Once Upon a Time
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This article is about the ABC television series. For other uses, see Once Upon a Time (disambiguation). Once Upon a Time is an American fantasy drama television series created by Lost and Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, that premiered October 23, 2011 on ABC. The first six...
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Disney Wiki
This article is about the ABC television series. For other uses, see Once Upon a Time (disambiguation).

Once Upon a Time is an American fantasy drama television series created by Lost and Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, that premiered October 23, 2011 on ABC. The first six seasons aired Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT before switching to Friday nights at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT for season seven. On November 3, 2011, ABC ordered the back nine episodes for Once Upon a Time, bringing the first season to a total of 22 episodes. On May 10, 2012, ABC renewed the show for a second season, which premiered September 30, 2012. On May 10, 2013, the show was renewed for a third season, which premiered September 29, 2013. On May 8, 2014, the show was renewed for its fourth season, which premiered September 28, 2014. On May 7, 2015, the show was ordered on fifth season, which premiered on September 27, 2015. On March 3, 2016, the show was picked up for a sixth season, which premiered on September 25, 2016. On May 11, 2017, the series was renewed for a seventh season, which premiered on October 6, 2017. On February 6, 2018, it was announced that the series would end after its seventh season.[1] The series concluded on May 18, 2018.

Series overview[]

Main article: Once Upon a Time episode list

The series takes place in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, in which the residents are actually characters from various fairy tales that were transported to the "real world" town and robbed of their real memories by the Evil Queen, Regina (Lana Parrilla), using a powerful curse obtained from Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle). The town's only hope lies with a bail bondswoman, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison)— the daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas)— who was transported from the fairy tale world before she could be cursed. As such, she is the only person who can break the curse and restore the characters' lost memories, aided by her son, Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), with whom she has recently reunited (after giving him up for adoption upon his birth), and his book of fairy tales that holds the key to ending the curse. Henry is also the adopted son of Regina (who is the mayor of Storybrooke), providing a source of conflict between the two women.

Each episode focuses on a character back story. One segment details the character's past life that, when serialized, adds a piece to the puzzle about the primary characters and their connection to the events that preceded the curse and its consequences. The other, set in the present day, follows a similar pattern with a different outcome but also offers similar insights.

Unlike the Disney movies, this series has darker and more mature subplots, which is more targeted at adolescent and adult viewers rather than children.

Season One (2011–12)[]

The Evil Queen interrupts the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming to announce that she will cast a curse on everyone and take away all their love so that she is the only one with a happy ending. Many of the fairy tale characters are transported to Storybrooke where most of them have been stripped of their original memories and identities as fairy tale characters.

Season Two (2012–13)[]

ABC renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 30, 2012. Despite Emma breaking the curse, which brings everyone's memories back, they are not immediately returned to the fairy tale world. With the introduction of magic by Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold into Storybrooke, the fates of the two worlds become intertwined, while a portion of the fairy tale world that was relatively spared by the curse is revealed.

Season Three (2013–14)[]

The first volume's plot revolved around the main characters traveling to Neverland from Storybrooke to retrieve a kidnapped Henry Mills from the possession of Peter Pan. After successfully retrieving Henry, the characters returned to Storybrooke, only to be returned to their original worlds following Pan's new Curse, leaving Emma Swan and Henry to escape to New York City. The second plot followed the characters' past journey in the Enchanted Forest and how they were brought back to Storybrooke by the Wicked Witch of the West, while also documenting Emma's mission to break the new Curse and save her family.

Season Four (2014–15)[]

The fourth season of the ABC fantasy-drama Once Upon a Time was announced on May 8, 2014. On May 13, 2014, it was revealed that the season would be split into two parts, the first half airing during 2014, and the second half during 2015. It premiered September 28, 2014. The final minutes of the third season finale revealed that Elsa would appear in some capacity. Kristoff and Anna from the 2013 film Frozen would also be introduced in Season 4, along with a new main antagonist called Ingrid, portrayed by Elizabeth Mitchell. Ingrid is Anna and Elsa's aunt, long forgotten years ago. The second half of the season includes three female villains, Ursula, Maleficent, and Cruella De Vil. They have teamed up to get their own happy endings.

Season Five (2015–2016)[]

The first half of the season follows Emma being taken over by a powerful supernatural force known as the Darkness, it is up the main characters, heroes, and villains alike, to bring her back to the light of goodness. Their quest leads them to find the supremely powerful sorcerer Merlin and join up with the feisty Scottish princess Merida; a highly skilled archer to rescue Emma and defeat the Darkness once and for all before it destroys everything and everyone. The second half of season five followed the main characters journey to the Underworld to resurrect Captain Hook after he was killed by Emma. They must defeat Hades and find a way to return to Storybrooke.

Season Six (2016–2017)[]

Season 6 premiered on September 25, 2016 and follow the events set up in the Season Five finale. The group must face the return of the Evil Queen, whom they believe to be dead, as well as new arrivals to Storybrooke led by the villainous Mr. Hyde. Season 6 did not follow the split season method of previous seasons, returning to a singular arc akin to that of season one.

Season Seven (2017-2018)[]

After six seasons, the residents of the Enchanted Forest face their greatest challenge yet as The Evil Queen, Captain Hook, and Rumplestiltskin join forces with a grown up Henry Mills and his daughter Lucy on an epic quest to once again bring hope to their world and ours. Along the way, new fairy tale characters and old search for true love, find adventure and once again take sides in the struggle of good against evil, as classic tales are once more twisted and reimagined.

Cast and characters[]

Main[]

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan (seasons 1-6, guest season 7)

Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen/Regina Mills/Evil Regina

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard (seasons 1-6, guest season 7)

Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David Nolan (seasons 1-6, guest season 7)

Jared S. Gilmore and Andrew J. West as Henry Mills

Raphael Sbarge as Jiminy Cricket/Archie Hopper (season 1, recurring afterwards)

Jamie Dornan as the Huntsman/Sheriff Graham (episodes 1-7, recurring afterwards)

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold

Eion Bailey as Pinocchio/August Booth (episodes 14-22, recurring afterwards)

Emilie de Ravin as Belle/Belle French (seasons 2-6, recurring season 1, guest season 7)

Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood/Ruby (season 2, recurring otherwise)

Colin O'Donoghue as Captain Hook (episode 36 onward, recurring previously)

Michael Raymond-James as Baelfire/Neal Cassidy (season 3, recurring previously, recurring afterwards in season 5)

Michael Socha as Will Scarlet (season 4)

Rebecca Mader as Zelena (seasons 5-6, recurring seasons 3-4, 7)

Sean Maguire as Robin Hood (season 5, recurring previously and afterwards)

Alison Fernandez as Lucy (season 7, recurring previously)

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella/Jacinda Vidrio (season 7)

Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine/Rapunzel/Victoria Belfrey (season 7)

Mekia Cox as Tiana/Sabine (season 7, recurring previously)

Recurring[]

Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin (season 6)

Tony Amendola as Geppetto/Marco

David Anders as Dr. Victor Frankenstein/Dr. Whale (seasons 1-3, 5-6)

Lee Arenberg as Grumpy/Leroy

Gabe Khouth as Sneezy/Tom Clark

Kristin Bauer van Straten as Maleficent (seasons 1, 4)

Sarah Bolger as Aurora (seasons 2-4)

Emma Booth as Mother Gothel/Mother Nature/Eloise Gardener (season 7)

Emma Caulfield as the Blind Witch (seasons 1, 5)

Jamie Chung as Mulan (seasons 2-3, 5)

Parker Croft as Felix (seasons 2-3)

Alan Dale as King George/Albert Spencer (seasons 1-2, 6)

Karen David as Jasmine (season 6)

Merrin Dungey as Ursula (season 4)

Beverley Elliott as Widow Lucas/Granny

Ethan Embry as Greg Mendell (seasons 2-3)

Giancarlo Esposito as Magic Mirror/Genie/Sidney Glass (seasons 1, 3-6)

Patrick Fischer as Isaac Heller (seasons 4, 6)

Scott Michael Foster as Kristoff (season 4)

Daniel Francis as Dr. Facilier (season 7)

JoAnna Garcia as Ariel (seasons 3-4, 6-7)

Liam Garrigan as King Arthur (season 5)

Christopher Gauthier as Mr. Smee (seasons 2-4, 6-7)

Greg Germann as Hades (season 5)

Anastasia Griffith as Princess Abigail/Kathryn Nolan (seasons 1 and 3)

Georgina Haig as Elsa (season 4)

Hank Harris as Dr. Jekyll (seasons 5-6)

Barbara Hershey as Cora (seasons 1-2, 4-5)

Adelaide Kane as Drizella/Ivy Belfrey (season 7)

Robbie Kay as Peter Pan (seasons 3, 5, 7)

Eric Keenleyside as Maurice (seasons 1-5)

Elliot Knight as Merlin (season 5)

Elizabeth Lail as Anna (season 4)

Christie Laing as Maid Marian (seasons 2-4)

Amy Manson as Merida (season 5)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara (seasons 2-3)

Rose McIver as Tinker Bell (seasons 3, 6)

Joana Metrass as Guinevere (season 5)

Elizabeth Mitchell as Ingrid (season 4)

Julian Morris as Prince Phillip (seasons 2-3)

Nathan Parsons as Jack/Nick Branson (season 7)

Tony Perez as Henry (seasons 1-2, 4-6)

Jeff Pierre as Prince Naveen/Drew (season 7)

Rose Reynolds as Alice/Tilly (season 7)

Jessy Schram as Cinderella/Ashley Boyd (seasons 1, 4, 6)

Victoria Smurfit as Cruella De Vil (seasons 4-5, 7)

Sebastian Stan as Mad Hatter/Jefferson (seasons 1-2)

Olivia Steele Falconer as Violet (seasons 5-6)

Freya Tingley as Wendy Darling (seasons 2-3)

Keegan Connor Tracy as Blue Fairy/Mother Superior

Sinqua Walls as Lancelot (seasons 2, 5)

Timothy Webber as Sorcerer's Apprentice (seasons 4-5)

Sam Witwer as Mr. Hyde (seasons 5-6)

Yael Yurman as Anastasia (season 7)

Production[]

Conception[]

Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis conceived the show in 2004, prior to joining the writing staff of Lost, but wanted to wait until that series was over to focus on this project.

Eight years previous to the Once Upon a Time pilot (the two had just completed their work on Felicity, in 2002), Kitsis and Horowitz became inspired to write fairy tales out of a love of "mystery and excitement of exploring lots of different worlds." They presented the premise to networks, but were refused because of its fantastical nature. The two learned from their time on Lost to look at the story in a different way, that "character has to trump mythology"; they expanded, "as people, you've got to see what the void in their heart or in their lives is to care about them ..." For us, this was as much about the character journeys and seeing what was ripped from them in coming to Storybrooke and going at it that way as opposed to making it the 'break-the-curse show.

Despite the comparisons and similarities to Lost, the writers intend them to be very different shows. To them, Lost concerned itself with redemption, while Once Upon a Time is about "hope". Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof aids in the development of the series as a consultant, but has no official credit on the show. Kitsis and Horowitz have called him a "godfather" to the series. To differentiate the storytelling from what the audience already knew, the writing staff decided to begin the pilot with the end of the typical Snow White fairy tale. Themes concerning family and motherhood were emphasized, in contrast to the focus on fatherhood in Lost. Kitsis and Horowitz sought to write strong female characters, rather than the classic damsel in distress. Horowitz stated their desire to approach each character the same way, asking themselves, "How do we make these icons real, make them relatable?"

The pilot is meant to be the "template of the series". Kitsis confirmed that every week will contain flashbacks between both worlds, as they "love the idea of going back and forth and informing what the character is missing in their life." The writers' desire to present a "mash up" of many small characters can be seen in a scene of the pilot, in which there is a war council featuring Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Grumpy. Horowitz elaborated, "One of the fun things for us coming up with these stories is thinking of ways these different characters can interact in ways they never have before."

The general premise, importing the Snow White core characters into the "real world", was previously seen on ABC television in the short-lived 1980s comedy The Charmings.

The show has a similar premise to Bill Willingham's ten-year-old comic series Fables, to which ABC bought the rights in 2008 but never made it past planning stages. After Fables fans raised controversy over possible appropriation, the show writers initially denied a link, but later said they may have "read a couple issues" of the comic book but while the two concepts are "in the same playground", they are "telling a different story." Bill Willingham responded to the controversy in an interview, where he stated he did not feel the show was plagiarism and "Maybe they did remember reading Fables back then, but didn't want to mention it because we've become a very litigious people."

Casting[]

Horowitz stated that everyone they initially wanted cast in the series accepted their offered role after being sent a script. Ginnifer Goodwin was cast as Snow White, who appreciated that she would be playing a strong character that was fleshed out for the audience. The actress had just completed her work on the series Big Love, and was looking for a new project; she turned to television after film scripts failed to interest her. Having said previously in interviews that she would love to play Snow White, Goodwin called her acceptance of the Snow White role "a no-brainer." Both Kitsis and Horowitz are self-described big fans of Big Love, and wrote the part of Snow White with Goodwin in mind.

Joshua Dallas, who plays Prince Charming, was pleased the writers took "some dramatic license" with his character, believing the prince had become more real. He explained, "Prince Charming just happens to be a name. He's still a man with the same emotions as any other man. He's a Prince, but he's a Prince of the people. He gets his hands dirty. He's got a kingdom to run. He has a family to protect. He has an epic, epic love for Snow White. He's like everybody else. He's human."

Jennifer Morrison was hired for the part of Emma Swan. The actress explained her character as someone who "help[s] her son Henry whom she abandoned when he was a baby and who seems like he's a little bit emotionally dysfunctional", but noted that Emma does not yet believe there is a fairy tale universe. Ten-year old Jared Gilmore, known for his work on Mad Men, took the role of her son, Henry.

The role of The Evil Queen/Regina went to Lana Parrilla. She explained the character, "There's always two stories being told when playing Regina. There's the threat of her knowing she's an evil queen and then there's just the pure simple fact that the biological mother has stepped into her world and the threat of losing her son is just enormous. That's a fear that I think any adopted mother would have. I think that's going to really help the audience relate to Regina in some level."

The role of Rumplestiltskin was given to Robert Carlyle; it was written with Carlyle in mind, though the writers initially thought he would never accept the part. Horowitz recalled Carlyle's prison sequence, which was the actor's first day on the set as "mind-blowing ... You could see Ginny actually jump, the first time he did that character. It was fantastic!" The writers offered the part of the Blue Fairy to recording artist Lady Gaga, but never heard back from her management staff.

For the second season, Meghan Ory as Ruby (Red Riding Hood) and Emilie de Ravin as Belle have joined the regular cast. New supporting characters for the second season include Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), played by Sarah Bolger; Mulan, played by Jamie Chung; Prince Phillip, played by Julian Morris; and Captain Hook, portrayed by Colin O'Donoghue. On October 3, 2012 it was announced that O'Donoghue would be billed as a series regular beginning with the second-half of the second season.

Cultural references[]

As a nod to the ties between the production teams of Once Upon a Time and Lost, the new show contains allusions to Lost, and is expected to be a continuing theme throughout the series. For example, many items found in the Lost universe, such as Apollo candy bars, Oceanic Airlines, and MacCutcheon Whisky, can be seen in Once Upon a Time. The town clock was stuck at 8:15, an allusion to Flight 815 from the Lost universe. An Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk No. 3 comic read by the character Henry in Episode 9 of Season 1 was written by Lost executive producer Damon Lindelof. In addition, former cast members of Lost have made recurring appearances on the series, with Emilie de Ravin being the first post-Lost regular to become a full-time regular on Once Upon a Time. Jorge Garcia appears in the second season as the Giant from up above the beanstalk. Even Alan Dale was also a guest star on Lost and now a guest on Once Upon a Time.

The show, as a production of Disney-owned ABC, contains multiple allusions to the Disney versions of the stories that form the basis for the series. Snow White's dwarfs, unnamed in traditional versions of the story, here have the names they were given in the Disney film. When Snow White first meets Grumpy, he can be heard whistling the main chorus of "Heigh-Ho" from the Disney film version of Snow White. Towards the beginning of "Heart of Darkness" as she sweeps the dwarfs' cottage, Snow White is heard humming "With a Smile and a Song", another song from the Disney film. Snow White also wears a red bow in her hair while singing the song. In "An Apple Red as Blood", the shot of the apple falling out of Snow White's hand is reminiscent of the shot in the Disney film. The Dwarves hats are the same color as the hats in the animated movie.

Similarly, Sleeping Beauty was cursed by an individual named Maleficent, the name used in the 1959 Disney film for the wicked fairy godmother that lacked a name in many other versions.

In the second season Sleeping Beauty is called Aurora just like in the Disney movie and her love Prince Phillip also shows up to wake her from her sleep. There was also a spinning wheel next to Aurora while she was sleeping. She was also surrounded by thorns which Prince Phillip had to cut through.

Dr. Whale (Victor Frankenstein)'s name is a reference to James Whale, the director of the 1931 version of Frankenstein. His realm resembles a black and white world like in the old monster movies.

In "The Price of Gold", Cinderella wears a blue dress to the ball just like in the movie.

Geppetto's fairy friend is called The Blue Fairy as in the 1940 Disney film, rather than the Fairy with Turquoise Hair as in Carlo Collodi's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, which the Disney film is based on; similarly, his conscience figure is called Jiminy Cricket rather than "the Talking Cricket". In the episode "The Stranger", when Pinocchio and Geppetto are on a raft in a storm, they are being chased by a giant whale, referencing the whale Monstro in the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio, whereas in the Carlo Collodi story it was The Terrible Dogfish.

The episode "Hat Trick" contained numerous references to Alice in Wonderland, specific to either the original story or the Disney version. Mary Margaret overpowers the Hatter with the first thing that comes to hand, a croquet mallet similar to the ones depicted in the Disney film. In the same episode the Mad Hatter's name, Jefferson, alludes to the 1960s psychedelia band Jefferson Airplane, who had a hit record with the song "White Rabbit". The mushroom Regina uses to make her father bigger appears in the 1951 animated film which Alice used to grow different sizes. The Blue Caterpillar appears on a mushroom smoking and says "Who are you?" which we says to Alice in the Disney film.

Archie's Dalmatian, Pongo, is a reference to One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The Genie of the Lamp claims to hail from Agrabah, the central location in the Disney animated film Aladdin. In the episode "Skin Deep", a teacup with a chip in it is an allusion to the Chip character from Beauty and the Beast, an ornate clock as a reference to Cogsworth and a candelabra in reference to Lumiere. There was also a teapot in reference to Mrs. Potts. Belle's father is called Maurice just like in the movie. The costuming and the character of Gaston were also a nod to the Disney animation. Belle also wears her yellow gown and her blue and white outfit in the episode just like in the movie.

In Rumplestiltskin's castle was the scythe featured near the end of the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, albeit colored differently. In Episode 8, the true name of "The Dark One" is Zoso which is also one of the symbols in the album Led Zeppelin IV. Regina also talks about a certain young mermaid she needs help with.

Henry has a Tron lunch box and Regina gave him a handheld video game device upon which he played Space Paranoids, as seen in "What Happened to Frederick".

In the episode "Skin Deep", Mr. Gold confiscates a florist's truck reading "Game of Thorns", a reference to the TV series Game of Thrones. Also in this episode, Mr. Gold moves a golden cup. This cup is alleged to be the Holy Grail.

In Mr. Gold's shop there is also a sorcerer's hat, alluding to Mickey Mouse's hat in The Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence in Fantasia, and also a severed hand, an allusion and foreshadowing reference to Peter Pan's Captain Hook.

In the Season 1 finale "A Land Without Magic", Emma slays the dragon Maleficent with an overhead sword throw just like Prince Phillip did in the animated movie Sleeping Beauty.

In the second season, Mulan appears which is a character from a Chinese legend that the Disney movie was based on.

In the episode "The Crocodile", Smee, Hook's right hand man, wears a red cap just like in the Disney movie. Captain Hook calls Rumplestiltskin a crocodile and Rumplestiltskin cuts his hand off, but in the Disney movie a crocodile really did eat Hook's hand. Belle's interest of books is shown just like from the Disney movie and she becomes the town librarian.

In the episode "The Doctor", Jefferson mentions magic slippers that can transport the wearer between magical and non-magical worlds. This is a reference to the Silver Shoes in "The Wizard of Oz".

In the episode "Into the Deep", the poppy Mulan uses to make the sleeping powder appears in both book and movie of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

In "Child of the Moon", Billy's fairy tale counterpart is Gus, a mouse who used to live with Cinderella and there was a mouse named Gus in the Disney movie.

In "In the Name of the Brother", Cora tells Regina that she pushed her through The Looking Glass that transported her to Wonderland, which is a reference to Lewis Carrol's novel Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.

Opening sequence[]

Beginning with the second episode of the first season, the opening sequence that appears below the show's title features a mythical creature, person, or an item that is tied into the episode.

Music[]

Mark Isham composed the series' theme and incidental music. On February 14, 2012, an extended play album featuring four cues from the score was released by ABC Studios. On May 1, 2012, a full-length 25-track soundtrack album with five different album covers was released by Intrada Records.

Setting[]

The actual spread and scope of the Enchanted Forest is not currently known. Several independent kingdoms are implied by an array of different rulers, including Snow's father King Leopold (the kingdom later ruled by his widow (the Evil) Queen Regina); King Midas; Charming's (secretly adoptive) father King George (Charming and Snow rule his kingdom after deposing him); Cinderella's father-in-law; and Sir Maurice, Belle's father.

Storybrooke, Maine, is depicted as a typical oceanside small town. Although it has a "trapped in time" factor, modern conveniences such as the internet and TV broadcasts are available. It is established in several episodes, however, that residents affected by the curse are unable to leave the town limits of Storybrooke. A notable exception to this is Henry, who is able to leave Storybrooke to retrieve Emma from Boston in the pilot episode due to him not being part of the original curse. For characters that have attempted to leave, their cars break down and they get into some sort of danger. Since Emma's arrival, the curse has begun to weaken, with clocks now moving forward and Regina's apple tree showing signs of spoilage.

The episode "Hat Trick" shows Wonderland of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It said that other worlds or universes exist; in "The Doctor", Dr. Frankenstein is brought to the Enchanted Forest for a short while, and later in Storybrooke (as Dr. Whale) expresses concern over whether all the worlds have disappeared. It was also revealed in "An Apple Red as Blood" that it can be possible to retrieve an item from the Enchanted Forest and bring it to the present day.

In the second season it was revealed that not all of the Enchanted Forest was cursed. The survivors were frozen for 28 years and just woke up when the curse broke. They established themselves in a safe haven, waiting for news of the rest of the Enchanted Forest.

References and Allusions[]

With ABC Studios being a division of the Disney-ABC Television Group, the producers of Once Upon a Time had exclusive permission to use and reinterpret Disney properties.

Main article: List of references in Once Upon a Time

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The critical response to the series was generally positive. On Metacritic, it was given a score of 66 out of 100 with "generally favorable reviews". E!'s Kristin dos Santos cites the show as one of the five new shows of the 2011–12 season to watch. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe gave the show a "C+" grade commenting "From a pair of Lost producers, this is a love-or-hate proposition. The ambition is impressive, as it asks us to imagine Goodwin's Snow White and Parrilla's Evil Queen as moderns. But Morrison is a wooden lead, and the back stories – a random collection of fairy tales don't promise to surprise."

In a review from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, TV critic Gail Pennington hailed it as one of the "Most Promising Shows of The Fall" and, unlike Gilbert, had high marks for Morrison. USA Today's Robert Blanco has placed the series on its top ten list, declaring that "There's nothing else on the air quite like it." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times preferred this series to another fairy-tale themed drama, Grimm, citing that the premise takes its time building up the charm and that the producer "has that part nailed". She also gave excellent reviews for Morrison's character: "Her Emma is predictably cynical and prickly – fairy-tale princess, my Aunt Fanny – but she's sharp and lively enough to keep audiences begging for 'just a few more pages' before they go to bed."

Several feminist outlets were pleased with the show for its feminist twist on fairy tales. Genie Leslie at Feministing commented that Emma was a "badass", that she liked how Emma was "very adamant that women be able to make their own decisions about their lives and their children", and how Emma was a "well-rounded" character who was "feminine, but not girly. Natalie Wilson from Ms. praised the show for a strong, "kick-butt" female lead, for including multiple strong women who take turns doing the saving with the men, for subverting the fetishization of true love, and for dealing with the idea of what makes a mother in a more nuanced fashion. Wilson went on to state about the lead: "Her pursuit of a 'happy ending' is not about finding a man or going to a ball all gussied up, but about detective work, about building a relationship with her son Henry, and about seeking the 'truth' as to why time stands still in the corrupt Storybrooke world."

Ratings[]

The pilot episode was watched by 13 million viewers and received a 4.0 rating in Teens and Adults 18–49. It was the season's highest-rated drama debut among Adults 18–49 and ABC's biggest debut in five years. With DVR viewers, the premiere climbed to 15.5 million viewers and a 5.2 in Adults 18–49. The show's next three episodes had consistent ratings every week with over 11 million viewers. The series has become the No. 1 non-sports program with viewers and young adults on Sunday nights.

The first season premiered as the top-rated drama series.

Season Timeslot (ET) # Ep. Premiere Finale TV Season Rank Viewers

(in millions) 18–49 viewers (#rank) Live + DVR Viewers Date

(in millions) Date

(in millions) 1 Sunday 8:00pm 22 October 23, 2011 12.93 May 13, 2012 9.66 2011-2012 #28 11.71 4.1/10 12.47 2 September 30, 2012 11.36 May 12, 2013 7.33 2012-2013 #35 10.24 3.6/9 10.91 3 September 29, 2013 8.52 May 11, 2014 6.80 2013-2014 #35 9.38 3.3/8 TBA 4 September 28, 2014 10.20 May 10, 2015 5.51 2014-2015 #50 8.98 3.2/7 TBA 5

23

September 27, 2015 5.93 May 15, 2016 4.07 2015-2016 #69 6.32 2.2 TBA 6

22

September 25, 2016 3.99 May 14, 2017 2.95 2016-2017 #105 4.39 1.5/5 TBA 7 Friday 8:00pm October 6, 2017 3.26 May 18, 2018 2.27 2017-2018 #120 3.41 0.9 TBA

Awards and nominations[]

Once Upon a Time was nominated for a 2012 People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama", but lost to Person of interest. The show was nominated at 39th People's Choice Awards in four categories: Favorite Network TV Drama, Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show, Favorite TV Fan Following, and Favorite TV Drama Actress (Ginnifer Goodwin); it lost to another ABC show Grey's Anatomy in the first category, Supernatural in the second two, and Ellen Pompeo in the last category. It was also nominated for "Best Genre Series" at the 2011 Satellite Awards, but lost to American Horror Story. The show was nominated in this category again at the 2012 Satellite Awards, but lost to The Walking Dead. The program also received three nominations at the 2012 Visual Effects Society Awards, but all lost to Boardwalk Empire, Gears of War 3, and Terra Nova, respectively. At the 38th Saturn Awards, the series received a nomination for Best Network Television Series, and Parrilla was nominated for Best Supporting Actress on Television, but lost to Fringe and Michelle Forbes, respectively. The show received trophies for "Favorite New TV Drama" and "Favorite Villain" for Lana Parrilla on the TV Guide.

The show was nominated at 2012 Teen Choice Awards, the show lost to The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, and Awkward, respectively.

The show was nominated at 64th Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Awards, but lost to Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, respectively.

Prestigious Awards[]

Creative Arts Emmy awards[]

Year Category Recipient Episode Result 2012 Outstanding Costumes for a Series Eduardo Castro and Monique McRae "Hat Trick" Nominated Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries Movie or Special Toby Lindala and Sarah Graham "Dreamy" Outstanding Special Visual Effects Andrew Orloff, Laura Jones, Phil Jones, Jacob Bergman, Nathan Matsuda, Dale Fay, Kevin Struckman, and Sallyanne Massimini "The Stranger" 2013 Outstanding Costumes for a Series Sarah Graham, Juliana Vit, and Naomi Bakstad "The Evil Queen" Outstanding Costumes for a Series Eduardo Castro and Monique McRae "Queen of Hearts" 2014 Outstanding Costumes for a Series Eduardo Castro and Monique McRae "A Curious Thing" 2018 Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) Mark Isham, Cindy O'Connor, and Michael Simon "Leaving Storybrooke"

Costume Designers Guild awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Outstanding Period/Fantasy Television Series Eduardo Castro Nominated 2016 Outstanding Fantasy Television Series 2017 2018 Outstanding Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television Series

Audience Awards[]

People's Choice awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Favorite New Television Drama Once Upon a Time Nominated 2013 Favorite Network Television Drama Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television Show Favorite Television Fan Following Oncers 2014 Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television Show Once Upon a Time Favorite On-Screen Chemistry Jennifer Morrison

Colin O'Donoghue 2015 Favorite Television Show Once Upon a Time Favorite Network Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television Show Favorite Television Duo Ginnifer Goodwin

Josh Dallas Favorite Television Character We Miss Most Michael Raymond-James 2017 Favorite Network Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television Show Once Upon a Time

Nickelodeon Kid's Choice awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2015 Favorite Family Television Show Once Upon a Time Nominated Favorite Television Actress Jennifer Morrison 2016 Favorite Family Television Show Once Upon a Time Favorite Television Actress Jennifer Morrison

Teen Choice Awards[]

Year Category Recipient Results 2012 Choice Television Series - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Once Upon a Time Nominated Choice Television Actress - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ginnifer Goodwin Choice Television Breakout Performance - Male Josh Dallas Choice Television - Villain Lana Parrilla 2013 Choice Television Series - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Once Upon a Time Choice Television Actress - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ginnifer Goodwin Choice Television - Villain Lana Parrilla 2014 Choice Television Series - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Once Upon a Time Choice Television Actor - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Josh Dallas Choice Television Actress - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ginnifer Goodwin Choice Television - Villain Robbie Kay 2015 Choice Television Series - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Once Upon a Time Choice Television Actress - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Jennifer Morrison 2016 Choice Television - Liplock Jennifer Morrison Won Colin O'Donoghue Choice Television - Villain Greg Germann Nominated Choice Television Actress - Fantasy/Sci-Fi Lana Parrilla Won

Critic & Association Awards[]

Casting Society awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Television Pilot - Drama Veronica Collins Rooney, Corinne Clark, and Jennifer Page Nominated

Visual Effects Society awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Broadcast Program or Special Nathan Matsuda, Stephen Jackson, Kevin Struckman, and Sallyanne Massimini Nominated Outstanding Models in a Broadcast Program or Commercial Jason O. Monroe, Chris Strauss, Michael Kirylo, and Jeremy Melton Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series Nathan Overstom, Laura Jones, Andrew Orloff, and Doug Ludwif 2013

International Awards[]

ALMA awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Favorite Television Actress - Drama Lana Parrilla Won

Imagen Foundation awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2013 Best Actress in a Television Series Lana Parrilla Nominated

Irish Film and Television awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2016 Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama Victoria Smurfit Nominated

The Joey awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2015 Best Actress in a Television Drama Guest Starring Role Age 9-12 Years Milli Wilkinson Won 2017 Best Principal or Guest Starring Actor in a Television Series 7-10 Years Luke Roessler Nominated

Leo awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Best Guest Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series Keegan Connor Tracy Nominated 2014 Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series Jonathan MacPherson, Blake Andereson, Kornel Farkas, and Tim Palgut Dan Weir 2015 Best Make-Up in a Dramatic Series Juliana Vit, Andrea Manchur, and Elisabeth Jolliffe Won

TV Quick awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Best New Drama Adam Horowitz

Edward Kitsis Nominated

Miscellaneous Awards[]

BMI Film & Television awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2013 BMI TV Music award Mark Isham Won

Satellite awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2011 Best Television Series - Genre Once Upon a Time Nominated 2012 2013

Saturn awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Best Network Television Series Once Upon a Time Nominated Best Supporting Actress on Television Lana Parrilla 2013 Best Network Television Series Once Upon a Time 2014 Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series Jared S. Gilmore

TV Guide awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Favorite New Series Once Upon a Time Won Favorite Villain Lana Parrilla 2013 Favorite Ensemble Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Jared S. Gilmore, and Robert Carlyle Nominated Favorite Villain Lana Parrilla 2014 Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show Once Upon a Time Favorite Villain Lana Parrilla Won

Young Artist awards[]

Year Category Recipient Result 2012 Best Performance in a Television Series - Leading Young Actor Jared S. Gilmore Won Best Performance in a Television Series (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor Dylan Everett 2013 Jared S. Gilmore Nominated Best Performance in a Television Series - Guest Starring Young Actor 11-13 Quinn Lord 2016 Best Performance in a Television Series - Supporting Young Actor Graham Verchere Best Performance in a Television Series - Recurring Young Actress 14-21 Graham Verchere

Spin-off[]

Main article: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

In February 2013, Kitsis & Horowitz, along with producers Zack Estrin and Jane Espenson, developed a spin-off focusing on Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. The series was given the proposed title Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. A "teaser presentation" began shooting in April 2013, with the pilot being shot in late July or August. On May 10, 2013, ABC announced that it had greenlit the spin-off and on May 14, 2013, announced that the spin-off will air in the Thursday night 8:00pm timeslot instead of making it a fill-in for the parent series, which had been hinted in the early stages.

Gallery[]

Videos[]

References[]

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Once Upon a Time (TV series) on Wikipedia