'Once Upon a Time': TV Review

If there can be five -- or possibly could it be seven or maybe more? -- comedies about how precisely modern men're too weak being referred to as males, then what measures-fetched could it be that two new series focus on favorite anecdotes?our editor recommendsThe Hollywood Reporter's 10 Showrunners to Watch'Once Upon A Time' Executive Producers Want to Have Rhianna around the ShowNBC Previews First 20 minutes of 'Grimm,' Extended Look of 'Chuck' (Video) PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows ABC's Not such a long time ago feels confident using a slew of well-known favorite anecdotes, while NBC's Grimm mines the greater dark tales in the Brothers and sisters Grimm. It's a greater-concept hootenanny with varied results. Possibly greater sell isn't such a long time ago, which opens just like a period piece where the Seven Dwarfs are huddled around an entombed Snow White-colored -- and before you decide to discrete what's going to take place, you might finish off laughing rather. Why? Because it feels and appears hokey. Hokey is really a concern. Snow White-colored is carried out by Ginnifer Goodwin and Prince Charming by Josh Dallas. There's an Evil Full, clearly, carried out by Lana Parrilla, whose try to experience evil falls well missing convincing. She's one of many because even Robert Carlyle, who is able to do yanking off both evil and costumed, is eyebrow-raisingly cheesy as Rumpelstiltskin. Put them altogether inside an excessively extended review of the series, and a family member will need the forces of Merlin to pry the remote out of your hands when you lunge to change the funnel. PHOTOS: ABC's Year Tv Shows After which it something interesting happens -- certainly more interesting nowadays yanking off some time piece in primetime. The knowledge switches to the present, which we meet Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), a bail bondswoman, loner and many types of-around tough girl. Into her existence jumps Henry (Jared Gilmore), a precocious 10-year-old boy from Storybrooke (wink, wink), Maine. He tracks lower Emma and claims he's her boy, the primary one she put within the towel for adoption at birth. He's a magazine of favorite anecdotes and states that Emma must go back to Storybrooke to put things right. What things? Well, Henry thinks the Evil Witch has cast a spell, now all the fairy-tale figures from lore are locked in Storybrooke, unsure who they may be or what ongoing formerly. His adoptive mother is Regina (also carried out by Parrilla), the only real-mother mayor of Storybrooke and, states Henry, probably the Evil Witch. Henry also thinks Emma might be the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White-colored which only she'll unlock the mysteries of Storybrooke and supply everyone a cheerful ending by clearing them. Got that? Company, in Storybrooke, just about any fairy-tale character you'll be able to develop -- you understand, like Geppetto -- is lurking their modern self. This part of the series holds no less than minimal fascination as Henry tries to unveil the truth. However, if Not such a long time ago flashes to fairy-tale days, Uncle Hokey complements them. With him, you will discover no happy being. PHOTOS: Fall TV Preview 2011: 10 Fresh Faces To Know In people moments -- specially when modern vocabulary sneaks in and Goodwin seems embarrassed doing lines -- Not such a long time ago completely stops time. You'll be able to't determine if this ought to be farce it's the opt-out moment. The show can be a bold idea, there's expect the present-world portions, nevertheless it doesn't quite understand what it's (or even it'll, nevertheless the audience won't). ABC made episode three available to experts too, and -- tragic ending alert! -- the series appears being getting worse, not better. AirdateOnce Upon a period of time 8 p.m. Sundays (ABC) Email:Tim.Goodman@THR.com Twitter: @BastardMachine Related Subjects ABC NBC TV Reviews Not such a long time ago Grimm Fall TV Preview