What if classic fairy tale characters were real? This question is answered in the American Broadcasting Company’s (ABC) hit drama, Once Upon A Time. For three years and counting, Once Upon A Time (OUAT), has captivated millions of fans. This fantasy drama twists the Disney fairy tales and gives them a new, modern feel. The show weaves both heroes and villains, as they struggle with courage, strength, faith and family. This show has become my favorite TV show of all time because of its creative plot that contains messages of love and hope, as well as its friendly cast. Once Upon A Time includes stars such as Josh Dallas as Prince Charming, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Jennifer Morrison as Emma, Lana Parrilla as the Evil Queen, and Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin.

Once Upon A Time takes place in the fictional town of Storybrooke, Maine, and its residents are actually characters from various fairy tales. Characters in the town include Cinderella, Jiminy Cricket, Belle and Red Riding Hood. At the start of the show, all of the residents were transported to this “real world” town and robbed of their real memories as fairytale characters all because of a powerful curse enacted by the Evil Queen. Within all of the fairy tale subplots, the writers have written a new fairy tale with Emma, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and her son, Henry. Emma is seen as “the savior” and becomes a symbol of hope as she learns that she is the only one that can break the curse.

Each episode typically features a primary storyline in Storybrooke, as well as a secondary storyline from before the curse was enacted. However, the timelines have gotten more complex as the series goes on and the characters have gone from Storybrooke, to the Enchanted Forest, and the realms in between. In Season 3, for example, the main cast traveled to Neverland on a rescue mission. With each season comes a load of new characters. New characters include Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Aurora, Ariel and Robin Hood. The most recent edition is the Wicked Witch of the West, otherwise known as Zelena. Currently wreaking havoc across the realms on OUAT, the Witch’s agenda is unknown, leaving it up to Emma and her friends to solve the mystery.

 While it does include classic tales, this is not the average princess story. In OUAT, viewers can see various princesses in action, including Snow White, who wields a bow and arrow. The women on the show are all strong, independent, and chose their own destinies. They do not sing about their prince coming to rescue them, they take action.

OUAT also delves deeper into the classic fairy tales and asks questions like, why is Grumpy grumpy? What if Snow White was best friends with Red Riding Hood? Why is the Evil Queen evil?

The show brings children’s stories into a contemporary plot, so older viewers are not disinterested. While the show is based off of Disney characters, the content is often violent, including murder, sword fights and death threats. I do not recommend this show for young children. The targeted age group is 18 to 49, where OUAT has maintained the top non-sports related broadcast on Sunday nights.

Along with the intense storyline, OUAT also gives its viewers many good messages, including the most important, hope. The show explores the idea that anything is possible if one holds on to hope. Fairytales are the first stories everyone learns as children and they stay with them, that is why fans of all ages connect so easily. OUAT brings humanity into these iconic characters that make them more relatable.

Once Upon A Time has a very strong fan base. This is due to the show’s presence on all platforms. The cast not only has a strong presence on screen, but off-screen they are very welcoming. Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle’s characters, the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin, respectively, are maliciously evil. However, their personalities in real life are the complete opposite. They are very friendly and frequently visit with fans, whether it is online or in person. I have visited the OUAT set on multiple occasions and love meeting the very friendly cast. I have had the pleasure to meet five of the main cast members so far, all of whom were very welcoming and courteous. In addition to meeting the actors, visiting the set gives anyone the chance to meet other fans of the show. It is a great atmosphere, where one can really feel a sense of family.

The show has become so popular, that the creators, Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, have made a spin-off series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, which airs on Thursdays at 8|7c.

To catch up on the show, watch seasons one and two on Netflix. If you do not have time to watch two and a half seasons, do not fret! ABC has aired recap specials to show new viewers an overview of what has happened.

Once Upon A Time airs Sunday nights at 8|7c on ABC.

Watch the latest recap here: http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time/episode-guide/season-03/102-special-wicked-is-coming