Once Upon a Time

ABC’s Fall 2012 Schedule: REVENGE Moves to Sundays, HAPPY ENDINGS and APT. 23 Move to Tuesday

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 15th, 2012 at 8:28 am

Upfronts Day 3: Commence! Over the last two days, we’ve seen the new fall 2012 schedules for NBC and Fox, as well as trailers for some of the new series that those networks will be offering.  Today it’s ABC’s turn, and their new schedule has a couple of change-ups for returning series.  The fan-favorite drama Revenge has taken over Desperate Housewives’ Sunday night spot (if you weren’t aware, DH had its series finale this past weekend), and the comedies Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 will be moving to Tuesday nights.

Tuesday is fast becoming the new comedy night, as NBC has set their two most high profile new comedies—The New Normal and Go On—for Tuesday, and that night is currently host to Fox’s all-comedy block that includes New Girl and Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project.  In other words, you’re probably gonna have to do some in-depth DVR scheduling.  Hit the jump to check out the full ABC schedule.  We’ll have trailers for the new series up once they’re available.

Creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz Talk ONCE UPON A TIME Season 1 Finale, Animated Series TRON: UPRISING, and Involvement with TRON 3

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 13th, 2012 at 9:19 am

In “A Land Without Magic,” the Season 1 finale of the ABC drama series Once Upon A Time, Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and Regina (Lana Parrilla) must team up together in order to find a way to save Henry’s (Jared Gilmore) life. Meanwhile, in fairytale land, Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) attempts to escape from the Evil Queen’s (Parrilla) clutches to reunite with a fallen Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin). With everything at stake, everyone’s happily-ever-after is in jeopardy.

During this recent exclusive phone interview with Collider, show creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz talked about what’s to come for the finale and the returning guest stars (including Jamie Dornan as The Huntsman and Emilie de Ravin as Belle), the challenging of developing two parallel storylines in two different worlds, how their experience on Lost helped them prepare for a show like this, how they’ve been planting the seeds for Season 2 for some time now, and what fans can expect from the bonus features on the Blu-ray release on August 28^th. They also talked about their animated Disney XD series Tron: Uprising, and said that they’ll still be co-producers whenever Tron 3 (which they’ve seen the first draft of) happens. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

ABC Renews MODERN FAMILY, ONCE UPON A TIME, SUBURGATORY, REVENGE, CASTLE, GREY’S ANATOMY and THE MIDDLE

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: May 11th, 2012 at 10:06 am

Good news has arrived for three freshman series and four running series over at ABC. Following in the footsteps of Fox’s housecleaning and pick-ups and NBC’s slew of renewals including a fourth season for Community and a final season for 30 Rock (hopefully what should be the final season for The Office too), ABC has decided to renew seven series across the board that will please a variety of fans. TV by the Numbers has news on the renewals, and on the comedy side of things, Modern Family, The Middle and Suburgatory have all been renewed, while new dramas Once Upon a Time and Revenge will also get a second season. Finally, older series Castle and Grey’s Anatomy will also get another season, even if the latter medical drama has overstayed its welcome and jumped the shark for a couple years now.  Hit the jump for more, including my thoughts on the renewals and the ABC series that have yet to get an official order.

WonderCon 2012: ONCE UPON A TIME Panel Recap; Plus Highlights from Q&A with Creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz

by Rachel Howard    Posted: March 19th, 2012 at 9:37 am

Fans of Once Upon A Time got a special treat at Wondercon Sunday when the creators, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, stopped by for a panel and a early screening of episode 16 “Heart of Darkness.”  For those not caught up: Once Upon a Time is a show where the fairytale characters that we all know and love have been cursed by the Evil Queen to live in our world with no idea of who they really are. The story switches back and forth between the two worlds, with part of each episode taking place in “fairytale land” in the past with characters such and Snow White and Prince Charming, and the other half dealing with the lives of their counterparts in our world.  The story itself centers around Emma Swan, and outsider to the town of “Storybrooke,” who is brought to the town to save it by the son whom she had given up for adoption when he was a baby. And guess what, his adopted mother is the Mayor of Storybrooke, who also just happened to be the Evil Queen. Congratulations, you are now 10 minutes into the first episode.

With all the layers and facets to the story, it’s not hard to believe that the creators spent more then a little time working on Lost. To be honest, when I first heard of Once Upon A Time, I didn’t know what to expect. At first glance it looks to be rather light and campy, but as you delve deeper into the stories it proves itself to have a much more serious and darker tone as well. It’s very character driven in the same way Lost was, but the addition of telling the story in two entirely different worlds gives it a interesting depth and mode of exploration for the characters and who they are.  Before the panel I  sat down with Kitsis and Horowitz and discussed  some of what goes into writing the show and what we can expect from the rest of the season.  Hit the jump for more.

Full Schedule for WonderCon Announced; Presentations for RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION, BATTLESHIP, COMMUNITY, and More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 28th, 2012 at 8:52 am

WonderCon 2012 has announced its programming schedule and attendees are in for some good stuff.  In addition to the wide variety of panels devoted to comic artists and writers, beloved genre figures, and career tips, there are some exciting movie and TV presentations lined up.  On the film side, there will be presentations for Resident Evil: Retribution (along with other Screen Gems films) Sound of My Voice (very cool that a Sundance indie flick is making an appearance), Battleship, Snow White and the Huntsman, Lockout, plus surprise presentations for upcoming films from 20th Century Fox (if there’s a sneak peek of Prometheus, the price of your WonderCon pass was worth it).

On the TV side, there will be presentations for Community, Fringe, Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, Once Upon a Time, and more.  WonderCon, you had me at “Community”.  Hit the jump for the dates and times of the convention’s major highlights.  WonderCon 2012 will be at the Anaheim Convention Center and runs from March 16 – 18th.

Paul Lee (President of ABC Entertainment Group) Talks THE RIVER, ONCE UPON A TIME, the Future of PAN AM and COUGAR TOWN, and More

by Christina Radish    Posted: January 11th, 2012 at 9:27 am

As part of the network’s TCA Press Tour presentation, President of ABC Entertainment Group, Paul Lee, took some time to talk about where things stand with some of their popular and long-running series, how some of their freshman series were received, and their hopes for some of their upcoming programs.

Lee said that the horror thriller The River (premiering on February 7^th) is set for only eight episodes, but there is the plan to have it be a long-running series. He is also thrilled with the performance of Once Upon A Time, is optimistic about the future of Pan Am, and said that while they made a good attempt, he doesn’t think they quite breathed life into the Charlie’s Angels franchise through the recent series. And, while he has high hopes for how Cougar Town will play when it returns, Lee is still unsure of when exactly that return will be. Check out what he had to say about all the series after the jump:

PaleyFest 2012 to Showcase COMMUNITY, AMERICAN HORROR STORY, NEW GIRL, MAD MEN and More

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: January 10th, 2012 at 10:50 am

News keeps pouring out of the Television Critics Association, but now sights can be set on another big event for TV fans with PaleyFest 2012 announcing this year’s panels with some of the biggest shows of the season. Community (which is apparently not cancelled yet) will make an appearance and new shows like American Horror Story and New Girl will debut at the festival alongside fan favorites like Mad Men and Modern Family. For the complete list of shows bring cast and crew to PaleyFest 2012 and details on how to get tickets, hit the jump.

Best TV Shows of 2011

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 27th, 2011 at 6:39 pm

“Top 10” lists are a dime a dozen this time of year, so I hope you’ll bear with me as I add one more. While many are busy debating the merits of Drive vs. The Artist, I thought it appropriate to take a look at the year in television. There’s no denying that the TV landscape has changed enormously over the past decade. Once a wasteland of disposable entertainment, the rise of original programming outside the network system has resulted in some of the best storytelling across any medium. This past year we were given more than a couple fantastic new shows to add to our weekly DVR list, and we saw a fair number of inventive and genuinely funny veteran comedy series get even better. Hit the jump to check out my picks for the best in television of 2011.

ABC Gives Full Season Orders to ONCE UPON A TIME, LAST MAN STANDING, HAPPY ENDINGS and Five More Scripts for PAN AM

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 4:12 pm

Finally, it’s time for ABC to chime in with their verdict on some series that have been waiting for good or bad news. Thankfully, it seems be mostly good all around with EW reporting that the network has given full season orders to their new freshman fairytale drama Once Upon a Time and Tim Allen‘s return to sitcoms with Last Man Standing. Personally I found the former pilot to be an absolute pain to get through while the latter sitcom is cheesy, but not without a few genuine laughs. Unfortunately, the exaggerated nature of that kind of sitcom coupled with the audience laughter just doesn’t work for me. However, a comedy that really has continued to shine and keep fans laughing is Happy Endings, which just got a full season order for its sophomore run.

However, one show still waiting in the wings is the fantastic but, lower rated Pan Am since the show only got an order for five more scripts, which doesn’t guarantee that more episodes will be ordered to air. It’s only slightly below the line of what ABC wants out of the drama, but the great cast, intrigue, romance and more have made it a surprisingly enjoyable addition to the set of series recordings on my DVR. So it sounds like all you Nielsen families and viewers need to tune in and give it a chance, because it’s really quite stellar and you can’t go wrong with lovely ladies like Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie and Kelli Garner. Here’s hoping Pan Am joins the ranks of these other ABC shows sooner that later.

Co-Creator/Executive Producer Adam Horowitz ONCE UPON A TIME Interview

by Christina Radish    Posted: October 23rd, 2011 at 8:36 am

From co-creators/executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis (Lost, Tron: Legacy), the imaginative new ABC fantasy drama Once Upon A Time, tells the story of a time when there was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic fairy tale characters that we know. Then one day, the Evil Queen cursed them all to live in the modern world, in a sleepy New England town called Storybrooke, where all of their happy endings were stolen and they had no memory of their former selves. With the epic battle for the future of all worlds about to begin, audiences will get glimpses of darkness and wonder, as the magic of the most beloved fairytales is brought to life.

During a recent interview to promote the series, Adam Horowitz talked about how this idea really started over eight years ago when he and Edward Kitsis were trying to figure out what they love about storytelling, that coming off of Lost made them want to challenge themselves as writers, how they were able to get everyone for the cast that they wanted, how this will be a character show at its heart with mysteries that come out of that, that they feel Snow White is ground zero for fairy tales, and how they’ve put their feature film work aside to focus completely on this show. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Updates on CHARLIE’S ANGELS, ONCE UPON A TIME, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, TV Shows for THE INCREDIBLE HULK and JESSICA JONES, More

by Christina Radish    Posted: August 7th, 2011 at 8:12 pm

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As part of the TCA Press Tour presentation for ABC Entertainment Group, President Paul Lee took some time to talk about their new high-concept dramas, Pan Am and Once Upon A Time, their slick reboot of Charlie’s Angels, their upcoming comedy series, and the announcement of the final season of Desperate Housewives. Here are the most interesting points:

• ABC currently has the #1 comedy in America with Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy is still their #1 drama series.
• Pan Am is a passion project for creator/executive producer/writer Jack Orman (E.R.) and executive producer/director Tommy Schlamme (The West Wing) and promises to be romantic, sexy and adventurous.
• Charlie’s Angels will capitalize on their built-in audience, while still modernizing the story in unexpected ways.
• Although Once Upon A Time is a very ambitious piece of storytelling, the network has been reassured in the ability to sustain it for series, after seeing Episodes 2 and 3. And surprisingly, the pilot was made for essentially the same cost as a normal pilot.
• The upcoming Season 8 will be the last season of Desperate Housewives, which will have its final arc built through 22 episodes. They have also started to redevelop Hallelujah with Housewives creator Marc Cherry, for a possible series pick-up.
• ABC is developing the Marvel properties The Incredible Hulk and Jessica Jones for possible TV series.
• The network is very pleased with their mid-season comedy and drama series, which include Apartment 23, Work It, Scandal, The River, Missing and G.C.B.

Hit the jump for more of what he had to say:

Comic-Con 2011: Schedule for Saturday, July 23rd; Includes Francis Ford Coppola’s TWIXT, Universal’s SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN and COMMUNITY

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 9th, 2011 at 11:00 am

The Saturday schedule for Comic-Con has been released, and it looks to be a very big day for TV fans. However, Hall H will be having a fairly light day, with the highest profile panels being Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman and Tarsem Singh’s Immortals. Other films taking up shop in Hall H on Saturday include Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt, the comedy-fantasy Knights of Badassdom, the animated film Dorothy of Oz, and wrapping things up will be “An Early Evening with Kevin Smith.”

TV highlights include Chuck, Terra Nova, Being Human, Futurama, The Simpsons, Community, Family Guy, American Dad, Adventure Time, Once Upon a Time, The Vampire Diaries, The Last Airbender: The Legend of Korra, Grimm (includes pilot screening), Fringe, Charlie’s Angels, The Secret Circle, Alcatraz (includes pilot screening), Teen Wolf, Nikita, Good Vibes, Person of Interest (includes pilot screening), and Mythbusters. The day also includes comic panels with Joss Whedon and Robert Kirkman. Hit the jump for a list of schedule highlights for movies and TV.

Comic-Con 2011: ABC Announces Panels for CHARLIE’S ANGELS, THE RIVER, ONCE UPON A TIME and CASTLE

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: July 8th, 2011 at 11:16 am

We’ve already gotten word on panels for TV series like Game of Thrones and even Beavis and Butt-Head at San Diego Comic-Con 2011 this year, and now ABC has just unveiled panel plans for three new series, and one returning series. Before their premiere later this fall, The River, Charlie’s Angels and Once Upon a Time will all have exclusive early screenings of their premiere episode along with panels with the cast and executive producers. In addition, Comic-Con favorite Nathan Fillion will be returning to the convention with his series Castle. If you want more details on the new series premiering on ABC this fall, check out our previous post on the network’s upfronts presentation, otherwise, hit the jump for the schedule on details on ABC’s TV panels..

ABC Announces 2011-2012 Premiere Dates

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: June 27th, 2011 at 11:01 am

This week ABC is revealing their premiere dates for the new and returning series for the 2011-2012 season kicking off in September, and plenty of fan favorites are returning in a big way. Comedy series like The Middle and Modern Family are getting special one-hour premieres while Grey’s Anatomy gets a whopping two-hour premiere episode. In addition, after the jump you’ll find out the premiere dates for new series like the remake of Charlie’s Angels, the period drama Pan Am, Tim Allen’s return to TV in Last Man Standing the fairytale drama Once Upon a Time and more. If you want more information on any of ABC’s new series hitting this fall, check out our previous post (Link 1) on their upfronts presentation. Otherwise check out the full premiere schedule after the jump.

Jane Espenson and Liz Tegelaar Join ABC Fairy Tale Drama ONCE UPON A TIME

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: May 31st, 2011 at 9:32 pm

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Lost) are talented men.  But with the fairy tale drama Once Upon a Time, they’re tackling an ambitious premise that revolves around a young female heroine (Jennifer Morrison), so any help from fellow talent is welcome.  According to THR, ABC has wisely hired Jane Espenson and Liz Tigelaar as producers the drama.  With credits on Torchwood, Game of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Espenson is the go-to girl for genre fare.  Terrific hire — Espenson will be a co-executive producer.

Tigelaar’s resume — Life Unexpected, Brothers and Sisters, What About Brian — isn’t quite as impressive to geeks.  But she has the experience to inject some heart into a series which could easily fall into the trap of cold, calculated mythology.  I’m always in favor of casting a strong female role at the center of a series — this works better when you support the actress with a few strong female voices behind the camera.

Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Carlyle, and Josh Dallas also star.  Read the official synopsis for Once Upon a Time after the jump.

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