Once Upon a Time was a sensation on the small screen that used fantastical places, interesting characters, and talented performers to catch on with fans. Sure, some seasons don’t quite stack up with others, but there is no denying how successful this show was during the peak of its run on television.
At one point, a spin-off project called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland hit the small screen in search of the same type of success. However, instead of becoming a hit, this series wound up getting cancelled and being completely forgotten about by most. Shows get cancelled all the time, and some never even get made, but this project actually had a lot of potential.
Let’s take a look back and see why Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was cancelled.
‘Once Upon A Time’ Was A Huge Success
Making a spin-off requires one major ingredient: a successful original show. Getting the first show off the ground requires a ton of heavy lifting by the network and the crew, but once the show takes it, all bets are off and all avenues open up. This is precisely what happened when Once Upon a Time became a major success on the small screen after making its debut.
Released back in 2011, Once Upon a Time was a stroke of genius by the folks at ABC, who took classic fairy tale characters and put a brilliant twist on their overall story. Fans got to see all their favorites living in our world under a spell, and the unraveling of the spell and the story made for an incredible debut season. From there, the show would continue to expand the story and bring in more classic characters.
Once Upon a Time kept people coming back each and every week, and it seamlessly incorporated some of the most fantastical worlds in the history of fiction. One of the worlds that really captivated fans was the world of Wonderland, which most people grew up seeing in Disney’s animated classic. Throw in Sebastian Stan playing the Mad Hatter and you had a recipe for a spin-off project.
Despite not having Stan involved, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland officially got the okay to head into production.
‘Once Upon A Time In Wonderland’ Was Supposed To Be A Mini-Series
Making its debut in 2013, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland sought to become a success on the small screen on the heels of its predecessor paving the way and gaining legions of fans. Interestingly, this show was intended to be a mini-series at first, but things changed down the line.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, series co-creator, Adam Horowitz, said that the show was intended to be a “complete tale with a beginning, middle and end" and that it "is meant to be a close-ended story.”
Despite this, there was hope that it could be a success and eventually continue. It is interesting to see that it was going to be a mini-series at first, considering that it had a ton of potential. Most spins-offs look to establish their own identity on the small screen, but the mini-series route can be effective. Just look at what Disney is doing with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Unfortunately, things would not go as planned for Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and instead of becoming a hit like its predecessor, the show was unable to find the same type of audience on the small screen.
It Was Cancelled After Just One Season
One element of television that people don’t take into consideration is the time slot that the show is featured in. Some slots are better than others, unfortunately, the slot that Wonderland got was a huge reason why it stumbled out the gate.
ABC President, Paul Lee, took responsibility for this, saying, “That Thursday slot is difficult. We loved the idea. We knew the creative was great, and so we loved the idea of having a run of empowered women going all the way through Thursday night [with Grey's Anatomy and Scandal].”
“What we didn’t want to do is play defense on Thursday when we wanted to play offense. But in retrospect, I think it would have done better there, and I should have stuck to the earlier idea. … I totally take responsibility for that,” he continued.
One season and it was all over this show, despite the potential that it had. It just goes to show how difficult it is to make a spin-off project work, even when it features iconic characters coming together for a grand story.