# Once Upon a Time (2011)

> A small Maine town is secretly home to trapped fairy tale characters, and a skeptical woman must break a curse that has erased their true identities.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/36089

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 156
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, drama, family
- Created by: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Colin O'Donoghue, Robert Carlyle, Michael Raymond-James, Josh Dallas, Jeffrey Kaiser, Ginnifer Goodwin
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843230/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: mild
- Tone: whimsical, wistful, adventurous, dark enchantment

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its fairy tale reinvention and ensemble of familiar characters, while finding its pacing uneven and its later seasons weaker.

## Synopsis

Once Upon a Time (2011-2018) is an American network fantasy drama created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz for ABC. A seven-season serialized fantasy in which a skeptical young woman, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), arrives in the quiet Maine town of Storybrooke and learns that its residents are fairy tale characters trapped by a powerful curse. Her son Henry believes she is the one who can break the spell, and Emma's search for her own identity drives the story forward. Around her, Regina Mills, Captain Hook, Mr. Gold and Prince Charming pursue their own agendas, while the storybook kingdom appears in flashback and parallel storylines. Each season unfolds as a continuing mythology with self-contained episodes built around fairy tale reinterpretations. The tone blends wistful family drama with whimsical adventure and moments of dark enchantment. Fans of Lost, Fables and Grimm will find resonance in its layered mythology, parallel timelines and fairy tale reinterpretation, a family-oriented fantasy that wears its heart openly.

## Shows like Once Upon a Time

- [Emerald City (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/55489)
- [The Wheel of Time (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/62744)
- [Galavant (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/54964)
- [Neverland (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/39793)
- [Heroes (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/1542)
- [WandaVision (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/72487)
- [The Magicians (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/57011)
- [Grimm (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36158)
- [Twin Peaks (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/1812)
- [Good Witch (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55103)

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