ABC’s Once Upon A Time May Be A Winner

Now that I have watched two episodes of ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” I have to say that I am hooked. I like the format of the show, slipping back and forth between the fairy-tale land and the present day in Storybrooke, Maine.

There have been numerous updates on many of the old fairy tales but I think this one is pretty imaginative. It does remind me a bit of Disney’s “Enchanted” but fairy-tales have been around for a long time and the Cinderella story alone has been retold at least 500 times according to some sources.

I haven’t yet decided whether I’m going to like Robert Carlyle’s Rumplestiltskin but I’m glad to see he has bounced back quickly from the cancellation of Stargate: Universe. Of course, I’m still kind of peeved about the cancellation of such a great, thoughtful show.

Ginnifer Goodwin has that wholesome air that a Disneyesque princess should have. I believe I have only seen her once before, in “He’s Just Not That Into You”.

I have seen Jennifer Morrison in a couple of productions but don’t really remember her. She seems an odd fit for the long lost child of Snow White and Prince Charming (and they haven’t explained her blond hair). And how did they decide on the name Emma for her character? Not that Emma is a bad name — in fact, Emma Watson fans will point out that it’s a perfectly fine name for a girl — but I can’t help feeling like they may have been influenced by the popularity of the Harry Potter star.

Lana Parilla as the evil queen seems perfect for the role. Unfortunately, though she has a very respectable acting resume I have never seen her before. Just haven’t gotten into any of the shows or movies she has appeared in.

Poor Prince Charming/John Doe (Josh Dallas) seems to have had better luck as the Norse god Fandral in “Thor”. He isn’t accomplishing a great deal yet but at least they’re keeping him on life support. And the preview for the next episode suggests he may be coming out of the deep funk of a 28-year coma sometime this season.

So, I’m intrigued by the various twists and turns on the fairy-tale motifs. I sort of wonder who the wolf turns out to be and if he is still chasing Red Riding Hood. But I have to admit that the whole Jiminy Cricket spiel is a nice nod to Disney’s lockdown on original fairy-tale movie franchises.