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Pilot (Once Upon a Time)

October 28, 2023

"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American fairy tale/drama television series Once Upon a Time. It introduces each of the main characters in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, as well as establishes the basic premise of the series, which details the beginnings of a curse placed upon the Enchanted Forest and the start of a destiny for its only savior, a present-day woman who can break the curse.

"Pilot"
Once Upon a Time episode
Prince Charming watches over Snow White
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed byMark Mylod
Teleplay byEdward Kitsis
Adam Horowitz
Original air dateOctober 23, 2011 (2011-10-23)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"The Thing You Love Most"
Once Upon a Time (season 1)
List of episodes

The Once Upon a Time pilot episode was written by the show's creators, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and later directed by Mark Mylod. Kitsis and Horowitz sought to write new perspectives of familiar characters, and featured the themes of hope, family and motherhood. The pilot episode sets the template for the rest of the series, as it jumps between their cursed selves in Storybrooke and their original lives in the Enchanted Forest. Every actor first approached for the series accepted after being sent a script; this included Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan.

Before it made its debut, ABC allowed viewers in the United States to see the pilot on the Internet Movie Database's website several days before it aired. It premiered in the United States on ABC on October 23, 2011. In Canada, CTV broadcast the series an hour ahead of ABC's debut, airing it at 7 pm in most regions. The episode received mostly positive reviews and was watched by 12.93 million viewers, scoring a 4.0 rating/11% share in the 18-49 demographic, ranking first in its timeslot. It was ABC's most watched pilot since the pilot episode of Ugly Betty.

Plot edit

Opening sequence edit

A title card which states "Once Upon a Time..."

In the characters' past edit

Prince Charming (Joshua Dallas) rides to the rescue of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), who is comatose after eating a poisoned apple that was given to her by the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla). Doc informs Charming that he is too late, but Charming kisses Snow regardless, breaking the curse. On the wedding day of Snow White and Prince Charming, the Evil Queen arrives and delivers an ominous threat about a powerful curse she intends to release upon them. Some time later, a pregnant Snow White is worried about the curse and visits Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) in prison, who issues a prophecy that the Queen's curse will take them all someplace terrible where there will be no happy endings. He also reveals that Snow White's unborn daughter Emma will return when she is 28 years old to rescue them, thus beginning a crucial battle with the Queen. Following the Blue Fairy's (Keegan Connor Tracy) advice, Geppetto (Tony Amendola) and Pinocchio (Jakob Davies) fashion a wardrobe from a magical tree which will allow one person to escape the Queen's curse. On the day Snow White gives birth to her daughter, the Queen's curse strikes. Prince Charming places their daughter in the magic wardrobe, but is mortally wounded battling the Queen's henchmen. The Queen stands triumphantly over Snow White and Prince Charming’s body, as the Curse takes them "somewhere horrible."

In Boston edit

In present-day Boston, Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) lives a lonely existence working as a bail bondsman and bounty hunter. On her 28th birthday, she is approached by a ten-year-old boy, Henry (Jared S. Gilmore), who identifies himself as her son, whom she had given up for adoption as a teenager. Not wanting a relationship with him, Emma agrees to drive him back to his home in Storybrooke, Maine. Along the way, Henry shows her his large book of fairytales, correctly insisting that all of the stories in it are real. Henry also tries to convince Emma that she is the product of true love and she needs to break a curse the Evil Queen has cast over many fairy tale characters, including her family.

In Storybrooke edit

When they arrive in Storybrooke, Henry informs her that everyone in town is in reality a fairy tale character, exiled by the curse and with no memory of their real identities. This includes his therapist Archie Hopper (Raphael Sbarge), who is really Jiminy Cricket, and his teacher Mary Margaret Blanchard (Goodwin), who is really Snow White. Henry claims that time is frozen in Storybrooke and the people are unable to leave, but that the curse will be broken by Emma. A skeptical Emma returns Henry to his adopted mother, the town Mayor, Regina (Parrilla), who is really the Evil Queen. Emma attempts to leave but after having drunk apple cider given to her by the Mayor and nearly hitting a wolf she has a car accident where she is knocked out. While unconscious, she is arrested and taken to Storybrooke Jail for supposedly drunk driving. When Henry runs away again, Emma makes a deal with the Mayor and Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan): if they release her, she will find him. After exhausting all possibilities she speaks with Mary Margaret, who tells Emma to "Check his castle." After finding Henry at a wooden jungle gym (which bears a resemblance to Prince Charming's castle), they talk and Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke temporarily, especially after Regina warns her to leave town. This leads Emma to be suspicious of the mayor's motives.

Shortly after her conversation with Emma, Mary Margaret volunteers at Storybrooke Hospital, placing flowers at the bedside of patients. She stops in the ICU where a John Doe (Dallas) is sleeping in a coma. Mary Margaret is unaware of who he is. Meanwhile, at the Mayor's home, Regina takes the book from Henry's room and goes downstairs to look at her mirror, with an expression that seems to acknowledge she is aware of her fairy tale existence.

As Emma arrives at Granny's Bed & Breakfast, she is given a key to her room by the elderly proprietor (Beverley Elliot) and her estranged granddaughter Ruby (Meghan Ory), who are actually the Grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood respectively. They are followed by a man who came to collect money: Mr. Gold (Carlyle), who helped build and owns the entire town, and is actually Rumpelstiltskin. When Emma mentions her name, Mr. Gold pauses as if he knew something about her. Emma's decision to stay in Storybrooke causes the hands of the town clock, previously frozen at 8:15, to begin moving again, indicating that the Dark Curse is beginning to weaken, as Henry watches from his room, smiling.

Production edit

Pre-production edit

On February 1, 2011, ABC ordered six new pilots for their 2011–2012 television schedule, which included Once Upon a Time.[1] The premiere episode was co-written by series co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, and was directed by Mark Mylod.[2] Mylod, a veteran of the Showtime drama Shameless, signed on to direct in mid-February 2011.[3] The network picked up Once Upon a Time and six other drama series on May 13, 2011.[4]

Writing edit

The idea is to take these characters that we all know collectively and try to find things about them that we haven’t explored before. Sometimes it’s a story point, sometimes it’s a thematic connection, sometimes it's a dilemma they face in both worlds that is similar. We are not generally retelling the exact same story as the fairy tale world.

 — Executive producer Adam Horowitz[5]

Eight years previous to the Once Upon a Time pilot (the two had just completed their work on Felicity, in 2002), Kitsis and Horowitz became inspired to write fairytales out of a love of "mystery and excitement of exploring lots of different worlds."[6] They presented the premise to networks, but were refused because of its fantastical nature.[7] The two learned from their time on Lost to look at the story in a different way,[7] that "character has to trump mythology";[5] they expanded, "as people, you've got to see what the void in their heart or in their lives is to care about them... For us, this was as much about the character journeys and seeing what was ripped from them in coming to Storybrooke – going at it that way as opposed to making it the 'break-the-curse show.'"[8] Despite the comparisons and similarities to Lost, the writers intend them to be very different shows.[7] To them, Lost concerned itself with redemption, while Once Upon a Time is about "hope".[9] Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof aided in the development of the series as a consultant, but had no official credit for the pilot.[1][10]

To differentiate the storytelling from what the audience already knew, the writing staff decided to begin the pilot with the end of the typical Snow White fairytale.[8] Themes concerning family and motherhood were emphasized, in contrast to the focus on fatherhood in Lost. Kitsis and Horowitz sought to write strong female characters, rather than the classic damsel in distress. Horowitz stated their desire to approach each character the same way, asking themselves, "How do we make these icons real, make them relatable?"[7]

The pilot is meant to be the "template of the series".[6] Kitsis confirmed that every week will contain flashbacks between both worlds,[5] as they "love the idea of going back and forth and informing what the character is missing in their life."[11] The writers' desire to present a "mash up" of many small characters can be seen in a scene of the pilot, in which there is a war council featuring Geppetto, Pinocchio, and Grumpy. Horowitz elaborated, "One of the fun things for us coming up with these stories is thinking of ways these different characters can interact in ways they never have before."[7]

Casting edit

 
 
Ginnifer Goodwin (left) and Jennifer Morrison play mother and daughter Snow White and Emma Swan. The two actresses were often mistaken for each other early in their careers.[12]

Horowitz stated that everyone they initially wanted cast in the series accepted their offered role after being sent a script.[6][7] Ginnifer Goodwin was cast as Snow White,[13] who appreciated that she would be playing a strong character that was fleshed out for the audience. The actress had just completed her work on the series Big Love, and was looking for a new project; she turned to television after film scripts failed to interest her. Having said previously in interviews that she would love to play Snow White, Goodwin called her acceptance of the role "a no-brainer."[12] Both Kitsis and Horowitz are self-described big fans of Big Love, and wrote the part of Snow White with Goodwin in mind.[7]

Joshua Dallas, who plays Prince Charming, was pleased the writers took "some dramatic license" with his character, believing the prince had become more real. He explained, "Prince Charming just happens to be a name. He's still a man with the same emotions as any other man. He's a Prince, but he's a Prince of the people. He gets his hands dirty. He's got a kingdom to run. He has a family to protect. He has an epic, epic love for Snow White. He's like everybody else. He's human."[12] Jennifer Morrison was hired for the part of Emma Swan.[14] The actress explained her character as someone who "help[s] this kid who seems like he's a little bit emotionally dysfunctional," but noted that Emma does not yet believe there is a fairytale universe.[12] Ten-year-old Jared Gilmore, known for his work on Mad Men, took the role of her son, Henry.[14]

The role of the Evil Queen/Regina went to Lana Parrilla.[15] She explained the character, "There's always two stories being told when playing Regina. There's the threat of her knowing she's an evil queen and then there's just the pure simple fact that the biological mother has stepped into her world and the threat of losing her son is just enormous. That's a fear that I think any adopted mother would have. I think that's going to really help the audience relate to Regina in some level."[12] The role of Rumpelstiltskin was given to Robert Carlyle;[16] it was written with Carlyle in mind, though the writers initially thought he would never accept the part.[5] Horowitz recalled Carlyle's prison sequence, which was the actor's first day on the set as "mind-blowing... You could see Ginny actually jump, the first time he did that character. It was fantastic!"[6] The writers offered the part of the Blue Fairy to recording artist Lady Gaga, but never heard back from her management staff.[5]

Visual effects edit

Executive producer Steve Pearlman referred to Once Upon a Time as "an effects-heavy show,"[12] but in ways that are not meant to be obvious to viewers.[17] Zoic Studios provided the visual effects seen in the pilot, building virtual sets for the fairy tale sequences and using F/X for action scenes.[17] Production and visual effects staff collaborated under a difficult schedule and limited budget. The studio has used the technology Zoic's Environmental Unification System (Z.E.U.S.) for real time camera tracking, allowing for creative flexibility among the cast and crew, who work on a green screen stage. Andrew Orloff, Zoic's Executive Creative Director, commented "Once Upon A Time is an amazing creative opportunity for Zoic. The highly detailed environments and imaginative characters of the series' fairy tale world have challenged us to expand and fine-tune both our Z.E.U.S. and animation pipelines for television."[18]

Zoic Studios digitally reproduced the war room and ballroom castle interiors based on concept designs created by Art Director Mark Worthington. For the wedding scene, Zoic staff extended columns, added stained glass windows, and completed the wedding party with additions of digital guests.[18] The effect of the Evil Queen disappearing from Charming's flying sword cost ABC a reported $12,000.[17] Kitsis has commented that because the network has been very supportive, they are not worried about losing the "fantastical feel" of the series' flashback sequences. He explained, "We can’t show this pilot and then have a cheap show after it, so it’s our goal to maintain this level of production values throughout."[11] Zoic visual effects will continue to be used for future episodes.[18]

Marketing edit

On October 14, 2011 – nine days before the national broadcast date – Kitsis and Horowitz presented an early screening of the pilot episode at a New York Comic Con panel and answered questions from fans.[5] Later, viewers were able to stream the entire pilot episode from the Internet Movie Database in advance of its broadcast.[19]

The pilot episode aired in October rather than September, which was a month after new fall season shows normally premiered. Pearlman was pleased with the later broadcast date, believing that "it creates a second wave of anticipation for an audience, too. I work in the business and I couldn't even tell you the names of a third of the new shows this season because we were bombarded with all the messaging."[12]

The episode was included in Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale – a novelization of the first season – which was published by Hyperion Books in 2013.[20][21]

Cultural references edit

The pilot contained a number of popular culture references noted by viewers and television critics. There were several references to Lost, another series scripted by episode writers Kitsis and Horowitz. The street address of Regina's home is 108, the town clock is stuck at 8:15 (the same number as the doomed airline flight in the aforementioned series), there is a Geranimo Jackson bumper sticker on Emma's car, the smoke monster engulfing the Enchanted Forest, and Emma's eye-opening after she wakes up.[11][22] Kitsis noted of the references, "[Lost co-creator] Damon [Lindelof] has been a godfather to us. His name is not on the show, but he is in the DNA of it."[11] Horowitz also stated their intention to continue making Lost references in the future.[5]

Snow White and Prince Charming use a powerfully magical wardrobe to transport their new-born baby to a different universe (our own "real world"). In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first volume of C. S. Lewis's Narnia series, a similarly powerful magical wardrobe transports the main characters between the real world and the magical universe of Narnia.

Another cultural reference appeared in a scene when Emma hears Leroy (who is actually Grumpy) whistling Whistle While You Work (the song used in the 1937 film version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), indicating its acknowledged ties to Disney, whose subsidiary ABC Studios also happens to be the production company behind Once Upon a Time, since Disney has allowed them access to their fairy tale characters and properties for use in the series. "They've given us license," Kitsis said. "I could be wrong, but I think this is the first time anyone's shown Snow White with a sword, or pregnant."[23] Other Disney references include the blue star candle Emma wishes on, nodding to the scene in the 1940 film version of Pinocchio where Pinocchio wishes on a blue star and his wish is granted by the Blue Fairy (both of whom also make a brief appearance alongside Jiminy Cricket in this episode).[24]

The Black Keys' song "Howlin' for You" is featured in Emma's introduction scene.[25]

Reception edit

Ratings edit

Premiering out of its 8:00 pm timeslot after America's Funniest Videos, the pilot was viewed by an estimated 12.93 million viewers and received a 4.0 rating/11% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49.[26] As a result, It was the season's highest rated drama debut among adults 18-49 and ABC's biggest debut in five years. It competed against The World Series Pre-Game on FOX, Football Night In America on NBC and The Amazing Race on CBS. It also competed against some of Sunday Night Football.[27][28] Including DVR ratings, the episode totaled 15.48 million viewers and a 5.2 18-49 rating.[29]

In Canada, CTV debuted the series an hour ahead of ABC's debut, airing it at 7 pm in all regions except in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, where it debuted at 10 pm.[30] The pilot was watched by 1.764 million viewers, placing 14th for the week.[31] In the UK, the pilot aired on Channel 5 on a 9 pm slot and pulled in 2.36 million viewers, the highest throughout the week of April 9, 2012 for the channel.[32]

Reviews edit

"Pilot" received mostly positive reviews from television critics.

In a review from Zap2it, Rick Porter gave the pilot praise for bringing together the central theme, saying "No other new show this fall is attempting to tell a bigger story, and we're hoping the rough patches smooth out and it fulfills the potential that's there in its very strong cast and premise." It also cited Jennifer Morrison and Jared Gilmore's performances when they appear in scenes together: "As such it falls to Morrison to move the story along in this world, and fortunately for the audience she's able to pull it off. She gives a confident, grounded performance that helps keep the show from feeling too fantastical, and her rapport with Gilmore is a big plus too." He also notes the writers and producers have put together a great premise and expects they'll have more as the series progresses: "Given the cast and the people involved behind the scenes... we're more optimistic than not that Once Upon a Time will find its way. But if it doesn't, at least it will go down swinging."[33]

The New York Times writer Mike Hale compared Once Upon a Time with the similarly premised series Grimm, believing that the former has a "richer premise and more interesting characters." Hale in particular praised Goodwin and Morrison's performances, but concluded, "Watching the pilot again, though, it became harder to ignore the soap opera underpinnings and the twee sentimentality."[34] IGN's Amy Ratcliffe gave the episode an 8.0/10 rating, praising the casting, acting, and writing. While acknowledging there were "a few cheesy" moments, she expressed hope that the series would remain focused on its story rather than on too many special effects.[35]

TV Fanatic's Christine Orlando gave the episode 4.4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a beautiful, stunning, magical journey" and saying that she was "hooked from the opening scene." She complimented the whole cast, but especially Robert Carlyle, saying that he made "a perfectly creepy Rumpelstiltskin." She praised the character of Henry, saying, "He's spunky, intelligent and has just the right amount of persistence, and faith in fantasy to make you want to believe." She concluded by simply stating that it was "very, very good."[36]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Goldman, Eric (February 1, 2011). "Lost Writers' Once Upon a Time Among ABC Pilot Orders". IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  2. ^ "Once Upon a Time: "Pilot"". The Futon Critic. October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 14, 2011). "Three More Broadcast Pilots Find Directors". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 13, 2011). "3RD UPDATE: ABC Picks Up 7 New Dramas, 5 Comedies, 'Smothered' Still Alive". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Keily, Karl (October 15, 2011). "NYCC — Once Upon a Time — Pilot Screening and Panel". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Radish, Christina (October 23, 2011). "Co-Creator/Executive Producer Adam Horowitz Once Upon a Time Interview". Collider. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Campbell, Josie (August 25, 2011). "Lost's Kitsis, Horowitz Start At The Beginning With Once Upon A Time". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Phegley, Kiel (December 16, 2011). . Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  9. ^ Hale-Stern, Kaila (October 16, 2011). "On the TV show Once Upon a Time, all of your favorite fairy tale characters are trapped in Maine". io9. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  10. ^ Melrose, Kevin (March 7, 2011). "Robert Carlyle Is Rumpelstiltskin In ABC's Once Upon A Time". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d Webb Mitovich, Matt; Masters, Megan (August 7, 2011). "Real Truths Behind ABC's Once Upon a Time (Including That Pesky Fables Comparison)". TVLine. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Halterman, Jim (October 21, 2011). "Interview: "Once Upon a Time" Co-Stars Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas & Lana Parrilla". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 3, 2011). "Ginnifer Goodwin Joins ABC Drama Pilot 'Once Upon A Time' As Snow White". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 9, 2011). "Jennifer Morrison Set As The Lead In ABC Pilot 'Once Upon A Time', 3 Others Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 28, 2011). "Several Actors Board Broadcast Pilots". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  16. ^ Wightman, Catriona (March 8, 2011). "Robert Carlyle joins ABC fairytale pilot". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  17. ^ a b c Rice, Lynette (November 4, 2011). "The High Price of TV's Virtual Reality". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  18. ^ a b c DeMott, Rick (November 3, 2011). "Zoic Tells the VFX Story of Once Upon A Time". Animation World Network. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  19. ^ Adams, Erik (October 20, 2011). "Once Upon A Time pilot now streaming happily ever after at IMDB". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  20. ^ Beane, Odette (2013). Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale. Hyperion Books. ISBN 9781401305499.
  21. ^ Reawakened: A Once Upon a Time Tale. WorldCat. OCLC 837922499.
  22. ^ TVLine staff (October 23, 2011). "Did Once Upon a Time Work Its Magic on You? Plus: What Questions Do You Have?". TVLine. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  23. ^ Martin, Denise (August 7, 2011). "Once Upon A Time Producers: Damon Lindelof's DNA Runs Through Our Show". TV Guide. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  24. ^ Carlyle, Robert; Dallas, Josh; Goodwin, Ginnifer; Horowitz, Adam; Kitsis, Edward; Morrison, Jennifer; Parrilla, Lana; Pearlman, Steve; Sbarge, Raphael (March 4, 2012). (Interview). Interviewed by Matt Mitovich. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  25. ^ Beard, Lanford (October 29, 2011). "TV Jukebox: 'Once Upon A Time,' 'The Good Wife' feature our favorite songs on TV this week". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  26. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 24, 2011). . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  27. ^ Hibberd, James (October 28, 2011). "'Once Upon a Time' Casts a Spell on Sunday Night". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  28. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 24, 2011). . TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  29. ^ . TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 9, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  30. ^ . FallTVPreview/Channel Canada. Archived from the original on 2011-10-12.
  31. ^ (PDF) (Press release). BBM Canada. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  32. ^ Millar, Paul (April 2, 2012). "'Once Upon a Time' Channel 5 premiere enchants 2.2m". Digital Spy.
  33. ^ . Zap2it. October 24, 2011. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  34. ^ Hale, Mike (October 21, 2011). "Television Review Once Upon a Time — Grimm". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  35. ^ Ratcliffe, Amy (October 21, 2011). "Once Upon a Time: "Pilot" Review". IGN. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  36. ^ Orlando, Christine (October 23, 2011). "Once Upon a Time Review: Believe in Magic". TV Fanatic. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Pilot.

October 28, 2023
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Pilot is the series premiere of the American fairy tale drama television series Once Upon a Time It introduces each of the main characters in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke Maine as well as establishes the basic premise of the series which details the beginnings of a curse placed upon the Enchanted Forest and the start of a destiny for its only savior a present day woman who can break the curse Pilot Once Upon a Time episodePrince Charming watches over Snow WhiteEpisode no Season 1Episode 1Directed byMark MylodTeleplay byEdward Kitsis Adam HorowitzOriginal air dateOctober 23 2011 2011 10 23 Guest appearancesTony Amendola as Geppetto Marco Lee Arenberg as Grumpy Leroy Peter Bryant as Jailer Warren Christie as Ryan Marlow Beverley Elliott as Granny Widow Lucas Meghan Ory as Red Riding Hood Ruby Keegan Connor Tracy as Blue FairyEpisode chronology Previous Next The Thing You Love Most Once Upon a Time season 1 List of episodesThe Once Upon a Time pilot episode was written by the show s creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and later directed by Mark Mylod Kitsis and Horowitz sought to write new perspectives of familiar characters and featured the themes of hope family and motherhood The pilot episode sets the template for the rest of the series as it jumps between their cursed selves in Storybrooke and their original lives in the Enchanted Forest Every actor first approached for the series accepted after being sent a script this included Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan Before it made its debut ABC allowed viewers in the United States to see the pilot on the Internet Movie Database s website several days before it aired It premiered in the United States on ABC on October 23 2011 In Canada CTV broadcast the series an hour ahead of ABC s debut airing it at 7 pm in most regions The episode received mostly positive reviews and was watched by 12 93 million viewers scoring a 4 0 rating 11 share in the 18 49 demographic ranking first in its timeslot It was ABC s most watched pilot since the pilot episode of Ugly Betty Contents 1 Plot 1 1 Opening sequence 1 2 In the characters past 1 3 In Boston 1 4 In Storybrooke 2 Production 2 1 Pre production 2 2 Writing 2 3 Casting 2 4 Visual effects 2 5 Marketing 2 6 Cultural references 3 Reception 3 1 Ratings 3 2 Reviews 4 References 5 External linksPlot editOpening sequence edit A title card which states Once Upon a Time In the characters past edit Prince Charming Joshua Dallas rides to the rescue of Snow White Ginnifer Goodwin who is comatose after eating a poisoned apple that was given to her by the Evil Queen Lana Parrilla Doc informs Charming that he is too late but Charming kisses Snow regardless breaking the curse On the wedding day of Snow White and Prince Charming the Evil Queen arrives and delivers an ominous threat about a powerful curse she intends to release upon them Some time later a pregnant Snow White is worried about the curse and visits Rumpelstiltskin Robert Carlyle in prison who issues a prophecy that the Queen s curse will take them all someplace terrible where there will be no happy endings He also reveals that Snow White s unborn daughter Emma will return when she is 28 years old to rescue them thus beginning a crucial battle with the Queen Following the Blue Fairy s Keegan Connor Tracy advice Geppetto Tony Amendola and Pinocchio Jakob Davies fashion a wardrobe from a magical tree which will allow one person to escape the Queen s curse On the day Snow White gives birth to her daughter the Queen s curse strikes Prince Charming places their daughter in the magic wardrobe but is mortally wounded battling the Queen s henchmen The Queen stands triumphantly over Snow White and Prince Charming s body as the Curse takes them somewhere horrible In Boston edit In present day Boston Emma Swan Jennifer Morrison lives a lonely existence working as a bail bondsman and bounty hunter On her 28th birthday she is approached by a ten year old boy Henry Jared S Gilmore who identifies himself as her son whom she had given up for adoption as a teenager Not wanting a relationship with him Emma agrees to drive him back to his home in Storybrooke Maine Along the way Henry shows her his large book of fairytales correctly insisting that all of the stories in it are real Henry also tries to convince Emma that she is the product of true love and she needs to break a curse the Evil Queen has cast over many fairy tale characters including her family In Storybrooke edit When they arrive in Storybrooke Henry informs her that everyone in town is in reality a fairy tale character exiled by the curse and with no memory of their real identities This includes his therapist Archie Hopper Raphael Sbarge who is really Jiminy Cricket and his teacher Mary Margaret Blanchard Goodwin who is really Snow White Henry claims that time is frozen in Storybrooke and the people are unable to leave but that the curse will be broken by Emma A skeptical Emma returns Henry to his adopted mother the town Mayor Regina Parrilla who is really the Evil Queen Emma attempts to leave but after having drunk apple cider given to her by the Mayor and nearly hitting a wolf she has a car accident where she is knocked out While unconscious she is arrested and taken to Storybrooke Jail for supposedly drunk driving When Henry runs away again Emma makes a deal with the Mayor and Sheriff Graham Jamie Dornan if they release her she will find him After exhausting all possibilities she speaks with Mary Margaret who tells Emma to Check his castle After finding Henry at a wooden jungle gym which bears a resemblance to Prince Charming s castle they talk and Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke temporarily especially after Regina warns her to leave town This leads Emma to be suspicious of the mayor s motives Shortly after her conversation with Emma Mary Margaret volunteers at Storybrooke Hospital placing flowers at the bedside of patients She stops in the ICU where a John Doe Dallas is sleeping in a coma Mary Margaret is unaware of who he is Meanwhile at the Mayor s home Regina takes the book from Henry s room and goes downstairs to look at her mirror with an expression that seems to acknowledge she is aware of her fairy tale existence As Emma arrives at Granny s Bed amp Breakfast she is given a key to her room by the elderly proprietor Beverley Elliot and her estranged granddaughter Ruby Meghan Ory who are actually the Grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood respectively They are followed by a man who came to collect money Mr Gold Carlyle who helped build and owns the entire town and is actually Rumpelstiltskin When Emma mentions her name Mr Gold pauses as if he knew something about her Emma s decision to stay in Storybrooke causes the hands of the town clock previously frozen at 8 15 to begin moving again indicating that the Dark Curse is beginning to weaken as Henry watches from his room smiling Production editPre production edit On February 1 2011 ABC ordered six new pilots for their 2011 2012 television schedule which included Once Upon a Time 1 The premiere episode was co written by series co creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and was directed by Mark Mylod 2 Mylod a veteran of the Showtime drama Shameless signed on to direct in mid February 2011 3 The network picked up Once Upon a Time and six other drama series on May 13 2011 4 Writing edit The idea is to take these characters that we all know collectively and try to find things about them that we haven t explored before Sometimes it s a story point sometimes it s a thematic connection sometimes it s a dilemma they face in both worlds that is similar We are not generally retelling the exact same story as the fairy tale world Executive producer Adam Horowitz 5 Eight years previous to the Once Upon a Time pilot the two had just completed their work on Felicity in 2002 Kitsis and Horowitz became inspired to write fairytales out of a love of mystery and excitement of exploring lots of different worlds 6 They presented the premise to networks but were refused because of its fantastical nature 7 The two learned from their time on Lost to look at the story in a different way 7 that character has to trump mythology 5 they expanded as people you ve got to see what the void in their heart or in their lives is to care about them For us this was as much about the character journeys and seeing what was ripped from them in coming to Storybrooke going at it that way as opposed to making it the break the curse show 8 Despite the comparisons and similarities to Lost the writers intend them to be very different shows 7 To them Lost concerned itself with redemption while Once Upon a Time is about hope 9 Lost co creator Damon Lindelof aided in the development of the series as a consultant but had no official credit for the pilot 1 10 To differentiate the storytelling from what the audience already knew the writing staff decided to begin the pilot with the end of the typical Snow White fairytale 8 Themes concerning family and motherhood were emphasized in contrast to the focus on fatherhood in Lost Kitsis and Horowitz sought to write strong female characters rather than the classic damsel in distress Horowitz stated their desire to approach each character the same way asking themselves How do we make these icons real make them relatable 7 The pilot is meant to be the template of the series 6 Kitsis confirmed that every week will contain flashbacks between both worlds 5 as they love the idea of going back and forth and informing what the character is missing in their life 11 The writers desire to present a mash up of many small characters can be seen in a scene of the pilot in which there is a war council featuring Geppetto Pinocchio and Grumpy Horowitz elaborated One of the fun things for us coming up with these stories is thinking of ways these different characters can interact in ways they never have before 7 Casting edit nbsp nbsp Ginnifer Goodwin left and Jennifer Morrison play mother and daughter Snow White and Emma Swan The two actresses were often mistaken for each other early in their careers 12 Horowitz stated that everyone they initially wanted cast in the series accepted their offered role after being sent a script 6 7 Ginnifer Goodwin was cast as Snow White 13 who appreciated that she would be playing a strong character that was fleshed out for the audience The actress had just completed her work on the series Big Love and was looking for a new project she turned to television after film scripts failed to interest her Having said previously in interviews that she would love to play Snow White Goodwin called her acceptance of the role a no brainer 12 Both Kitsis and Horowitz are self described big fans of Big Love and wrote the part of Snow White with Goodwin in mind 7 Joshua Dallas who plays Prince Charming was pleased the writers took some dramatic license with his character believing the prince had become more real He explained Prince Charming just happens to be a name He s still a man with the same emotions as any other man He s a Prince but he s a Prince of the people He gets his hands dirty He s got a kingdom to run He has a family to protect He has an epic epic love for Snow White He s like everybody else He s human 12 Jennifer Morrison was hired for the part of Emma Swan 14 The actress explained her character as someone who help s this kid who seems like he s a little bit emotionally dysfunctional but noted that Emma does not yet believe there is a fairytale universe 12 Ten year old Jared Gilmore known for his work on Mad Men took the role of her son Henry 14 The role of the Evil Queen Regina went to Lana Parrilla 15 She explained the character There s always two stories being told when playing Regina There s the threat of her knowing she s an evil queen and then there s just the pure simple fact that the biological mother has stepped into her world and the threat of losing her son is just enormous That s a fear that I think any adopted mother would have I think that s going to really help the audience relate to Regina in some level 12 The role of Rumpelstiltskin was given to Robert Carlyle 16 it was written with Carlyle in mind though the writers initially thought he would never accept the part 5 Horowitz recalled Carlyle s prison sequence which was the actor s first day on the set as mind blowing You could see Ginny actually jump the first time he did that character It was fantastic 6 The writers offered the part of the Blue Fairy to recording artist Lady Gaga but never heard back from her management staff 5 Visual effects edit Executive producer Steve Pearlman referred to Once Upon a Time as an effects heavy show 12 but in ways that are not meant to be obvious to viewers 17 Zoic Studios provided the visual effects seen in the pilot building virtual sets for the fairy tale sequences and using F X for action scenes 17 Production and visual effects staff collaborated under a difficult schedule and limited budget The studio has used the technology Zoic s Environmental Unification System Z E U S for real time camera tracking allowing for creative flexibility among the cast and crew who work on a green screen stage Andrew Orloff Zoic s Executive Creative Director commented Once Upon A Time is an amazing creative opportunity for Zoic The highly detailed environments and imaginative characters of the series fairy tale world have challenged us to expand and fine tune both our Z E U S and animation pipelines for television 18 Zoic Studios digitally reproduced the war room and ballroom castle interiors based on concept designs created by Art Director Mark Worthington For the wedding scene Zoic staff extended columns added stained glass windows and completed the wedding party with additions of digital guests 18 The effect of the Evil Queen disappearing from Charming s flying sword cost ABC a reported 12 000 17 Kitsis has commented that because the network has been very supportive they are not worried about losing the fantastical feel of the series flashback sequences He explained We can t show this pilot and then have a cheap show after it so it s our goal to maintain this level of production values throughout 11 Zoic visual effects will continue to be used for future episodes 18 Marketing edit On October 14 2011 nine days before the national broadcast date Kitsis and Horowitz presented an early screening of the pilot episode at a New York Comic Con panel and answered questions from fans 5 Later viewers were able to stream the entire pilot episode from the Internet Movie Database in advance of its broadcast 19 The pilot episode aired in October rather than September which was a month after new fall season shows normally premiered Pearlman was pleased with the later broadcast date believing that it creates a second wave of anticipation for an audience too I work in the business and I couldn t even tell you the names of a third of the new shows this season because we were bombarded with all the messaging 12 The episode was included in Reawakened A Once Upon a Time Tale a novelization of the first season which was published by Hyperion Books in 2013 20 21 Cultural references edit The pilot contained a number of popular culture references noted by viewers and television critics There were several references to Lost another series scripted by episode writers Kitsis and Horowitz The street address of Regina s home is 108 the town clock is stuck at 8 15 the same number as the doomed airline flight in the aforementioned series there is a Geranimo Jackson bumper sticker on Emma s car the smoke monster engulfing the Enchanted Forest and Emma s eye opening after she wakes up 11 22 Kitsis noted of the references Lost co creator Damon Lindelof has been a godfather to us His name is not on the show but he is in the DNA of it 11 Horowitz also stated their intention to continue making Lost references in the future 5 Snow White and Prince Charming use a powerfully magical wardrobe to transport their new born baby to a different universe our own real world In The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe the first volume of C S Lewis s Narnia series a similarly powerful magical wardrobe transports the main characters between the real world and the magical universe of Narnia Another cultural reference appeared in a scene when Emma hears Leroy who is actually Grumpy whistling Whistle While You Work the song used in the 1937 film version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs indicating its acknowledged ties to Disney whose subsidiary ABC Studios also happens to be the production company behind Once Upon a Time since Disney has allowed them access to their fairy tale characters and properties for use in the series They ve given us license Kitsis said I could be wrong but I think this is the first time anyone s shown Snow White with a sword or pregnant 23 Other Disney references include the blue star candle Emma wishes on nodding to the scene in the 1940 film version of Pinocchio where Pinocchio wishes on a blue star and his wish is granted by the Blue Fairy both of whom also make a brief appearance alongside Jiminy Cricket in this episode 24 The Black Keys song Howlin for You is featured in Emma s introduction scene 25 Reception editRatings edit Premiering out of its 8 00 pm timeslot after America s Funniest Videos the pilot was viewed by an estimated 12 93 million viewers and received a 4 0 rating 11 share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49 26 As a result It was the season s highest rated drama debut among adults 18 49 and ABC s biggest debut in five years It competed against The World Series Pre Game on FOX Football Night In America on NBC and The Amazing Race on CBS It also competed against some of Sunday Night Football 27 28 Including DVR ratings the episode totaled 15 48 million viewers and a 5 2 18 49 rating 29 In Canada CTV debuted the series an hour ahead of ABC s debut airing it at 7 pm in all regions except in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg where it debuted at 10 pm 30 The pilot was watched by 1 764 million viewers placing 14th for the week 31 In the UK the pilot aired on Channel 5 on a 9 pm slot and pulled in 2 36 million viewers the highest throughout the week of April 9 2012 for the channel 32 Reviews edit Pilot received mostly positive reviews from television critics In a review from Zap2it Rick Porter gave the pilot praise for bringing together the central theme saying No other new show this fall is attempting to tell a bigger story and we re hoping the rough patches smooth out and it fulfills the potential that s there in its very strong cast and premise It also cited Jennifer Morrison and Jared Gilmore s performances when they appear in scenes together As such it falls to Morrison to move the story along in this world and fortunately for the audience she s able to pull it off She gives a confident grounded performance that helps keep the show from feeling too fantastical and her rapport with Gilmore is a big plus too He also notes the writers and producers have put together a great premise and expects they ll have more as the series progresses Given the cast and the people involved behind the scenes we re more optimistic than not that Once Upon a Time will find its way But if it doesn t at least it will go down swinging 33 The New York Times writer Mike Hale compared Once Upon a Time with the similarly premised series Grimm believing that the former has a richer premise and more interesting characters Hale in particular praised Goodwin and Morrison s performances but concluded Watching the pilot again though it became harder to ignore the soap opera underpinnings and the twee sentimentality 34 IGN s Amy Ratcliffe gave the episode an 8 0 10 rating praising the casting acting and writing While acknowledging there were a few cheesy moments she expressed hope that the series would remain focused on its story rather than on too many special effects 35 TV Fanatic s Christine Orlando gave the episode 4 4 out of 5 stars calling it a beautiful stunning magical journey and saying that she was hooked from the opening scene She complimented the whole cast but especially Robert Carlyle saying that he made a perfectly creepy Rumpelstiltskin She praised the character of Henry saying He s spunky intelligent and has just the right amount of persistence and faith in fantasy to make you want to believe She concluded by simply stating that it was very very good 36 References edit a b Goldman Eric February 1 2011 Lost Writers Once Upon a Time Among ABC Pilot Orders IGN Retrieved January 3 2012 Once Upon a Time Pilot The Futon Critic October 3 2011 Retrieved October 26 2011 Andreeva Nellie February 14 2011 Three More Broadcast Pilots Find Directors Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 4 2012 Andreeva Nellie May 13 2011 3RD UPDATE ABC Picks Up 7 New Dramas 5 Comedies Smothered Still Alive Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 4 2012 a b c d e f g Keily Karl October 15 2011 NYCC Once Upon a Time Pilot Screening and Panel Comic Book Resources Retrieved January 3 2012 a b c d Radish Christina October 23 2011 Co Creator Executive Producer Adam Horowitz Once Upon a Time Interview Collider Retrieved January 3 2012 a b c d e f g Campbell Josie August 25 2011 Lost s Kitsis Horowitz Start At The Beginning With Once Upon A Time Comic Book Resources Retrieved January 4 2012 a b Phegley Kiel December 16 2011 Once Upon a Time Creators Talk Willingham Lindelof and Icons Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on January 7 2012 Retrieved January 3 2012 Hale Stern Kaila October 16 2011 On the TV show Once Upon a Time all of your favorite fairy tale characters are trapped in Maine io9 Retrieved January 4 2012 Melrose Kevin March 7 2011 Robert Carlyle Is Rumpelstiltskin In ABC s Once Upon A Time Comic Book Resources Retrieved January 4 2012 a b c d Webb Mitovich Matt Masters Megan August 7 2011 Real Truths Behind ABC s Once Upon a Time Including That Pesky Fables Comparison TVLine Retrieved January 3 2012 a b c d e f g Halterman Jim October 21 2011 Interview Once Upon a Time Co Stars Ginnifer Goodwin Josh Dallas amp Lana Parrilla The Futon Critic Retrieved January 3 2012 Andreeva Nellie March 3 2011 Ginnifer Goodwin Joins ABC Drama Pilot Once Upon A Time As Snow White Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 4 2012 a b Andreeva Nellie March 9 2011 Jennifer Morrison Set As The Lead In ABC Pilot Once Upon A Time 3 Others Cast Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 4 2012 Andreeva Nellie February 28 2011 Several Actors Board Broadcast Pilots Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 4 2012 Wightman Catriona March 8 2011 Robert Carlyle joins ABC fairytale pilot Digital Spy Retrieved January 3 2012 a b c Rice Lynette November 4 2011 The High Price of TV s Virtual Reality Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 4 2012 a b c DeMott Rick November 3 2011 Zoic Tells the VFX Story of Once Upon A Time Animation World Network Retrieved January 4 2012 Adams Erik October 20 2011 Once Upon A Time pilot now streaming happily ever after at IMDB The A V Club Retrieved January 3 2012 Beane Odette 2013 Reawakened A Once Upon a Time Tale Hyperion Books ISBN 9781401305499 Reawakened A Once Upon a Time Tale WorldCat OCLC 837922499 TVLine staff October 23 2011 Did Once Upon a Time Work Its Magic on You Plus What Questions Do You Have TVLine Retrieved January 3 2012 Martin Denise August 7 2011 Once Upon A Time Producers Damon Lindelof s DNA Runs Through Our Show TV Guide Retrieved August 26 2011 Carlyle Robert Dallas Josh Goodwin Ginnifer Horowitz Adam Kitsis Edward Morrison Jennifer Parrilla Lana Pearlman Steve Sbarge Raphael March 4 2012 Paleyfest 2012 A Conversation with the Cast and Creators of Once Upon a Time Interview Interviewed by Matt Mitovich Archived from the original on March 13 2012 Retrieved March 5 2012 Beard Lanford October 29 2011 TV Jukebox Once Upon A Time The Good Wife feature our favorite songs on TV this week Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 3 2012 Gorman Bill October 24 2011 Sunday Final Ratings Once Upon A Time Adjusted Up Final Ratings For World Series Game 4 amp Saints Colts TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on October 27 2011 Retrieved October 24 2011 Hibberd James October 28 2011 Once Upon a Time Casts a Spell on Sunday Night Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 3 2012 Gorman Bill October 24 2011 ABC s Once Upon a Time Opens as the Season s 1 New Drama TVbytheNumbers Archived from the original on October 26 2011 Retrieved October 25 2011 Live 7 DVR Ratings Modern Family Tops Absolute Gains Private Practice Tops Gains In Week 5 TV by the Numbers Archived from the original on November 9 2011 Retrieved January 3 2012 Once Upon A Time FallTVPreview Channel Canada Archived from the original on 2011 10 12 Top Programs Total Canada English October 17 October 23 2011 PDF Press release BBM Canada 2011 Archived from the original PDF on September 28 2013 Retrieved September 22 2013 Millar Paul April 2 2012 Once Upon a Time Channel 5 premiere enchants 2 2m Digital Spy Once Upon a Time review Fractured fairy tale has potential but no happy ending yet Zap2it October 24 2011 Archived from the original on October 25 2011 Retrieved October 26 2011 Hale Mike October 21 2011 Television Review Once Upon a Time Grimm The New York Times Retrieved January 3 2012 Ratcliffe Amy October 21 2011 Once Upon a Time Pilot Review IGN Retrieved January 3 2012 Orlando Christine October 23 2011 Once Upon a Time Review Believe in Magic TV Fanatic Retrieved January 21 2013 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Pilot Pilot at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pilot Once Upon a Time amp oldid 1179836046, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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