The Untold Story Behind Once Upon A Time's Spinoff Failure: A Devastating Blow to the Original Show

Summary

Spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland failed to gain traction and weakened its original show, Once Upon A Time.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, a spinoff inspired by Lewis Carroll's novels, ventured into uncharted characters and enchanting realms. However, due to its unfortunate scheduling alongside more popular television series, the show encountered significant challenges and was ultimately axed.

The Once Upon A Time In Wonderland spinoff series, despite high expectations, failed to gain popularity on network television and ended up diminishing the success of its original show, Once Upon A Time. The spinoff was conceived after Once Upon A Time captivated audiences with its portrayal of beloved fairytale characters such as Snow White, Prince Charming, and Captain Hook. As a successful ABC series that ran for seven seasons, Once Upon A Time had the potential to continue expanding its universe by introducing new fairytale favorites.

However, instead of focusing on the main show, co-creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis embarked on a new venture: a TV series based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. This decision allowed the franchise to explore more magical and captivating settings like Wonderland, and introduce new characters to the audience. The spinoff promised an enticing premise, following the successful formula of its predecessor, yet it failed to gain traction and was swiftly canceled.

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland's Cancelation Explained

Initially, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland was planned to be a limited series that would fill the gap between seasons of the main Once Upon A Time show. The idea was to keep the franchise alive on ABC by airing the spinoff while the original series was on break. This strategy could have been successful, as it would have allowed the audience to seamlessly transition to the spinoff while waiting for the return of the original show.

However, ABC decided to air Once Upon A Time In Wonderland alongside the main Once Upon A Time series, which was a questionable move considering the historically troublesome Thursday 8 p.m. time slot for network TV. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee openly admitted that this decision was a serious mistake.

"That Thursday time slot proved to be challenging. However, we were highly enthusiastic about the concept. We were confident in the quality of the creative content and we were excited about the idea of showcasing a series featuring strong and empowered women, continuing throughout Thursday night alongside popular shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Looking back, I believe the show would have performed better in a different time slot, and I should have stuck with the initial plan. I take full responsibility for the outcome."

How Once Upon A Time In Wonderland Hurt OUAT

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, despite being canceled long before the conclusion of OUAT's season 7 series finale, had a negative impact on the franchise. While the spinoff had the potential to expand the fairytale universe with new storylines, characters, and settings, it ultimately failed to meet the expectations. If Once Upon A Time In Wonderland had embraced its role as a limited series, it could have attracted and retained OUAT's audience, avoided cancellation, and continued to introduce additional fairytale worlds either within itself or through other spinoff series.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, and the chosen direction of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland hindered the expansion of OUAT's universe. Although the original series managed to reach seven seasons on network television, it remains unknown what the franchise could have achieved if Once Upon A Time In Wonderland had found success.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter