Are the characters watered down?

Simply put, do you think the characters are acting the way they really are or are watered down due to being a kid’s show and the TV-Y rating? In other words, if the writers were unbound by ratings and could do whatever they wanted would the characters still act the way they do? There are some pretty dark and grim moments in the show that they seem to try to sneak in sometimes as well as some adult humor such as when RD “swears” in Fall Weather friends. Are the writers trying to suggest that Equestria and the characters are not as sweet and innocent as we might think?

I’m sure if they weren’t restricted by the TV-Y rating, the writers would take advantage of it to good effect. That being said, the examples you listed were probably meant to be jokes, but you could take them seriously if you wanted.
 
Either way, so far the characters have been mostly enjoyable, so I wouldn’t change the current formula. Leave the darker aspects of characters to the fanfiction I suppose, that’s where it would be most beneficial and believable.
 
Also, I don’t think the characters would act completely different, though obviously they would have alot of extra little tidbits in their personality if you suddenly introduced alot of dark/more adult things.

I could see Rainbow swearing like a sailor.

I actually think the show could do with a bit of a bump up in the ratings. Nothing extreme, I don’t want to see ponies using the word fuck like its a comma or anything, but maybe bump it up to a tv-y7 or tv-pg at most. Loosen the collar a bit.
 
See I don’t believe limits are necessarily a bad thing, they can force you to get creative. However the limits they’re currently operating under are a little too strict in my opinion.

I would love some darker, more serious stories or even back stories, but I like the characters’ personality remain the way they are. For some reason they feel “right”.

@Trickquestion  
Or like Michelle Rodriguez. but wwhatevver
 
And presumably.

@Grieffon  
This, a thousand times this. I really hate the “let’s make everyone a complete bitch!” style of parody.

@gasmaskangel  
Style of parody sometimes, but also a very prevalent (and dated) style of writing for cartoons, see: every episode written by Merriwether Williams that isn’t Hearth’s Warming Eve, Dragon Quest, or Wonderbolts Academy.

@Itsthinking  
So 2 episodes?

@Itsthinking  
Would you please explain that more?

I think the ponies would have a wider variety of body types if unfiltered by the television show.

The @Itsthinking  

 
Except the ponies weren’t really that much worse than in Season 1 episodes like Boast Busters and Applebucking Season (see Trixie’s show being heckled with Spike bullying Twilight and Applejack’s behavior leading to ponies being poisoned). And not that many of the ponies in Putting Your Hoof Down actually did anything worth noting.
 
Anyway, King Sombra comes across as somebody who is “toned down”. He is clearly a stallion who has killed other ponies before, yet FiM really isn’t a show where you can see him doing any of that. He’s in the same group as Negaduck from Darkwing Duck.

@Alander  
I’ll definitely agree with you on that. Just from the few minutes he was on screen I got the impression that he considered genocide the soft option.

@gasmaskangel  
Nonsense. Genocide wouldn’t leave anyone left to toil away in his toilet mine (while he got all the kickbacks).

@ClownDicks  

 
…
 
 
…what does that even mean?

@Background Pony  
Well, during Hearts and Hooves Day episode, there was a showcase for various stallion shapes in the Perfect Stallion song. Though, they may be exaggerated.

King Sombra is easily the most watered down character.

@Background Pony  
Look me in the eyes and say that again.  

@King Sombra  
I was merely saying that you would easily be even more darker and darker if there was a TV-M rating.

@Background Pony  
He would have been darker if he’d been given sentience. As it was, he couldn’t be made darker or lighter, by virtue of the fact he’s a mindless beast. Like the whale in Moby Dick or the bird in A Bugs Life.

@Background Pony  
…You’re lucky. I let you live today.

@King Sombra  
Sombra, have you been making death threats again?
 
Do Celestia and Luna need to give you another thousand year time out?

@Trickquestion  
Please TQ. Don’t tell it Celestia. :(

@King Sombra  
Only if you show some manners from now on.

@Trickquestion  
…Fine.