In season two, the ratings for Once Upon a Time dropped quite a bit but the TV show remained one of ABC‘s top shows. Will they fall further in season three, stay the same, or go up? Cancelled or essentially guaranteed a fourth season? Stay tuned to find out how this story ends.
Once Upon a Time follows the adventures of classic fairytale characters who’ve been cursed by the evil queen and end up living in Storybrooke, a small town in Maine. The ensemble cast includes Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Lana Parrilla, Jared S. Gilmore, Robert Carlyle, Emile de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, and Michael Raymond-James.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings (particularly the 18-49 demo), the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available — typically around 11:30am EST/8:30am PST. Refresh to see the latest.
5/8 update: ABC has renewed Once Upon a Time for a fourth season.
Final season averages: 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 7.08 million total viewers.
Note: If you’re not seeing the updated chart, try reloading the page or view it here.
Last year comparison: The second season of Once Upon a Time averaged a 2.7 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.46 million total viewers.
Note: These are the final national numbers (unless noted with an “*”). These are different from the fast affiliate numbers which are just estimates of the actual ratings. The final nationals are typically released within 24 hours of the programming or, in the case of weekends and holidays, a couple days later.
What do you think? Do you still like the Once Upon a Time TV series? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for a fourth season?
If they don’t renew, I’m canceling cable. Period, done, finito.
They need to renew it.
While it looks like the ratings are dropping dramatically in the 18-49 category, that’s not the full story. What the chart doesn’t show is that OUAT was the highest rated show among 18-49 year olds at 8:00 pm. This is important because if fewer people are watching tv – it was beautiful, warm, and still sunny at 8 where I live after a very nasty winter – the overall numbers will drop, but the percentage of viewers in the prime demographic will be good because everyone’s numbers dropped.
Yeah, i thought season 2 sucked. Season 3 proved me wrong. Season 1 was the best. There’s a lot of contradiction and weird things right now. It’s so bad. I’m not sure if I want it renew or not, because season 4 might be the worst.
You gotta be kidding me, I loved all the seasons.
I just don’t understand Adam Horowitz’s and Eddie Kitsis’s “vision” anymore. Season 1 was amazing so we know that they have it in them to write great original storylines. Are they out of ideas? Why all the retroactive writing in season 3? Like Hook telling Emma that he saw how Cora couldn’t take Emma’s heart when in the scene you can actually see Hook still lying on the ground unconscious when Cora tried to pull out Emma’s heart. Or rewriting the Stableboy episode to make it seem now like Leopold knew that he was proposing to his former fiancee’s teenaged… Read more »
PLEASE RENEW IT!! It’s still a wonderful show! I can’t wait to watch each of the episodes!!
In season 1 the show was amazing. Season 2 was a hot mess. I don’t really have words for what season 3 is. There are too many characters now so there isn’t enough screentime to properly explore the previously established storylines of the core cast, all I see are quick bandaids with barely any development slapped on relationships and issues that used to define the show (Regina & Snow relationship). There is SO much retroactive writing and plotholes, horribly out of character behaviour (Regina in 3b) and I’m really offput by villains suddenly redefined as heroes without any serious redemption… Read more »
I agree with you Kris. I think the show had great potential but I think it lost it’s way midseason 2.
Yes I agree with you on Hook. I liked him in the beginning when he was evil and revengeful. But when he kept changing sides because he’s a “pirate” was really annoying. Also, his character changed 100 degrees because of his lust to get into Emma’s pants was awful. His character changed too quickly.
I personally think some of you are being way too critical. Season 2 was still just setting everything up. I love how they explore the characters motives and how they all seem to be more humanized in our world. As opposed to the fairytail lands where they are a bit over board, yet that’s what it’s about. It’s once upon a time they were all enemies and now they are more rational and working together. I think it’s a interesting dynamic. Loved how Regina finally apologized officially to belle, how rumple did the right thing, and didn’t go with the… Read more »
If I don’t see lana parrilla on my screen …she is soooooo hot… I will surely have a panic attack…u better renew !!!!
Please renew this show. I absolutely, 100%, love, love, love this show. I can’t wait to watch it every Sunday night.
Cancel it. It was a great show but the writing is just awful this season. I’ll miss it, but it’s been ruined. Such a waste.
It’ll likely get at least a fourth season, just to get syndication, but unless they fix the mess they’ve made of the show it won’t get a fifth.
5 seasons are needed for syndication. 100 episodes.
The writing is certainly not awefull. I’d really like to know why you think that?
Please renew!! My 8 year old daughter and u love to watch together reach episode!!
I would love to see this show go on for many many seasons. I’m always on the edge of my seat just waiting for the next episode.
What is going on now with show? I’m hearing it’s over!!! Please no
It hasn’t been cancelled.
This show is legend! Must be renewed, it serves as an inspiring reminder to everybody who sees it that there is more to life that what it seems. There is always hope and this show reminds us that things will get better in life if you truly believe and hold faith in your heart.
Please Please Renew. I just started watching and got all caught up on Hulu and ABC.com and am so hooked.
4th season is likely, But if the writers continue muddling up their writing as they started to do in Season 2 (too many things happening, other characters losing focus, main characters being weirdly inconsistent), I’m not sure if a 5th season is ahead. And that would be a tragedy.
So many characters are so WAY out of character now. It’s just awful. Too bad. : (
Actually I think the characters evolved rather nicely. Who do you think is out of character? And why? I really want to know cause I can’t see what your talking about.
PLEASE RENEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree!