8. Supporting Genre TV
Once Upon A Time is one of the few genre shows on major network television today. A majority of genre shows feature on cable stations and the CW Network (and they are certainly excellent in their own right). Still, that doesnt change the fact that procedural cop shows and cookie-cutter medical dramas outnumber genre fare like Once ten to one. The simple truth of it is, genre fare almost always fights an uphill battle to remain relevant and recognized on major networks. The success of Once, even in its out-of-the-way Sunday evening timeslot, proves that there is still a sizeable audience out there for shows that aren't quite the norm.