About
"I admire good scripts so much because I know how hard they are to achieve. Some of the best writers I’ve worked with have been very difficult people. But it’s worth it."
In her four-hour interview, Margaret Loesch talks about her early years, and her first jobs, including working for animation legend Friz Freeling. She speaks of going to work for Hanna-Barbera, where she worked on Scooby Doo, and developed the smash hit cartoon The Smurfs. She discusses the Children's Television Act of 1990, and her effort to create television that both entertained and informed children, for the public good. Loesch recalls working with Stan Lee on several cartoons, including the award-winning X-Men series, as well as working with Haim Saban on the Power Rangers series. She talks about her time as the head of Fox Kids, and her advice to aspiring female executives. Jenni Matz conducted the interview on August 18, 2017 and April 19, 2018 in North Hollywood, CA.
Highlights

Margaret Loesch on adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo

Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind

Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers, and on the impact on children as toys turned into cartoons

Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show

Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs

Margaret Loesch on her involvement with the Television Academy Foundation
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her childhood and early education, and on children's shows she watched while growing up; on seeing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television [Ed. note: Ms. Loesch would like to clarify that "he" refers to her father, Fred Loesch, and to correct "Andover, England" to "Burtonwood, England"]; on getting her start in television
On becoming a production clerk, and on learning various aspects of the industry; on working in promos for children's shows at ABC; on going to work for NBC in 1975, and on working for Friz Freleng
On the dearth of female executives in television when she first started in the business; on going to work for William Hanna and Joseph Barbera; on developing and selling The Smurfs
On working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera; on developing The Gary Coleman Show; on working with Mel Blanc, and on casting voice-over actors
On adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo; on projects she wishes would have worked out and didn't during her time at Hanna-Barbera
Chapter 2
On leaving Hanna-Barbera for Marvel, and on creating the Emmy Award winning-Muppet Babies for Jim Henson; on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch; on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson
On going to head up Marvel's television animation, working with Stan Lee, and the birth of Power Rangers; on getting Fox to air Power Rangers, along with Haim Saban
On working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him; on the importance of having strong female characters on X-Men to appeal to young girls; on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children
Chapter 3
On the Children's Television Act of 1990; on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers, and on the impact on children as toys turned into cartoons; on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
On creating the Fox Kids network; on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids; on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry
On programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time; on The Simpsons and Modern Family [Ed. note: Ms. Loesch would like to correct "working for Discovery and Henson" to "working for Discovery and Hasbro"]; on programming The Hub and The Hatchery; on her involvement with the Television Academy Foundation
On advice to aspiring television executives; on working with Haim Saban; on then-current projects and her greatest career achievements, and on shows she most identifies with
On the legacy of the X-Men series; on career regrets; on advice to aspiring television executives and producers
On how children's programming has changed since she started in the industry, and on the then-future of the industry; on how she would like to be remembered
Chapter 4
On developing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban, and on her relationship with Saban when she was at Fox Kids; on the business deal she made with Haim Saban over the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; on working out the merchandising rights to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban
On her Japanese production partner on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; on what makes Haim Saban a great producer, and on how toys influenced story lines on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; on the impact of the children's programming advisory board she created when she was at Fox Kids
On shows she developed with Saban Entertainment while she was at Fox Kids; on how media consolidation impacts children's programming
On how the way children consume media impacts programming; on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement; on what she learned about children's programming in her career; on various people she has worked with in her career, including Paul Reubens and Rupert Murdoch
Shows
Fraggle Rock
Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson
G.I. Joe
Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers, and on the impact on children as toys turned into cartoons
Gary Coleman Show, The
Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show
Jem
Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Margaret Loesch on going to head up Marvel's television animation, working with Stan Lee, and the birth of Power Rangers
Margaret Loesch on getting Fox to air Power Rangers, along with Haim Saban
Margaret Loesch on developing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban, and on her relationship with Saban when she was at Fox Kids
Margaret Loesch on the business deal she made with Haim Saban over the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Margaret Loesch on working out the merchandising rights to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban
Margaret Loesch on her Japanese production partner on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
My Little Pony
Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Margaret Loesch on the impact of Paul Reubens and his "Pee-Wee Herman" character on Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera
Margaret Loesch on adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo
Smurfs, The
Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs
Transformers, The
Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers, and on the impact on children as toys turned into cartoons
X-Men
Margaret Loesch on working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him
Margaret Loesch on the importance of having strong female characters on X-Men to appeal to young girls
Margaret Loesch on the legacy of the X-Men series
Topics
Historic Events and Social Change
Margaret Loesch on seeing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television [Ed. note: Ms. Loesch would like to clarify that "he" refers to her father, Fred Loesch, and to correct "Andover, England" to "Burtonwood, England"]
Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started in the business
Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement
Media Consolidation
Margaret Loesch on how media consolidation impacts children's programming
Network Creation
Margaret Loesch on creating the Fox Kids for the Fox Network
Margaret Loesch on programming The Hub and The Hatchery
Queen Elizabeth Coronation
Margaret Loesch on seeing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on television [Ed. note: Ms. Loesch would like to clarify that "he" refers to her father, Fred Loesch, and to correct "Andover, England" to "Burtonwood, England"]
Representation on Television
Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started
Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement
Television Industry
Margaret Loesch on the Children's Television Act of 1990
Margaret Loesch on creating the Fox Kids for the Fox Network
Margaret Loesch on programming The Hub and The Hatchery
Margaret Loesch on how children's programming has changed since she started in the industry, and on the then-future of the industry
Margaret Loesch on how media consolidation impacts children's programming
Women
Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started
Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement
Professions
Executives
Margaret Loesch on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch
Margaret Loesch on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children
Margaret Loesch on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids
Margaret Loesch on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry
Margaret Loesch on programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time, and on The Simpsons and Modern Family
Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives
Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives and producers
Margaret Loesch on what she enjoyed doing most in her career
Television Executive
Margaret Loesch on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch
Margaret Loesch on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children
Margaret Loesch on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids
Margaret Loesch on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry
Margaret Loesch on programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time, and on The Simpsons and Modern Family
Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives
Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives and producers
Margaret Loesch on what she enjoyed doing most in her career
Genres
Animation
Margaret Loesch on projects she wishes would have worked out and didn't during her time at Hanna Barbera
Margaret Loesch on what she learned about animation from Friz Freleng
Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs
Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera
Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show
Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson
Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers
Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
Margaret Loesch on the legacy of the X-Men series
Children's Programming
Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs
Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera
Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show
Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson
Margaret Loesch on Power Rangers
Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers
Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
Margaret Loesch on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
People
Joseph Barbera
Margaret Loesch on going to work for Hanna-Barbera (William Hanna and Joseph Barbera)
Margaret Loesch on the working relationship of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Mel Blanc
Margaret Loesch on working with Mel Blanc, and on casting voice-over actors
Friz Freleng
Margaret Loesch on going to work for NBC in 1975, and on working for Friz Freleng
Margaret Loesch on what she learned about animation from Friz Freleng
William Hanna
Margaret Loesch on going to work for William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Margaret Loesch on the working relationship of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Jim Henson
Margaret Loesch on leaving Hanna-Barbera for Marvel, and on creating the Emmy Award winning-Muppet Babies for Jim Henson
Stan Lee
Margaret Loesch on working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him
Howie Mandel
Margaret Loesch on Louie Anderson's Life with Louie and Howie Mandel's Bobby's World
Rupert Murdoch
Margaret Loesch on Rupert Murdoch
Paul Reubens
Margaret Loesch on the impact of Paul Reubens and his "Pee-Wee Herman" character on Pee-Wee's Playhouse
Fred Rogers
Margaret Loesch on seeing Fred Rogers testify in front of Congress in the 1990s, and on Rogers' impact on children's television
Haim Saban
Margaret Loesch on working with Haim Saban
Margaret Loesch on what makes Haim Saban a great producer