'Once Upon a Time' Creators on Whether Fans Enjoy Season 7: 'Depends Which Website You're On'

“Once Upon a Time” underwent some big changes ahead of the currently airing seventh season, and the new path has led to a wide variety of reactions.

Series co-creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis have observed a wide range of reactions from fans to this season, including some viewers who are enthusiastic and others who are less so. This current run of the ABC drama includes a number of new cast members following the exits of mainstays Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow), Josh Dallas (Prince Charming) and Jennifer Morrison (Emma) as series regulars after Season 6.

“It depends which website you’re on,” Kitsis told TheWrap about fan response. “[Viewers who] are with us seem to be open to this new device. Some of the things we’ve been hearing is fans were excited, and they feel that Season 1 vibe.”

Also Read: 'Once Upon a Time' Creators, Stars Tell Us About Latest Character Exit: 'I Was Crying Like a Baby'

He added that the goal for the show’s team is for viewers to feel enthused about “starting over and beginning that new journey.”

Horowitz and Kitsis previously told TheWrap that Belle (Emilie de Ravin), who was killed off in a recent episode, needed to die this season in order to show the pain that longtime love Rumple (Robert Carlyle) endures.

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“We can’t forget that Rumple is The Dark One, and that ‘The Dark One’ means he’s immortal,” Kitsis said. “For us, what we loved was Belle was always this North Star for Rumple, always keeping him in the light instead of letting him fully retreat into darkness, and now we realize that Belle taught him the last lesson. Someone who only has one life understands that each day is precious.”

“Once Upon a Time” airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC.

Cancellation Watch: 9 TV Shows That Likely Won't Last Beyond This Season (Photos)

Sure, it's a bit early in the fall broadcast TV season to declare a series dead -- unless that show is called "Ten Days in the Valley" or "Me, Myself & I" -- but the inquiring minds need to know what's in line to get the boot.

There are a number of factors that go into cancelling or renewing a series: costs, ratings, ownership, contracts, stars, I.P. -- the list still goes on from there.
Show: "The Toy Box"
Net: ABC
18-49 rating: 0.4

The "Shark Tank"-for-kids show is one toy that ABC should have never unwrapped. (Ratings are from Nielsen's "most current" metric, which includes one week's worth of DVR viewing where available.)

Also Read: 31 Highest and Lowest-Rated Shows of the Fall TV Season So Far (Photos)
ABC
Show: "Ten Days in the Valley"
Net: ABC
18-49 rating: 0.7

OK, so "Ten Days" was set up as a limited series, but we all know by now that you can add "...unless it's a hit" to the end of that descriptor. This one definitely was not, and has already been banished to Saturdays.

Also Read: 10 Lowest-Rated TV Shows of Summer 2017 (Photos)
ABC
Show: "The Exorcist"
Net: Fox
18-49 rating: 0.6

Couple things: Fox owns "The Exorcist." Both the studio and network are run by the same pair of executives. But it's time to exorcise this Friday series, not resurrect it.

Also Read: 11 Top-Rated TV Shows of Summer 2017 (Photos)
Fox
Show: "Marvel's Inhumans"
Net: ABC
18-49 rating: 1.0

From its weird IMAX rollout to Medusa's awful CGI wig, this show was a disaster from the get-go. When asked by TheWrap for a phone interview tied to the show's fall finale, ABC said no one in the cast was available -- that's never a good sign.

Also Read: ‘Judge Judy’ Wins 2016-17 Syndicated Season, Its Fourth in a Row
ABC
Show: "Once Upon a Time"
Net: ABC
18-49 rating: 1.0

Once Upon a Time, this show was a hit. Now it barely has any of the original cast members left, and even the creators are displeased with their rebooted fairy tale's recent reception.

Also Read: ABC’s ‘In an Instant’ Is Summer’s Lowest-Rated Broadcast TV Show
ABC
Show: "Me, Myself & I"
Net: CBS
18-49 rating: 1.3

Bobby Moynihan should have stuck with "Saturday Night Live." But he didn't, and the casting of a 6'4" John Larroquette to play the older version of a 5'8" Moynihan made absolutely no sense. CBS has already pulled this show from its schedule.

Also Read: The 22 Lowest-Rated Shows to Get Renewed Last Season (Photos)
CBS
Show: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Net: Fox
18-49 rating: 1.2

Though it pains us to say, this very good sitcom is probably about to be released on parole. It's still very funny, but the Andy Samberg comedy isn't owned by Fox, which doesn't help its case. Plus, "Brooklyn's" "live" rating should be considered a felony.

Also Read: 20 Lowest-Rated TV Shows of 2016-17 Season (Photos)
Fox
Show: "9JKL"
Net: CBS
18-49 rating: 1.4

Not a good show, an even worse title -- don't let the "Big Bang Theory"-boosted rating fool you. Cute only goes so far.

Also Read: 25 Top-Rated TV Shows of 2016-17 Season (Photos)
CBS
Show: "Great News"
Net: NBC
18-49 rating: 1.1

We've got good news and bad news, "Great News": On the plus side, you're owned by NBC and have garnered generally favorable reviews; on the negative end of the spectrum... your ratings. IF the sitcom returns, that can be chalked up to two words: "Tina. Fey."

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NBC
Consider yourself on notice (and on the bubble, at best), "Kevin (Probably) Saves the World," "Last Man on Earth" and "Wisdom of the Crowd." We'll see how the rest of the 2017-18 season shakes out.

Also Read: ‘Stranger Things 2’ Debut Drew More Viewers Than ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8 Premiere
CBS/ABC/Fox

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Don’t even try for a finale cliffhanger, ”9JKL“

Sure, it's a bit early in the fall broadcast TV season to declare a series dead -- unless that show is called "Ten Days in the Valley" or "Me, Myself & I" -- but the inquiring minds need to know what's in line to get the boot.

There are a number of factors that go into cancelling or renewing a series: costs, ratings, ownership, contracts, stars, I.P. -- the list still goes on from there.

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Cancellation Watch: 9 TV Shows That Likely Won't Last Beyond This Season (Photos)

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