Missing ‘Once Upon a Time,’ 15 Years Later? See 8 Other Shows That May Enchant You
October 23, 2026, 8:00 am
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.
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+.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
