Skip to content
MovieCove
Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

Magic is coming.

2011–2018Ended7 seasons156 episodes~60 min/epTV-PGMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

There is a town in Maine where every story book character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth and only one can break the spell.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Once Upon a Time?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Once Upon a Time streaming on Disney+ and Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Once Upon a Time?

Once Upon a Time earns 6 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Once Upon a Time worth watching?

Once Upon a Time's Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all shows, from 253K ratings across 2 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of shows

76th percentile among Adventure74th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)77th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

75 /100

71st percentile of all shows

70th percentile among Adventure70th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

82% liked it

77th percentile of all shows

77th percentile among Adventure75th percentile among 2010s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

250K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Adventure99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show's first three seasons are creatively compelling, and its final season is a disappointing and unnecessary departure from what made it special.

Fans praised

  • clever modern twist on classic fairy tales
  • Lana Parrilla's layered, redemptive performance as Regina
  • strong emotional resonance and themes of hope, forgiveness, family

Detractors panned

  • repetitive plot cycles (endless curses, betrayals, resurrections)
  • late seasons (esp. 5-7) feel aimless, convoluted, and padded
  • poor CGI and cheap-looking fantasy sets undermine immersion

What stands out

ActingDivisive72

Robert Carlyle and Lana Parrilla praised as show-stealers; Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Morrison earn mixed reviews.

OriginalityDivisive72

Twisted fairy tales in a modern setting praised; later formula seen as derivative.

Emotional impactDivisive72

Deeply moving scenes of sacrifice, redemption, and family bonds; late-season arcs feel forced.

AtmosphereDivisive70

Enchanting blend of rural Storybrooke and fantasy worlds; later seasons lost magic.

CharactersDivisive68

Regina and Rumple gain depth; later casts and new leads (S7) widely panned.

Plot and storyDivisive55

Inventive early connections of fairy tales; later repetitive and convoluted curses.

PacingDivisive48

Early seasons gripping; later arcs often described as slow and stretched out.

Effects and spectacleDivisive45

Imaginative magic and creature designs undercut by cheap-looking CGI throughout the run.

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 15 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Episodes

7 seasons

Season 7 · 2017 · 22 episodes · 6.4 average across 3 rated episodes

  • S7E1

    Hyperion Heights

    Oct 6, 201743 minTMDB rating 6.3
  • S7E2

    A Pirate's Life

    Oct 13, 201743 minTMDB rating 7.1Season best
  • S7E3

    The Garden of Forking Paths

    Oct 20, 201743 minTMDB rating 5.8
  • S7E4

    Beauty

    Oct 27, 201743 min
  • S7E5

    Greenbacks

    Nov 3, 201743 min
  • S7E6

    Wake Up Call

    Nov 10, 201743 min

Watch experience

What is Once Upon a Time like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
RomanticHopefulTense
Heaviest: throughout
Warm humor
Register
Romantic · 7% of showsAdventurous · 15% of showsEpic · 3% of shows: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Nonlinear · 5% of shows: Events shown out of chronological order.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show presents its fairy-tale material with complete earnestness, celebrating love and heroism without irony.
The rideThe series maintains a blend of romantic optimism and dramatic tension across its run, with emotional stakes consistently high in both fairy-tale and real-world plots.
StructureEpisodes frequently alternate between present-day Storybrooke and flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest, creating a nonlinear narrative structure.
Episode formatEach episode typically weaves a fairy-tale flashback (case of the week) with the ongoing Storybrooke curse and character arcs, maintaining both episodic and serialized elements.
Season formatEach season introduces a new overarching threat or curse (e.g., the Dark Curse, Pan's shadow, the Wicked Witch), while following the same core characters through evolving arcs.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulCozy · 5% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves a comforting, optimistic feeling that fairy tales and happy endings matter, despite the struggles.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a case-of-the-week structure where fairy-tale characters face threats from their past, typically in the form of a human tyrant or magical antagonist.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% (this title) · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% (this title) · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsHope · 4% of showsRedemption · 3% of shows: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on the importance of family — both biological and found — as characters strive to reunite, protect, and save one another, often clinging to hope and seeking redemption for past wrongs.
StanceThe series celebrates the power of family bonds and love as the ultimate force for good, affirming that these connections can overcome any curse or obstacle.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralAlternate dimensionMagical realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Mark Isham
SettingStorybrooke, Maine, a town where fairy-tale characters live under a curse
MusicThe sweeping, fairy-tale-inspired score underscores the series' emotional and magical moments.

Content guide

Is Once Upon a Time okay for kids?

TV-PG

Once Upon a Time is rated TV-PG. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (49/100), sexual content at mild (34/100), language at mild (35/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at moderate (40/100). Overall it is heavier than 66% of TV-PG shows.

Ratings in 26 other countries
  • UK12
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceNR
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Austria12
  • Denmark11
  • Hungary12
  • IndiaU
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB
  • MY18
  • Norway12
  • PhilippinesG
  • Poland12
  • PortugalNR
  • RO12
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain7
  • SwedenFrån 11 år
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 27% of all showsHeavier than 66% of TV-PG shows
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 72%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 63%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 66%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a TV-PG show
heavier than 77%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-PG show
heavier than 57%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 72% of TV-PG shows.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Once Upon a Time have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Once Upon a Time?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Lana Parrilla
as Regina Mills
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Robert Carlyle
as Mr. Gold
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jared Gilmore
as Henry Mills
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jennifer Morrison
as Emma Swan
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ginnifer Goodwin
as Mary Margaret Blanchard
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Josh Dallas
as David Nolan
Colin O'Donoghue
as Captain Killian 'Hook' Jones
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Emilie de Ravin
as Belle Gold
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Rebecca Mader
as Zelena
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Beverley Elliott
as Granny Lucas

More like this

What are shows like Once Upon a Time?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Once Upon a Time include Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013), The Magicians (2015) and The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish (2024).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Once Upon a Time?

64 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: fairy tale. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.