Six seasons in, Once‘s ratings have slipped but it remains a DVR and digital viewing power, rakes in international sales for ABC Studios and is the epitome of Disney corporate synergy. As a legacy show, it will be given a proper sendoff by ABC, so a decision whether to end the series or keep going has to be made early — as in very soon.
“Eddy and Adam came in and talked with me right before the holiday about what some of their potential ideas might be for Season 7,” ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey told Deadline at TCA today. “There was some interesting stuff, we gave them some feedback, and they are now working and are going to come back and sit with me in a couple of weeks. I think that, having had worked on Lost, they have a very good sense of the engagement with fans and wanting to end the story in the right way.”
It will be after that meeting that Dungey and her team will make a decision whether there will be a Season 7 of Once Upon A Time. But “regardless of what we decide to do at the end of this season, I think they think they would put a little bit of a bow here, and then there is a next piece that comes after that, so they are trying to figure out what that is and how that works.”
Dungey declined to comment whether that “next piece” would be a different incarnation of Once, a spinoff or a something else. But it’s clear that the series, which has reinvented itself a number of times, may be heading for its biggest reinvention yet as the show’s main storyline comes to an end this season. “There will be a little bit of closure in this particular narrative regardless of what happens with Season 7,” Dungey told Deadline.
Thats interesting, because I read another that said Season 7 is more or less confirmed ! Discussing it at the moment :
Here’s a Once Upon a Time question. Do you see this being the final season? And if so, can you give them an end date to work with like, say, Lost had?
Yeah, so [executive producers] Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, as veterans of Lost, are fully conscious of all these things. They came in and sat with us recently to talk about what their ideas would be for a season 7 and we’re in conversations about that right now. But I think this is absolutely a show that is beloved to us and if and when we decide to end it, we want to do it the right way and really give the fans the ending that they deserve. But I will say that Eddy and Adam have some really good ideas for future seasons.
ABC Chief Channing Dungey expands on her earlier comments about the future of Once, particularly whether fans should expect any radical changes to the show in a potential seventh season.
“[Executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis] would be looking for the seventh season to be a springboard in a new direction from a narrative standpoint,” Dungey tells EW, “which doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re not bringing cast back, it’s just how do you kind of hit the reset button in a way that gives you opportunity to expand the stories that we’re telling?”
“Whenever there’s change, there’s always transition,” Dungey hedges in regards to whether she expects any cast exits. “It’s just too hard to really say more of anything. Until they really get their pitch finalized, it’s hard to really be more specific.”
^From what I understand, season 7 will be a requel (reboot-sequel). It will be set in the same universe, preserving the continuity of previous seasons and keeping some of the same characters but will have a new main storyline and new characters at its center.
To me, it sounds more like the cast will have to be cut if there is a season 7 considering ratings have gone down over time (as expected). Which likely means bye to Snowing, Rumbelle, Henry, and Zelena outside of guest appearances; I’ll only miss the last one on that list, tbh.
Listening to most often lately:
Taylor Swift ~ ~ "The Fate of Ophelia"
Taylor Swift ~ "Eldest Daughter"
Taylor Swift ~ "CANCELLED!"
Robert Carlyle (Rumple) is unlikely to return for season 7.
For Carlyle, nine months of every year since 2011 has been spent on the set of Once Upon a Time. On a show of such longevity, he says the directors are essentially there “to keep the ship steady”. He sounds more polite than enthused. And Vancouver, while diligently praised, isn’t Glasgow. “It’s a lovely city. But culturally it is different, and I miss the craic. I’m at the stage where even though Britain is in a mess politically, I think it’s time to pack up and come home.”
I happily welcome a reboot. I've only watched the first episode of this current season and I've grown pretty tired of the same old same old. And I generally don't like most of the main characters. Even though the same storyline will undoubtedly be repeated over and over again, at least new characters will be refreshing.
I am rather dissapointed in them re-booting the show. You see, when you have grown to love characters and their journey to where they are, you want to see it go all the way to the end, not end just because they're lazy on what new ideas to do and just want to start over to make it easier to write...
I wouldnt mind, I always preferred the supporting/reoccurring characters to the main cast. But I hope it doesnt mean we get all new cast of characters. Id rather see them bring in underused or limboed characters and make them the new focus.
Jennifer Morrison (Emma) talks about her future on the show.
“My contract ends in April on Once Upon a Time,” Morrison said. “I don’t know what that means. They haven’t picked up the show officially yet — they might, they might not. We are just waiting now to see if the network decides to continue with the show — and if they do continue with the show, if they’re going to rework it to be something else, or if they’re going to invite people to stay. We’re just in a holding pattern right now.”
“It’s really complicated because I have a really fierce loyalty to the show,” Morrison said. “I am fiercely protective of the character. I feel like so many amazing things have come to my life because of it. It’s really made my life better in so many ways. I don’t have any interest in abandoning something that is such a special part of my life, but I also know I don’t have it in me to do it forever, so it’s more about a life decision, and I don’t even know how to make that life decision until I know what ABC even wants.”
I don't think Morrison would leave if there's only one season after this one. Her quote above seems to be saying she's dedicated to playing the character, but she doesn't want to stay around 3 more seasons or something crazy. Which, honestly, I don't even know how that would be possible considering it'll be lucky to get one last season.
Carlyle though, he's been over the show for a while going back to when Baelfire died, I think. That's why I think the way for a season 7 is cutting the cast (particularly Carlyle who wants out anyway, and who's probably one of the more expensive cast members along with Morrison and Goodwin), which will reduce costs and make a 7th season with lower ratings feasible.
I wouldn't be interested in a reboot or a show without Emma.
Last edited by Disney's Divinity on Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
Listening to most often lately:
Taylor Swift ~ ~ "The Fate of Ophelia"
Taylor Swift ~ "Eldest Daughter"
Taylor Swift ~ "CANCELLED!"
Watching Season 5 on Netflix now. Just two episodes left I think. Have to wait a long time before season 6 comes. Still enjoy the show, though I begin to wonder how they will keep the story going, afraid It will become a bit tired, with much forced storylines.
Haven't seen Jafar yet, I'm curious to see him. So I read there will be another new villain "Hyde", -from Louis Stevenson's classic tale " Dr Jekyll and mr. Hyde"? Shouldn't there be a Dr. Jekyll than as well?
To be clear: I haven't read through all the posts, afraid of finding to many spoilers, but I would like to know.
Yes, there will be a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And I think most of us have really liked how Season 6 is going so far. Personally, I love it and am excited by it.
Native American actress Sara Tomko (The Son) has been tapped to play Tiger Lily for at least two episodes — and that’s bad news for a former resident of Neverland. “As Captain Hook continues on his path to redemption, his dark past is never far away,” executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis tease. “He’s left a long line of adversaries and Tiger Lily is the latest to return and complicate his efforts to leave that past behind.”
