"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."

    About This Interview

    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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
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    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

    Margaret Loesch on adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo

    01:57
    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

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

    02:54
    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

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

    05:05
    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

    Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show

    01:57
    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

    Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs

    09:18
    Thumbnail of Margaret Loesch

    Margaret Loesch on her involvement with the Television Academy Foundation

    06:14
    Play 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

    17:32

    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

    10:44

    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

    16:31

    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

    07:03

    On adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo; on projects she wishes would have worked out and didn't during her time at Hanna-Barbera

    04:07

    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

    13:49

    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

    11:43

    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

    17:12

    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

    14:18

    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

    20:10

    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

    16:17

    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

    12:18

    On the legacy of the X-Men series; on career regrets; on advice to aspiring television executives and producers

    14:31

    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

    11:47

    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

    14:44

    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

    20:22

    On shows she developed with Saban Entertainment while she was at Fox Kids; on how media consolidation impacts children's programming

    10:43

    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

    30:10

    Fraggle Rock

    Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson

    04:32

    G.I. Joe

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

    05:05

    Gary Coleman Show, The

    Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show

    01:57

    Jem

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

    02:54

    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

    07:24

    Margaret Loesch on getting Fox to air Power Rangers, along with Haim Saban

    04:46

    Margaret Loesch on developing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban, and on her relationship with Saban when she was at Fox Kids

    09:34

    Margaret Loesch on the business deal she made with Haim Saban over the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

    03:54

    Margaret Loesch on working out the merchandising rights to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers with Haim Saban

    01:14

    Margaret Loesch on her Japanese production partner on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

    03:09

    My Little Pony

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

    02:54

    Pee-Wee's Playhouse

    Margaret Loesch on the impact of Paul Reubens and his "Pee-Wee Herman" character on Pee-Wee's Playhouse

    02:56

    Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!

    Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera

    03:34

    Margaret Loesch on adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo

    01:57

    Smurfs, The

    Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs

    09:18

    Transformers, The

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

    05:05

    X-Men

    Margaret Loesch on working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him

    08:29

    Margaret Loesch on the importance of having strong female characters on X-Men to appeal to young girls

    01:50

    Margaret Loesch on the legacy of the X-Men series

    02:34

    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"]

    01:20

    Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started in the business

    03:10

    Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement

    06:01

    Media Consolidation

    Margaret Loesch on how media consolidation impacts children's programming

    04:01

    Network Creation

    Margaret Loesch on creating the Fox Kids for the Fox Network

    07:56

    Margaret Loesch on programming The Hub and The Hatchery

    04:46

    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"]

    01:20

    Representation on Television

    Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started

    03:10

    Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement

    06:01

    Television Industry

    Margaret Loesch on the Children's Television Act of 1990

    06:23

    Margaret Loesch on creating the Fox Kids for the Fox Network

    07:56

    Margaret Loesch on programming The Hub and The Hatchery

    04:46

    Margaret Loesch on how children's programming has changed since she started in the industry, and on the then-future of the industry

    03:35

    Margaret Loesch on how media consolidation impacts children's programming

    04:01

    Women

    Margaret Loesch on the dearth of female executives in television when she first started

    03:10

    Margaret Loesch on her advice to female executives regarding the #metoo movement

    06:01

    Executives

    Margaret Loesch on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch

    02:02

    Margaret Loesch on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children

    06:52

    Margaret Loesch on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids

    06:33

    Margaret Loesch on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry

    05:42

    Margaret Loesch on programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time, and on The Simpsons and Modern Family

    05:17

    Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives

    03:29

    Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives and producers

    08:53

    Margaret Loesch on what she enjoyed doing most in her career

    00:48

    Television Executive

    Margaret Loesch on having an ability to understand children and know what shows they would watch

    02:02

    Margaret Loesch on the responsibility she felt to provide quality, non-violent programming for children

    06:52

    Margaret Loesch on what she enjoys about being a television executive, and on her vision for Fox Kids

    06:33

    Margaret Loesch on her management style, and on being a female executive in the industry

    05:42

    Margaret Loesch on programming "family entertainment," and how what constitutes it has changed over time, and on The Simpsons and Modern Family

    05:17

    Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives

    03:29

    Margaret Loesch on advice to aspiring television executives and producers

    08:53

    Margaret Loesch on what she enjoyed doing most in her career

    00:48

    Animation

    Margaret Loesch on projects she wishes would have worked out and didn't during her time at Hanna Barbera

    02:10

    Margaret Loesch on what she learned about animation from Friz Freleng

    02:12

    Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs

    09:18

    Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera

    03:33

    Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show

    01:57

    Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson

    04:32

    Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers

    05:05

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

    02:54

    Margaret Loesch on the legacy of the X-Men series

    02:34

    Children's Programming

    Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs

    09:18

    Margaret Loesch on working on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and developing other shows at Hanna-Barbera

    03:33

    Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show

    01:57

    Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson

    04:32

    Margaret Loesch on Power Rangers

    12:10

    Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers

    05:05

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

    02:54

    Margaret Loesch on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

    17:54

    Joseph Barbera

    Margaret Loesch on going to work for Hanna-Barbera (William Hanna and Joseph Barbera)

    02:02

    Margaret Loesch on the working relationship of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

    02:03

    Mel Blanc

    Margaret Loesch on working with Mel Blanc, and on casting voice-over actors

    01:29

    Friz Freleng

    Margaret Loesch on going to work for NBC in 1975, and on working for Friz Freleng

    03:22

    Margaret Loesch on what she learned about animation from Friz Freleng

    02:12

    William Hanna

    Margaret Loesch on going to work for William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

    02:02

    Margaret Loesch on the working relationship of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

    02:03

    Jim Henson

    Margaret Loesch on leaving Hanna-Barbera for Marvel, and on creating the Emmy Award winning-Muppet Babies for Jim Henson

    06:48

    Stan Lee

    Margaret Loesch on working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him

    08:29

    Howie Mandel

    Margaret Loesch on Louie Anderson's Life with Louie and Howie Mandel's Bobby's World

    02:52

    Rupert Murdoch

    Margaret Loesch on Rupert Murdoch

    04:06

    Paul Reubens

    Margaret Loesch on the impact of Paul Reubens and his "Pee-Wee Herman" character on Pee-Wee's Playhouse

    02:56

    Fred Rogers

    Margaret Loesch on seeing Fred Rogers testify in front of Congress in the 1990s, and on Rogers' impact on children's television

    04:57

    Haim Saban

    Margaret Loesch on working with Haim Saban

    00:58

    Margaret Loesch on what makes Haim Saban a great producer

    06:51

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