears to be branching out into including side characters more heavily in episodes, Big Mac will get a major role in a future episode (the CMC Matchmaker Episode not included).
My heart just shattered into about a hundred different pieces, which scattered over the floor. Aaaaaaaand my dogs just ate a few.
You guys are failing to realize that this episode would have severely stunted Big Macintosh as a character, unless the gag was that he kept being cut off mid-sentence by AJ, Granny and Apple Bloom.
It would have closed doors on future Big Mac character development, leaving him mute. As it is, he has a chance to become the kind of character who only speaks rarely, but when he does, is incredibly profound and wise.
I will miss this episode, even though it was never aired, but it shouldn't be dwelled on.
@Chetoos
I remember that episode, it was because he was too nice to say "no", right?
But... why would they turn it down?
Big Macintosh is best pony.
Hasbro: "What? NO! This is a program for little GIRLS and boy centered episodes are OUT! Make something girly!"
Meanwhile, halfway though season 1;
Hasbro: "WHO'S watching this show??? O.o"
@Mattatatta
I agree with you on this. I would have been all for this episode if not that Mac would have not spoken anything. I want him to be more than just a gag character with one line.
Also I know it is possible for him to say more than two lines because during Apple Bucking Season he said a lot more than just "Eenop" or "eeyup" but than it seemed like they drew his character back A bunch for some reason.
I don't know maybe his voice actor quit or something?
I guess this one would have been too much of a brony episode.
We can have fun with episodes meant for kids but they probably won't get much fun out of this and deal with it but they are still those who probably use TV more to watch those episodes.
I'd certainly have fun with episode like this one but we're still just part of the audience
Kind of a crappy episode...you sure that's an idea from season 1 ? Where the hell is the external threat like a Hydra or the Poison Joke ?
Kind of a crappy episode...you sure that's an idea from season 1 ? Where the hell is the external threat like a Hydra or the Poison Joke ?
I still would love to have a Big Mac Episode. Even having him show up more often, like in Lesson Zero and The Zap Apple episode is nice.
My reaction to this news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHv9acm3fF0
Thanks for sharing, nice post interesting one
I think there may be more to it than "he's a male pony, and this is a little girls' franchise." If that were true, there wouldn't be male ponies among the MLP merch, Big Mac included.
The problem with Ms. Faust's episode proposal? The canon's already blowing gaping holes in it.
Big Macintosh's characterization has already been established in canon as Sweet Apple Acres' 800lb gorilla. He's a sweet guy and all, but he's still the one who decides when and where he's going to sit.
Plus, we've already seen that he's fully aware of the world in which he lives. Every pony around him is a Leeroy Jenkins, who could return from getting chicken at any moment. So, really, he's under no obligation to help or save anypony from their own stupidity. Least of all himself from his own.
The better option for a Big Mac episode, IMHO, would be to have, say, another pony constantly trying to do favors for him in thanks for something he helped them with. I guess one of the other Apples could work, but so could any other pony.
At first, he appreciates the gesture. But then the pony keeps following him around and doing favors for him, such that has to step around the other pony in order to do damn near everything. Eventually, he'd be pushed to the point where he has to break character in order to get this pony to leave him alone.
For extra hilarity points, have his breaking point come in response to the other pony trying to drop off a bushel of lemons. Because Big Macintosh channeling Cave Johnson would be just all kinds of hilarious.
"AH DON' WANT ANY O' YOUR DARN LEMONS! What'm Ah s'pposed ta do with THESE?!"
First Hasbro turned down the Seapony episode and now this. Aww I'd like to watch a Big Mac episode. I want to know what his personality is like.
I also wanted to see him interact with Apple Bloom.
I want it! D:
THEY CANCELLED THE EPISODE?!?! Oh well. I wonder what will be the episode replacing this one?
Remember what was said about the Salvadore Dali artwork, and pregnancy being canon?
Using that logic, I am in Wait and See mode.
Well, damn. I think that would have been a great episode. It would have perhaps caused the problem of making him permanently without lines, and stunted his growth as a character. So far, even without lines, he's shown his workhorse side, his brony side, his family-loving side, and more. While I am a little disappointed that he doesn't show up more often, it might be for the best that he doesn't have his own episode. We'll save that for season four or something, yeah?
This Big Macintosh RPer is disappoint. But on the same token, I like the character in his secondary role, so no real harm done, I reckon.
A shame, this sounds like it would be a cute episode, and I like silent, aka Visual story telling especially in cartoons. Maybe it will get revived for a latter season.
Awww, I want a Big Mac episode!
I would have loved this.
I can easily relate - I have someone in my family who is just like Bic Mac and we should all show more appreciation really.
It shall exist in my head canon.
From the description of it there seems to be an undefined problem with feminism and that idea.
That said, they can probably still use parts of this idea as padding for another episode about Apple family.
umm why would they even cancel 1 episode of mlp that show is awesome and we barely see big mac
Post a Comment