I can't claim to have watched it back then. See, that was my last year at university, and while I should have been studying so I wouldn't get a D in that database course and screw up my GPA so I wouldn't graduate cum laude, I was likely rip-roaring drunk that Saturday night. Even if I hadn't, I still would have been unlikely to see it, if just for the reason that my parents had full control of the house's sole TV on Saturday nights so they might watch such sophisticated fare as Love Boat and Fantasy Island.

I didn't get around to watching it until maybe 2014 or so, and thought it was okay.

Anyway, here's an amazingly superficial article over on the Lifetime^† site. It even mentions Bronies without using slurs.

So, I don't know, go and watch a grainy 4×3 copy on YouTube or something to celebrate the 34ᵗʰ anniversary of MLP on television. Or go full retro and find a VHS copy to view on a TV with a CRT.

† Don't judge me; the Googles found that.

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I remember this night pretty well considering I was only seven years old at the time. I was so impressed by Megan and her willingness to help others without a thought for her own safety. And I remember Tirek's voice being a source of some rough dreams for about a week afterward.

People really have to show more respect for this series, none of us would be here without it after all. *sighs* 34 years MLP has been a part of my life, That is a really long time.

I watched some of it back in the day, but don't remember much. But when I saw the little porcupine things in the season 8 premiere I was really hoping they were feral bushwoolies.

I have watched it since, and am amazed at how metal it is... well, it was the 80's!

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It was "Rescue At Midnight Castle". I remember my younger sister watching it back then. Tried to watch it recently, but couldn't sit through it. I really appreciate what's been done with FiM, so much better than any of the previous generations.

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It was "RescueAtMidnight Castle"

This is and isn't right. The episode is also called Rescue From Midnight Castle and Firefly's Adventure. So you can use whichever you like. I do seem to recall the original air title being Rescue At Midnight Castle and it is the title I use when I talk about it.

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Don’t ask me which incarnation was called what, as I am a noob to G1 media and toys, just propagating the errors of others.

Over on MLP Arena someone has pictures of vintage Viewmaster disksView-Master reels for the movie, and are the descriptions weird to say the least. Mushroom land? I will see if I can dig up the thread and add a link when I’m not on the phone.

It was the wiki walk resulting from the Arena posts that led to the broadcast date and the linked article.

Edited.

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I should look up exactly when Unico and The Magic Pony aired, I'm not sure which I saw first. Those plus Midnight Castle were my personal Holy Trinity when I was about six, though. Every time we went to rent a movie at the rental place, I wanted to get one of them. (Well, or Watership Down, but after the first time, my mother refused to rent that one again.) I'd watch them over and over and over and over. I was very much obsessed with unicorns and ponies and horses in general.

Edit: It appears The Magic Pony aired first by a considerable margin (in 1977!) and Unico on the Island of Magic next in 1983, with Midnight Castle being last. I encountered them all about the same time, though, when we moved to an area that had a video rental store and started having regular movie nights.

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when Unico and The Magic Pony aired

Looks like 1981 and 1977 respectively. And thanks; now I've something new to watch!

Well, or Watership Down, but after the first time, my mother refused to rent that one again.

I've seen it once myself, but at the public library's book sale I picked up a hardcover for 50¢, since I've never read it. Gonna take a bit of fortitude to start I suspect.

I was very much obsessed with unicorns and ponies and horses in general.

See, I never was, which is why I suppose this sudden, late life obsession is an early sign of dementia. (which I really shouldn't joke about given my family history)

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My DVD case for this series has Rescue From Midnight Castle written in it. But the the original airing was Rescue at Midnight Castle, and the VHS release of this episode was called Firefly's Adventure for some reason. That's the best I can make of the situation for you.