15 Best Shows Similar To Once Upon A Time Update 04/2024

Shows Similar To Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time came to an end a long time ago. To regain some of the beloved series’ enchantment, check out one of these similar shows.

After the final season of ABC’s Once Upon a Time aired last year, it left a void in the television networks similar to the one left by Game of Thrones. Fans of Once Upon a Time will be left wanting more even as the next big thing is being developed.

Fortunately, there are numerous shows with similar premise that began airing after or even before the success of Once Upon a Time. While some only lasted a season or two, others endured for several. Once Upon a Time fans should definitely check out these movies.

Mariana Fernandes’s April 16th, 2020 update: Even thoughOnce Upon A Time is over, our sense of wonder isn’t either, because we’re still watching. Everyone enjoys reliving their childhood fantasies every now and then, when anything is possible and magic isn’t out of reach. While reality can be depressing at times, finding solace in art that restores our faith in the beauty of the world is a welcome relief. Here’s a newer, expanded list of shows that let you temporarily forget about your troubles and return to the real world a happier person.

15. Shadowhunters (2016 – 2019)

Shadowhunters (2016 - 2019)

Based on Cassandra Clare novels, this three-season television series depicts a fantastical world where vampires, werewolves and mysterious shadowhunters coexist in secrecy away from the prying eyes of the public. There’s adventure, suspense, and a little bit of magic thrown in there, too.

As a fan of Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood’s courtship or as an action junkie, Shadowhunters will have you hooked from the start.

14. Tin Man (2007)

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is well-known to everyone and their dog. For classics, there are countless retellings and re-imaginings to please people all over the world.

This new take on the classic tale of Dorothy, played by Zooey Deschanel, and the wonderful creatures she encounters along the way is from the 2007 miniseries. Alan Cumming and Richard Dreyfuss star in this three-episode limited series, which is sure to please fans of fantasy and adventure.

13. Neverland (2011)

Neverland (2011)

“Peter Pan” is a timeless classic, similar to “The Wizard of Oz,” that has been adapted numerous times. No wonder people can’t get enough of worlds like Neverland, where kids never grow up and sirens swim alongside pirate ships.

There are many such adaptations out there, and Neverland is one of them. It takes the classic story and gives it a fresh perspective, while also including magic and Keira Knightley as Tinkerbell. Overall, this is a great place to visit!

12. The Vampire Diaries (2009 – 2017)

The Vampire Diariesdebuted in the midst of the worldwideTwilightfever, providing fans of the vampire genre with even more material to enjoy. While the film series based on Stephanie Meyer’s books also expanded, The Vampire Diaries did not.

The Vampire Diaries takes place in a world full of witches, werewolves, and demons, where love, hate, and friendship are frequently at the forefront of the motivations of the characters.

11. Teen Wolf (2011 – 2017)

Teen Wolf (2011 - 2017)

If we’re talking about werewolves, we can’t leave out MTV’s fantasy series Teen Wolf. Although the first season focuses on a world where people turn into beasts when the full moon rises, there are many other fantastical creatures thrown into the mix, as the name suggests.

Dylan O’Brien’s hit show, which made him famous, also features mythological characters such as banshees and demons, as well as hunters. Teen Wolf, a fantasy and adventure show with a dash of comedy, has a lot to offer fantasy and adventure buffs.

10. Emerald City (2017)

When it came to the characters from Wizard of Oz, fans of ABC’s once-upon-a-time spinoff may enjoy the ambitious 2017 show Emerald City on NBC. The plot revolves around Dorothy, a twenty-year-old who ends up in the Land of Oz, much like in the Game of Thrones adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books.

The Wizard has banned the use of magic in Oz, so her presence brings about a terrible prophecy, which makes the local witches very unhappy. Emerald City, on the other hand, was axed after just one season. Because of this, it’s available for free on NBC.com or as a streaming service on Amazon Prime.

9. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (2013 – 2014)

When a show becomes hugely popular, a spinoff is almost always on the horizon. When Once Upon a Time in Wonderland was released, it was a direct sequel to the popular television series Once Upon a Time in America. However, there are elements from Disney’s Aladdin thrown in as well, as implied by the title.

An adult Alice returns to Wonderland, much like in the Tim Burton movies. With the exception of the fact that she’s searching for Cyrus, the Red Queen and Jafar are after her. In spite of the show being cancelled, some of the characters from the spinoff appeared in the main series.

8. Siren (2018)

Siren (2018)

Despite their ability to open portals to other worlds, mermaids received little attention in Once Upon a Time. It’s a good thing that Freeform has a show called Siren dedicated to the mythos of mermaids.

Following a pair of marine biologists who discover a real mermaid on land in a fictional seaside town in Washington state, the show follows their adventures. As a result of their investigation, they learn more about the town’s mysterious past, including its connection to mermaids and a government conspiracy. Siren is currently in its second season, with a third season in the works.

7. Midnight, Texas (2017 – 2018)

They were outcasts in Storybrooke and other places like it because they were trapped in Once Upon a Time. Because of this, they were unable to return to their original homes or interact with anyone outside of the cursed towns.

Outcasts from all walks of life now congregate in NBC’s Midnight, Texas, regardless of whether or not they are supernatural. Inspired by Charlaine Harris’ book series, Midnight follows a psychic as she settles in a small town. While there, he gets to know a wide range of people while also assisting them in fending off external threats.

6. Sleepy Hollow (2013 – 2017)

As children, many people in the United States learned about the story about Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” From the Disney short to the Tim Burton film, the story has been adapted a number of times since then. This includes the four-season Fox television series Sleepy Hollow as well.

With the exception of the fourth season, which was filmed in Washington, D.C., the show is about Ichabod Crane resurfacing in the present day. However, when the Headless Horseman appears, he must face off against it alongside a female police officer.

5. Haven (2010 – 2015)

Haven (2010 - 2015)

Prior to Castle Rock’s loose adaptation of Stephen King’s works, a show called Haven aired in the early 2010s that was very similar. It premiered on the Syfy Channel and was loosely based on The Colorado Kid, a case involving an oddly unidentified person in Maine that was the subject of a documentary.

A similar occurrence is depicted in the show as the catalyst for the arrival of a female FBI agent in the titular town. Once the FBI agent and the local police detective become involved in a series of supernatural incidents that have previously afflicted Haven, things take a supernatural turn.

4. Lost Girl (2010 – 2015)

This show is worth mentioning for Once Upon a Time fans even though it draws heavily from Buffy the Vampire Slayer because it also features supernatural creatures. Instead of vampires, the focus is on the secret world of fairies and the politics that exist within it.

Bo, our main protagonist, is revealed to be a succubus in the midst of all of this. This female demon usually enters men’s dreams and engages in sexual relations with them. However, in Lost Girl’s case, it’s a special kind of fairy that feeds off of kissing and/or sex to maintain its life force.

3. Grimm (2011 – 2017)

Grimm debuted on NBC the same year as Once Upon a Time on ABC. Despite the fact that both shows are based on fairy tales, they take different approaches to the material.

Grimm, on the other hand, drew more inspiration from the Brothers Grimm book than Once Upon a Time, which favored the Disney versions of classic fairy tales. Their storylines diverge as well, with the former focusing on the fulfillment of a prophecy and the latter on the maintenance of communal harmony. One homicide detective is tasked with mediating between the human race and a diverse group of creatures known as Wesen.

2. Merlin (2008 – 2012)

Merlin (2008 - 2012)

Season 5 of Once Upon a Time featured a major story arc that required the characters to travel to Camelot, where they met legendary figures like Merlin and Arthur. BBC One’s Merlin, on the other hand, caters to those who would have preferred to see an entire show centered around the two.

Uther Pendragon, the current king of Camelot, has declared magic illegal in the world of Merlin. Thus, the young protagonist of the show, who is hiding his powers while befriending King Arthur’s son, is affected.

1. The 10th Kingdom (2000)

There was a short miniseries called The 10th Kingdom that aired on NBC in 2000, before Once Upon A Time was even imagined. The plot revolves around Snow White’s grandson, who is imprisoned by the Evil Queen in a fantasy land based on the Grimms’ fairytales.

A young woman and her father help him return home after he flees into our reality, the titular 10th kingdom. While being pursued by three bumbling trolls, they set out on a journey through the kingdoms to bring down the Evil Queen.