Channel Surfing: “Once Upon A Time” puts a new spin on fairy tales

By: Sanah Faroke/Columnist

Drama: “Once Upon A Time”

ABC, Sundays @ 8 p.m.

Fairy tales were never told through the writers of “Lost” alum, but in “reality,” I could not imagine it any other way.

“Once Upon a Time” surprisingly enchanted audiences on Sunday, racking up 12.8 million viewers and gaining the crown for best tune-in for this season’s fall drama premiere. There is no doubt that viewers will be able to reminisce the characters that lived in a dusty fable book, but they’ve got another thing coming.

“Once Upon a Time,” which is written by two of the writers from the popular sci-fi series “Lost,” is a show that merges every fairy tale we’ve been told at bedtime with a modern twist.

Writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz claim that they were inspired by the fables and myths of their childhood. The show also resembles its outdated TV mini-series counterpart, the “10th Kingdom,” which fused the modern day world with Cinderella, Snow White and Red Riding Hood.

Since the “10th Kingdom” was only nine episodes, it has become a concern that “Once” may also follow their footsteps to TV exile. The plots are similar to each other except, instead of venturing into the world of fantasy, Kitsis and Horowitz fuse both worlds into one stage -a refreshing new take on the classic tales.

Flashbacks elongate the story – hopefully beyond nine episodes; they keep us on our toes and give us a history lesson of how things came to be, enticing us to learn more. They obviously have the same characters and remain true to their traits in “Once,” but Kitsis and Horowitz plan to exploit the characters for who they truly are, their insecurities and what makes them tick in a world where there are no happy endings.

I love the symbolism alluding to the other world (which has been sprinkled lightly throughout), like the pear a student gives to his teacher, Sister Mary Margaret Blanchard – Snow White’s alter character, instead of the familiar apple.

Every show wants to reach a big audience; “Once” accomplished this by dazzling us with special effects and its affixed roots in Disney fairy tales that secretly instruct, yet entertain with PG-13 humor.

The pilot gives off a slight family feel but, at the same time, it is geared toward an older generation by introducing the darker reality of these fairy tale characters we thought we all knew as children. Fairy tales were supposed to be for kids, but “Once” puts these mythical characters in everyday modern adult situations.

The writers of “Lost” kept the same iconic characteristics of the characters we love. In addition, they also give us insight to who these characters truly are. Attempting to put a live character behind the typical Disney archetypes is what makes the show fascinating and unique in comparision to other shows, such as “the 10th Kingdom.”

“Once” is supposed to be meaningful and draw us into the story, keeping us there. The show reminds us of how there truly is a damsel in distress, a prince charming and a wicked drama queen in every one of us, or maybe in another land far, far away.

Channel Surfing is a weekly TV review column. Look for it every Monday this fall.