Missing ‘Once Upon a Time,’ 15 Years Later? See 8 Other Shows That May Enchant You

Dan Clarendon
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Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard in ‘Once Upon a Time’; Sophie Lowe as Alice in ‘Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’; Joely Richardson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Florence Kasumba, and Ana Ularu of ‘Emerald City’; and Colin Morgan as Merlin in ‘Merlin’
Jack Rowand/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection, Mario Perez/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection, Michael Muller/NBC, Nick Briggs/BBC America/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Once upon a time — 15 years ago this October 23, to be specific — ABC presented Once Upon a Time, an adventure drama that had millions of viewers under its spell.

In OUAT, the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, is populated with residents who seem normal enough but are actually well-known fantasy characters exiled from their home and robbed of their memories by a power-hungry queen. And across seven seasons, figures from fairy tales, folklore, and, of course, Disney IP converged in an epic battle between evil and any chance of a happily-ever-after.

Fifteen years hence, if today’s TV offerings don’t seem quite charming enough, perhaps you’d like to try out the Once-esque TV shows listed below.

Sophie Lowe as Alice in ‘Once Upon a Time in Wonderland’
Jack Rowand/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

If you only boarded the OUAT train recently, you might not know the show had a short-lived spinoff, one that mixes characters from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Disney’s Aladdin. Sophie Loweplays an Alice who’s certain that the wonder-ful land in her memory is more than just a delusion. Currently streaming on Disney+.

Russell Hornsby as Hank Griffin and David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt in ‘Grimm’
Scott Green/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Grimm

While Once Upon a Timeemployed characters from Grimms’ Fairy Tales, this fantastical police procedural used such folklore as a jumping-off point. Here, David Giuntoli plays a homicide detective who not only has to solve crimes but, in his newfound role as a Grimm, maintain law and order among the world’s mythological creatures. Currently streaming on Peacock, Prime Video, and The Roku Channel.

Scott Cohen as Wolf, Kimberly Williams as Virginia Lewis, and John Larroquette as Tony Lewis in ‘The 10th Kingdom’
Everett Collection

The 10th Kingdom

Ann-Margaret played Cinderella, Camryn Manheim played Snow White, and Dianne Wiest played the Evil Queen in this miniseries in which characters cross between nine magical kingdoms and our less-magical real world. Our heroine is a New York City waitress, played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who falls headlong into an unexpected adventure. Currently streaming on Plex, The Roku Channel, and UP Faith & Family.

Paul Wesley as Eddie Longo on ‘Tell Me a Story’
Michael Parmelee/CBS

Tell Me a Story

Based on the Spanish TV series Cuéntame un cuento, this psychological thriller gives a “dark and twisted” edge to beloved fairy tales. Season 1 puts this sordid spin on The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk; Season 2 does so on Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, and Hansel and Gretel. Currently available for purchase on Fandango and Prime Video.

Colin Morgan as Merlin in ‘Merlin’
Nick Briggs/BBC America/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Merlin

Speaking of reimagined folklore, this British production casts the titular warlock of medieval lore (Colin Morgan) as a young man using forbidden magic to protect a young Prince Arthur (Bradley James) and guide him to his kingly future. Not that the young Arthur is particularly happy to have Merlin around at first. Currently streaming on BritBox, The CW, Pluto TV, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.

Jason Ralph as Quentin Coldwater and Stella Maeve as Julia Wicker in ‘The Magicians’
Elke Schroter/Syfy/Courtesy: Everett Collection

The Magicians

A more modern take on magic is this fantasy series based on the Lev Grossman novel trilogy of the same name. Viewers follow the diverging paths of two young magicians, one who is admitted into Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy and one who instead falls in with another cadre, all while nefarious forces threaten both the magical world and all of humanity. Currently available for purchase on Apple TV, Fandango, Prime Video.

Joely Richardson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Florence Kasumba, and Ana Ularu of ‘Emerald City’
Michael Muller/NBC

Emerald City

NBC spent one short day, ahem, make that one short broadcast season in the Emerald City with this vision of Frank L. Baum’s Land of Oz. In this version of the classic tale, Adria Arjona plays a Dorothy Gale who is whisked away to an Oz where the Wizard, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, has outlawed magic. Currently streaming on Peacock and The Roku Channel.

Alan Cumming as Glitch and Zooey Deschanel as DG in ‘Tin Man’
Paul Michaud/Sci Fi Channel/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Tin Man

Ten years earlier, the channel then called Sci Fi offered its own Wizard of Oz update. Zooey Deschanel plays “DG,” a waitress transported to the Outer Zone, or “O.Z.” for short, where an evil queen rules supreme. Among DG’s allies is Glitch, a former royal advisor played by Alan Cumming. Currently streaming on The CW, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Shout! TV.

Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet Burke in ‘Lost’
Mario Perez/ABC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Lost

What does a TV show about plane crash survivors battling supernatural forces on a mysterious island have to do with a TV show about fairy-tale characters? Quite a lot, considering OUAT creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis were writers and EPs on Lost, and the two shows share cast members like Lana Parrilla, Emilie de Ravin, Elizabeth Mitchell, Jorge Garcia, Rebecca Mader, and Alan Dale. Currently streaming on Hulu.

Emerald CityGrimmLostMerlin (2008)Once Upon a Time (2011)Once Upon a Time in WonderlandTell Me a StoryThe 10th KingdomThe MagiciansTin Man



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