MLP is one of a VERY few cartoons from the 80's still workable as a franchise. Tomica Diaclones/Hasbro Transformers (that's what Gen1 was, an American cartoon based upon a JAPANESE toyline of transforming vehicles, made by a company that made 2 Tokusatsu ("Special Effects) Metal Heroes series in the past few years - Rescue Force & Rescue Fire) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the other.
Transformers gets away with 27 years of stuff as it changes things up and makes a new season every couple of years to make new toys to get it a viable toy franchise (which is what it really is, and what the Bayformers - sorry "Michael Bay's Transformers" - are), such as Beast Wars/Machines (another 100% American Transformers, done by a Canadian group who also did Reboot mind you), Armada, Energy, Cybertron & Animated.
Ninja Turtles had a long-ass run as a cartoon before being turned into a Live Action show (done by Saban Entertainment, who is better know for POWER RANGERS (1993-NOW), Masked rider and big Bad Beetleborgs) for a while in the 90's when they also had a few live-action movies, before being rebooted as a cartoon again in 2003, then the CGI movie a few years back. True it hasn't had a near-solid continuous run over time, but it's lasted longer than other shows like Action Man ("Check it out. Dial it in. AMP IT UP!") or Swat Kats.
