Margaret Loesch

Executive
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
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.

"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."

People Talking About ...
Margaret Loesch
Highlights
Margaret Loesch on adding "Scrappy Doo" to Scooby Doo
01:57
Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
02:54
Margaret Loesch on developing G.I. Joe and The Transformers, and on the impact on children as toys turned into cartoons
05:05
Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show
01:57
Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs
09:18
Margaret Loesch on her involvement with the Television Academy Foundation
06:14
Full Interview

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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

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Margaret Loesch on developing the animated version of Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson
04:32

G.I. Joe

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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

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Margaret Loesch on developing The Gary Coleman Show
01:57

Jem

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Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
02:54

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

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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

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Margaret Loesch on developing Jem and My Little Pony with girls in mind
02:54

Pee-Wee's Playhouse

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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!

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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

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Margaret Loesch on developing and selling The Smurfs
09:18

Transformers, The

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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

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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
Topics

Historic Events and Social Change

View Topic
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

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Margaret Loesch on how media consolidation impacts children's programming
04:01

Network Creation

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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

View Topic
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

View Topic
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

View Topic
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

View Topic
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
Professions

Executives

View Profession
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

View Profession
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
Genres

Animation

View Genre
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

View Genre
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
People

Fred Rogers

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Margaret Loesch on seeing Fred Rogers testify in front of Congress in the 1990s, and on Rogers' impact on children's television
04:57

Friz Freleng

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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

Haim Saban

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Margaret Loesch on working with Haim Saban
00:58
Margaret Loesch on what makes Haim Saban a great producer
06:51

Howie Mandel

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Margaret Loesch on Louie Anderson's Life with Louie and Howie Mandel's Bobby's World
02:52

Jim Henson

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Margaret Loesch on leaving Hanna-Barbera for Marvel, and on creating the Emmy Award winning-Muppet Babies for Jim Henson
06:48

Joseph Barbera

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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

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Margaret Loesch on working with Mel Blanc, and on casting voice-over actors
01:29

Paul Reubens

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Margaret Loesch on the impact of Paul Reubens and his "Pee-Wee Herman" character on Pee-Wee's Playhouse
02:56

Rupert Murdoch

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Margaret Loesch on Rupert Murdoch
04:06

Stan Lee

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Margaret Loesch on working with Stan Lee at Marvel, and on developing X-Men with him
08:29

William Hanna

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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

All Interviews

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