Once Upon A Time (ABC)

[passer-by]

Couldn't find a dedicated thread, so here it is.

IMDB has the full pilot episode available for streaming.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3101793817

Just watched it and I'm under the spell (not the one the Evil Queen cast :p ).

Excellent writing, directing, music, editing, SFX and a very promising story with huge potential for development.

Great casting as well. I particularly like the kid, the Evil Queen, Mr Gold (Robert Carlyle) and Emma Swann (Jennifer Morrison).

Glad Jennifer Morrison and Robert Carlyle found a new TV show and I wish them several seasons with this one.


P.S. And no, nothing to do with Fables.

[Jared]

Hmmm...I may wait for it to be on TV. But I do want to check it out. I like Jennifer Morrison (*mutters about House writers*), Ginnifer Goodwin, and Robert Carlyle. I didn't even realize that he was in this.

I hope it's a show that has a Niel Gaiman feel, and isn't just a chick-soap with fantasy characters thrown in.

[passer-by]

Doesn't look like a chick-soap, don't worry - I can't stand those either (except for Charmed because I enjoy superpowers and magic).

As for the Neil Gaiman feel, this is ABC, not HBO, but I'd say it has a Stardust feel (the film, not the book).


Re: the House writers, I think they did JM a favour by writing her out in Season 6, just when the show definitely went downhill. The Season 5 finale works as a series finale for me.


P.S. And why would you wait for Sunday? IMDB has the full version of the pilot for free.

[marshal99]

Interesting that 2 tv shows with fairy tale themes showed up within the same week. While both shows are different , it will be interesting to see which one the audience takes to - Grimm or Once upon a time. NBC vs ABC.

Robert Carlyle is over the top as Rumplestiltskin.

[passer-by]

Interesting that 2 tv shows with fairy tale themes showed up within the same week. While both shows are different , it will be interesting to see which one the audience takes to - Grimm or Once upon a time. NBC vs ABC.

Robert Carlyle is over the top as Rumplestiltskin.

At this early stage my money is on OUAT. Granted, I've only seen the trailer for Grimm (which pretty much tells the whole story in the pilot), but I wasn't impressed. Whereas OUAT blew me away.

On the other hand, NBC has lower cancellation thresholds than ABC, so that worries me a bit. Hope ABC will support their show.

And yes, Robert Carlyle rocks.

[AdamYJ]

Interesting that 2 tv shows with fairy tale themes showed up within the same week. While both shows are different , it will be interesting to see which one the audience takes to - Grimm or Once upon a time. NBC vs ABC.

It might be the start of a trend. Word is that there are two shows based on Beauty and the Beast in the works, as well as maybe three different movie versions of Snow White.

I'm looking forward to trying these shows, but I also have to be prepared for them to play on a pet peeve of mine. The thing about these "fairy tale" inspired properties is that they tend to play on familiarity. That usually results in them using a mish-mash of well-known folk tale, children's literature and nursery rhyme characters while leaving out a lot of characters and tales that are great but could use the exposure. Heck, there are over 200 stories in Grimm alone and only maybe a dozen of them are well-known. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

[7thangel]

It might be the start of a trend. Word is that there are two shows based on Beauty and the Beast in the works, as well as maybe three different movie versions of Snow White.

I'm looking forward to trying these shows, but I also have to be prepared for them to play on a pet peeve of mine. The thing about these "fairy tale" inspired properties is that they tend to play on familiarity. That usually results in them using a mish-mash of well-known folk tale, children's literature and nursery rhyme characters while leaving out a lot of characters and tales that are great but could use the exposure. Heck, there are over 200 stories in Grimm alone and only maybe a dozen of them are well-known. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

that describes this show more than it does grimm so far.


not really impressed with this show

[boyhangover]

Watching it now. Thanks for the tip. what has Robert Carlyle been in before?

[Treqqor]

Watching it now. Thanks for the tip. what has Robert Carlyle been in before?

Probably most famous for "Trainspotting", he recently had a lead role as the scientist in the last (now cancelled) Stargate series.

[boyhangover]

Probably most famous for "Trainspotting", he recently had a lead role as the scientist in the last (now cancelled) Stargate series.

thanks. He was all over the previews for the show. I loved the beginning with her being a spoilers:

bounty hunter.

end of spoilers Awesome.

The show was okay. I hope they show more flash backs to the Fairy Tale world than just what was shown in the pilot. It's not like there is anything else on Sunday to watch. This will be a good show to keep me entertained. It does seem similar to Fables. I kept wondering when Rose Red was gonna show up.

[AdamYJ]

that describes this show more than it does grimm so far.


not really impressed with this show

I haven't watched either so far.

It's a pitfall of these shows. They're aimed at an audience of people who don't go out of their way to read up on European folk tales and who don't know there's a difference between a folk tale like "Snow White" and a literary one like "The Little Mermaid". Even the comic Fables does it to a certain extent. Generally, the only shows that aim to use the less famous tales are ones that adapt them directly like Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics or Jim Henson's The Storyteller. Thus, I know I really shouldn't be upset about it. But still, sometimes I just wish to see something like "Jorinda and Joringel" or "How Six Comrades got on in the World" or "Hans my Hedgehog" referenced.

[Blueferret]

Looking forward to it. One of the few shows on the networks this fall that shows promise.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I watched the pilot and am not sure I can get into it as I see it going on and on adnauseum with no clear ending. The plot is basically the structure of either Bill Murray's Groundhog Day or that episode of Xena where she was stuck reliving one day until she solved all the personal problems of every single person in the village she was in. Emma Swan is going to have to one by one help each of the Storybrook characters with their "real world" problem so they can eventually connect back to their opposite happier selves as a collective whole.

Only until she solves EVERY person's personal problem in the real world will the actual final fairy battle take place. It's Touched by an Angel but with fairy tale characters in the real world so the CGI can be done at a minimum and on the cheap. I'm willing to bet each episode will open in the fairy tale world as a set-up, then back in the real world Emma will have to do some form of maudlin family & personal therapy with the real world counterpart.

This show is going to have to be better than that to keep my interest.

[jediracer]

So ABC announces they are developing a tv show based on Willingham's Fables. Then they scrap that and decide to come out with this? Rip off, anyone?

[edhopper]

I actually liked the pilot. I liked most of the characters. And yes it is derivative of Fables, but they changed the premise enough. I will give it a shot and see how it develops.