SHILO: If Once Upon a Time hadn’t fallen as much as it did during its most recent season, I would have answered with an unequivocal yes, because otherwise, Wonderland has a lot going for it. It’s based on a known property with an engaged fanbase; it’s much more female-skewing and on-brand than previous occupants of the timeslot; reviews and general buzz for the series have been decidedly positive; the competition in the timeslot has decreased, with The X Factor (way) down, The Vampire Diaries (likely) down, The Millers not a guaranteed win, and the NBC comedies likely weak.
However, the fact that Once was down during its second season and the buzz around the series is much less positive than it used to be makes me worried for how Wonderland can do and how much of a chance people are willing to give it. There was always going to be some hesitation due to Once getting a spinoff at such an early point in its lifespan, but Wonderland would be in a much better position if it was coming onto the schedule with a healthier Once and as a limited series.
CRAIG: From the 20-minute (or so) presentation that ABC released to press, I felt a sense of wonder that reminded me of Season 1 of Once Upon A Time, when we were first seeing episodes like “Snow Falls” and getting to know that world of adventure, romance, and fairy tales. While Season 2 actually did have some standouts, I missed that feeling, and it’s fun to have that again. The cast of OUAT In Wonderland is very likable and I think Alice is a protagonist that should fit in well in the ABC realm. Wonderland might skew younger than ABC is used to, but I think that, too, could be a good thing.
I do wish they’d do something about that unnecessarily long title — it’s very “Dynasty II: The Colbys” — and I think the Once Upon A Time branding might hurt it rather than help it. People who know and like Once know what Wonderland is. People who don’t like Once, though? They might skip this altogether, and that would be too bad, because it’s a great show, and I have confidence it’s going to continue to be really good.
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This is one female looking forward to Reign. I’m also a fan of SPN and Arrow. I watch most of the CW’s shows. But, I’m also 36, so not the target demo anymore.
Thursday is giving my DVR a workout! I already record TBBT, and now I have a conflict between Elementary and Parenthood. NBC moving Parenthood to Thursday at 10 really shocked me. It could get creamed and I hope NBC isn’t expecting too much, or it might end up the last season just because they moved it. I’ll be recording Elementary and watching it with the mister later.
I’m totally looking forward to Reign. It looks like an AMAZING show. I already ship Mary and Sebastian. (Torrance Coombs). Such a lovely potential couple, prince is also fine, but his step brother is better :)