Has ABC renewed the deal with the creators?
ABC’s 2011 fantasy adventure drama ‘Once Upon a Time’ became a rating success, attracting more than 12 million viewers in its first season. The series, with its modern rendition of fairy tales, folklore, and Greek mythology, caught the fancy of both critics and fans for its uniqueness. However, the last three seasons of the show saw a sharp decline in viewership and were not received well by the critics. The final season was a soft reboot picking up several years following the season 6 finale. Two years after the series came to an end, is ABC finally renewing ‘Once Upon a Time’ for a season 8?
Highlights —
- ‘Once Upon a Time’: A contemporary take on fairy tales
- The final season a.k.a. the soft reboot of Once Upon a Time
- Is ABC reviving the ‘Once Upon a Time’ for the season 8?
‘Once Upon a Time’: A contemporary take on fairy tales
Created by writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, ‘Once Upon a Time’ was a modern retelling of fairy tales, folklore, Greek mythology, and Western literature. The first 6 seasons were set in a town called Storybrooke, Maine, where various popular fairy tale characters were sent to, without their memories, by the Evil Queen, Regina (Lana Parrilla). Thus, came Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), the daughter of Snow White, Henry Mills (Jared S. Gilmore), Swan’s son, and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) to the town’s rescue. Emma’s character was shown as the saviour who would lift the curse with the help of her son’s book of fairy tales – ‘Once Upon a Time’.
The seventh season was a soft reboot set several years after season 6 and saw an adult Henry (Andrew J. West), along with Regina and Captain Hook, living in Hyperion Heights, Seattle, where a different curse existed. The season featured Lucy (Alison Fernandez) convincing her parents Henry and Cinderella of the secrets of her town, while new villains such as Mother Gothel (Emma Booth), Lady Tremaine (Gabrielle Anwar), and Dr Facilier (Daniel Francis) were on the rise.
The series was commended for its never-seen-before interpretations of old stories and Disney characters with phenomenal actors and smart scriptwriting.
The final season a.k.a. the soft reboot
After Jennifer Morrison decided to leave the show, its makers decided to renew the series for one last season with a time leap. The makers transformed the show with new actors and an all-new plot while keeping the essence of the original story. However, the season was met with mixed reviews with some saying that it was better than the previous season and others maintaining that it just seemed as if the makers were looking to make some more money out of it. It saw a viewership of 3.41 million views and was the least-watched season of the show.
Introducing a range of new characters such as Drizella (Adelaide Keene), Mother Gothel (Emma Booth), Lady Tremaine (Gabrielle Anwar), the seventh season also retained some of its older characters such as Henry and Regina. The series had quite a happy ending with the curse being broken and Regina placing a new curse with affection to unite all the storybook domains in Storybrooke. At last, Regina became the “Good Queen of the United Realms” and finally became happy.
Which Once Upon A Time Character Are You? (Quiz)
Is ABC reviving Once Upon a Time for the season 8?
It does not seem likely. The last two seasons were not successful in terms of ratings, and considering how the show is a fantasy drama and requires a big budget, ABC might not be inclined to bring back the show.
While explaining the show’s cancellation, ABC’s head, Channing Dungey revealed in 2018, “When we first heard Adam and Eddy’s pitch for ‘Once Upon a Time’, we knew it was something incredibly special. For seven years, they have captivated us with their creativity and passion while reimagining some of our most beloved Disney fairytales, creating an undeniable global hit. Saying goodbye will be bittersweet, but ‘Once Upon a Time’ will forever be part of the ABC legacy, and we can’t wait for fans to join us in this epic final chapter”.
Dungey’s views confirm the unlikelihood of the show’s revival in the near future. Maybe, a few years down the line, the stars of this popular series will return, but it doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
Did you like season 7 of ‘Once Upon a Time’? Would you like to watch season 8 of the show? Write to us in the comments section below.
