ABC has tried numerous times to find a new hit drama to help replace some of their aging ones. Pan Am has been a disappointment and Revenge hasn’t been a big success but Once Upon a Time looked like a winner right out of the gate. But, how do things look now? Is the show on track to land a season two renewal or could it end up cancelled?
On Once Upon a Time, the daughter (Jennifer Morrison) of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) tries to help fairy-tale characters who’ve been cursed by the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) and ended up living in a small town in Maine. The series also features the talents of Robert Carlyle, Jared Gilmore, Raphael Sbarge, Meghan Ory, Jamie Dornan, Beverley Elliott, Lee Arenberg, David Paul Grove, and Gabe Khouth.
The new drama started off with a bang and a solid 4.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 12.93 million viewers. It was second in it’s timeslot which was impressive considering that Once Upon a Time’s debut had to compete with the World Series and popular shows on cable.
New series often fall 10-20% in their second week on the air but Once Upon a Time bucked the trend and dropped a mere 3% to a 3.9 rating in the all-important demo. In week three, the numbers fell just a bit more — to a 3.8 rating — and the series got a full season pick-up.
Unfortunately, the numbers keep dropping. With the exception of the fourth week (which didn’t drop or gain), Once Upon a Time has dropped in the demo and in total viewership each week. The last episode of 2011 drew a 2.9 rating and 8.92 million viewers, a new series low. That’s a far cry from the debut and the holiday hiatus surely hasn’t helped things.
While Once Upon a Time isn’t in trouble yet, its no longer looking like a big hit and could easily be in trouble. Remember FlashForward?
That ABC series debuted with nearly the exact same ratings two years earlier. It also looked like the big hit of the season but the numbers kept eroding each week. After seven episodes, FlashForward had dropped 35% in the demo. It kept falling until it was cancelled. After seven episodes, Once Upon a Time has fallen 28%. Hopefully, it’ll have a happier ending.
What do you think? Do you think Once Upon a Time will keep falling? Will it survive and see a second season or do you think it’ll end up being cancelled?
Image courtesy ABC.
remember cheers first season? worked out pretty well for nbc. have a little faith baby! Qaulity writing,excellent acting and alot of care taken to present a unique show. bring it back for second season and we will all have a happy ending, or are abcs’ bigwigs living in storybrooke? can’t remember your last hit. shame. best of luck to the crew,cast,writers and producers. if abc doesn’t appreciate your effort and hard work there are scores who do!
Killing off the best looking character and then starting the next episode off as if it didn’t even matter that he was ever on the show in the first place won’t help the ratings.
The mistake big networks like ABC do is keeping the viewers on a hook, which-considering the competition and the number of shows we can easily switch to, once we get fed up with waiting week after week (of course to make it worse every second week or so there’s some reason not to air a new episode)- is plainly stupid. Stop complaining and try to get us our shows on time without interruptions, especially when a show is still new and viewers can so easily forget about a good show they’ve been watching three weeks ago. Fact is: ABC is… Read more »
It’s not going to get cancelled. Too many people love it! It also looks like you’re not accounting for the DVR ratings. I don’t think you can say that it’s going to be over after only seven episodes. I personally have missed it every week since it has been off air during the winter break.
love this show
YIPEE! Just make it canceled i dont like it grimm is better than those things but um just give it a final ending just to close the story as they call it “happily ever after”
It’s the only show on ABC I watch. It’s pretty good and engaging and somewhat unique. If all they show is reality, eventually they will wind up like NBC, no viewers.
I think it’s gonna get cancelled, because all the good shows seem to always end up cancelled, I don’t want it to be cancelled but what I want really doesn’t matter.
my nine year old daughter and I love watching this show together there is not much on tv the I can sit with her and realy truely enjoy. If this show is cancelled it would be a great lose.
If they cancel the show I’m going to be beyond upset. I love the way the story goes back and forth and how things click together between episodes. It’s one of the most interesting shows this season. I don’t even want to think of them canceling the show.
the problem to me, is that Once is up against Sunday Night football. If it comes back from a second season (and I’m really hoping that it will), it moves to a different night.
I think it is a great show and good concept from Disney/ABC/ESPN or whatever they call it.
I love this show. Do not cancel the show, its so different from other shows. By the time the episode ends, im already excited for the next episode.
I love it…. I have really missed it over the holidays. l love learning the background of the fairytale characters. Put in another time slot instead of just cancelling it
It can’t be. I’ll take someone/something hostage. It’ll be ugly. Prison will be involved for me, if I live through such a sorry adventure.