Vancouver-filmed Once Upon A Time to end after current season
ABC’s fairy tale television series Once Upon A Time, based on the Walt Disney Company’s intellectual properties, will come to a close after the current 18-episode season, the series’ seventh season, ends.
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Although parts of the series were filmed inside a studio in Metro Vancouver, much of the show was filmed on location in Richmond’s historic Steveston Village – including inside many small businesses – or in a naturalized setting along the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, which doubled as the ‘Enchanted Forest’.
The show began filming in the region in 2011, and was an instant hit with an average viewership of 11.71 million during its first season.
But ratings have gradually declined over the years, reaching a series average low of 4.39 million last season, and a series low of 2.95 million for the series finale, which prompted ABC to move the show from the coveted Sunday slot to the slow Friday slot.
“Seven years ago, we set out to create a show about hope, where even in the darkest of times, a happy ending would always be possible. But we never imagined the happy ending that was actually in store for all of us – years and years of adventure, romance, magic and hope,” said Adam Horovitz, a co-creator of the series, in a tweet.
“We’re so grateful to our brilliant collaborators – the cast, crew, and writers – as well as our partners at the studio and network for making this journey possible. But most of all, we want to thank the fans. Their fierce loyalty and devotion was the real magic behind ONCE UPON A TIME. We hope they join us for these last few hours as we journey to the Enchanted Forest for one more adventure.”
Steveston Village is central to the series, as it doubled as Storybrooke, Maine – the fictional town where the series is set. The series’ plot initially revolved on residents of the magical universe (think Snow White, Rapunzel, characters of Frozen, etc.) who were forced into the ‘real world’ and erased of their original memories and identities by Evil Queen Regina, played by Lana Parrilla.
The series is known for starring Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White), Josh Dallas (Prince Charming), Colin O’Donoghue (Captain Hook), and Robert Carlyle (Rumplestiltskin), but in season seven only Parrilla remained on the cast as the contracts for the rest of the series regulars expired.
Once Upon A Time provided a major boost to BC’s economy in 2011 when the local film production industry experienced a slowdown.
According to the Motion Picture Association of Canada, Once Upon A Time generated 5,500 local jobs and $276 million in direct spending in BC during the first five seasons of filming.
But the industry’s fortunes changed in 2014, and businesses in the local industry are now struggling to keep up with the booming demand for crews and production space.
The void left by Once Upon A Time, which usually begins filming each spring, will likely be filled quickly.
In the 2016-17 fiscal year, film and television productions spent about $2.6 billion in BC, marking a record high for the local industry. This is up by 35% over the previous fiscal year.
Once Upon A Time will air its series finale, the 151st episode, on April 20, 2018. The show airs on CTV in Canada and is available on Netflix.
Here is how cast members reacted to the cancellation: