Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is an American fantasy-drama series that aired on ABC from
October 10, 2013 to April 3, 2014. It was created by Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Zack
Estrin, and Jane Espenson for ABC Studios. The program is a spin-off of Once Upon a Time
and aired on ABC at 8:00 pm Eastern/7:00 pm Central on Thursday nights in the 2013–14
television season beginning October 10, 2013. The series is based around the Lewis Carroll
novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland but with a different twist from the other adaptations
and takes place in the same universe as Once Upon a Time in present-day Wonderland, with
flashbacks to pre-Dark Curse Wonderland. As such, it follows the same setting as the parent
series, including the use of Disney- and Lost-related allusions. In addition, the series features
occasional crossover episodes with Once Upon a Time that involves connections with the
characters that are trapped in Storybrooke, Maine.
On March 27, 2014, it was revealed that the series would be ending after one season, with
the series finale airing on April 3, 2014. On April 1, 2014, it was reported that Michael
Socha was in talks to reprise his role as Will Scarlet/Knave of Hearts as a series regular
in the fourth season of Once Upon a Time. On April 20, 2014, it was confirmed that Michael
Socha will become a regular for Season 4 of the parent series.
Premise In a Victorian London-type world, the young
and beautiful Alice tells a tale of a strange new land that exists on the other side of
a rabbit hole. An invisible cat, a hookah-smoking caterpillar, and playing cards that talk are
just some of the fantastic things she's seen during this impossible adventure. Believing
Alice to be insane, her doctors aim to cure her with a treatment that will make her forget
everything. Alice seems ready to put it all behind her...especially the painful memory
of the genie Cyrus, with whom she fell in love before losing him forever. But deep down,
she knows this world is real. Just in the nick of time, the sardonic Knave of Hearts
and the irrepressible White Rabbit save her from a doomed fate. Now Alice is determined
to find Cyrus while evading the plots of Jafar and the Red Queen, all the while dealing with
the whimsical dangers of Wonderland, including the infamous Jabberwocky.
Cast and characters
Main cast Sophie Lowe as Alice
Michael Socha as Will Scarlet/Knave of Hearts Peter Gadiot as Cyrus
Emma Rigby as Anastasia/Red Queen Naveen Andrews as Jafar
John Lithgow as Percy the White Rabbit Recurring cast
Jonny Coyne as Dr. Lydgate Ben Cotton as Tweedledum
Heather Doerksen as Sarah Keith David as the Cheshire Cat
Marty Finochio as Tweedledee Brian George as the Sultan/Old Prisoner
Whoopi Goldberg as Mrs. Rabbit Lauren McKnight as Elizabeth "Lizard"
Iggy Pop as the Caterpillar Zuleikha Robinson as Amara
Peta Sergeant as the Jabberwocky Garwin Sanford as Red King
Shaun Smyth as Edwin Production and casting
In February 2013, Kitsis and Horowitz, along with producers Zack Estrin and Jane Espenson,
developed a spin-off focusing on Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. The show will include new characters,
such as "Amahl, described as exotic, soulful and optimistic; and The Knave, a sardonic
adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker." On March 28, 2013, it was
announced that Sophie Lowe would portray the lead role of Alice. It was also announced
that Peter Gadiot would play her love interest, Cyrus, who has "a background". Michael Socha
will portray the Knave of Hearts. Barbara Hershey, who has appeared as Cora, the Queen
of Hearts, in the main series, may also appear in this spin-off reprising the same role in
back stories . Also, during the month of April, Paul Reubens was cast as the voice of the
White Rabbit and Emma Rigby was cast as the Red Queen.
On May 10, 2013, ABC announced that it had greenlit the spin-off, as well as also announcing
that John Lithgow would replace Reubens as the voice of the White Rabbit. On May 14,
2013, ABC announced that the spin-off will air in the Thursday night timeslot instead
of making it a fill-in for the parent series. "We really want to tell the story without
having to worry about how to stretch it for five years," said Edward Kitsis. "This is
not meant to be a 22-episode season. Whatever it ends up being, we'll have told a complete
story ..." It was revealed in August at the TCA Summer Press Tour that, contrary to previous
reports that more than 13 episodes were ordered straight out the gate, only the usual amount
of 13 episodes had been ordered. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz commented "However many
we wind up doing this season, what we're planning to do is tell a kind of complete tale with
a beginning, middle and end" and added "If it does well [and] people like it, hopefully
we'll come back and tell another adventure with this cast."
At Comic-Con 2013, it was announced that former Lost star, Naveen Andrews, would be joining
the cast as the villain Jafar. It was announced in September that Keith David and Iggy Pop
would also be included on the cast, as the Cheshire Cat and Caterpillar respectively.
Iggy Pop will be a replacement for Roger Daltrey, who voiced the character originally as a guest
star on Once Upon a Time. Barbara Hershey reprised her role as the Queen of Hearts in
one episode. Episodes
Reception and ratings Reviews for the show were generally favorable.
The program has a 61/100 score on Metacritic based on 21 reviews. Mary McNamara of the
Los Angeles Times gave the show a positive review and wrote, "There is plenty of that—the
good, the beautiful and the etc. Some of it is conjured by CG magic, and some by just
good storytelling and performer chemistry, which Lowe and Socha have in abundance. Add
to that a smattering of witty dialogue, clever character twists and, of course, the Victo-goth
steampunk look, and ABC has another shot at redefining the family hour." David Wiegand
of the San Francisco Chronicle said that while the plot was "a little overstuffed", he wrote
that "the special effects, crisp direction and high-octane performances keep us interested
enough to follow Alice down the rabbit hole." Brian Lowry of Variety gave the show a mixed
review by writing, "Wonderland is equally handsome [as Once Upon a Time], but behind
those virtual sets lurk many potential flaws. An appealing Alice certainly helps matters,
but past performance reduces the likelihood of a fairy-tale ending."
Broadcast In Canada, City simulcasted the ABC broadcast
it debuted in October. References
External links Official website
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland at the Internet Movie Database
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland at TV.com