Look, we all miss Storybrooke. There was something specifically addictive about watching a leather-jacket-clad Emma Swan realize her parents were Snow White and Prince Charming while a grumpy mayor tried to poison her with a literal apple. It was campy, it was high-stakes, and it somehow made us care about Rumpelstiltskin’s dating life.
But finding tv series similar to once upon a time is actually harder than it looks because that show occupied a very specific niche. You aren't just looking for "fantasy." You're looking for that weird, wonderful overlap of soap opera drama, fractured fairy tales, and the "fish out of water" trope where magical beings have to figure out how to use a toaster.
Most people just point you toward Grimm or The Tenth Kingdom and call it a day. Those are fine. Honestly, they’re great. But they don't always hit that same emotional chord of "hope vs. despair" that creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz baked into every episode of Once.
The Folklore Fix: Why Grimm Isn’t Just a Procedural
If you want the "creatures in the real world" vibe, Grimm is the obvious successor. It’s darker. Much darker. While Once Upon a Time felt like a Disney fever dream, Grimm feels like a police procedural set in a world where your neighbor might actually be a wolf-man called a Blutbad.
David Giuntoli plays Nick Burkhardt, a homicide detective who discovers he’s a "Grimm," a guardian who can see the monsters hiding in human skin. It’s got that "secret history" element that made the first season of Once so compelling. You get to see the mythology explained through a modern lens, but instead of true love’s kiss solving everything, it’s usually a crossbow or a very specific ancient potion.
The show ran for six seasons on NBC, and what’s interesting is how it evolves. It starts out as a "monster of the week" show but eventually builds a massive, serialized mythology involving royal families and ancient crusader keys. If you liked the mystery of Mr. Gold’s shop, you’ll love Monroe’s clock shop in Grimm.
Tell Me a Story: The Gritty Reimagining
If the "fractured fairy tale" aspect was your favorite part, you have to check out Tell Me a Story. This one is a bit of a hidden gem. It was originally on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) and it takes classic tales like The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood and turns them into psychological thrillers set in modern-day New York or Nashville.
There is no actual magic here. No fireballs. No portals.
Instead, the "Big Bad Wolf" might be a grieving man seeking revenge, or the "Three Little Pigs" might be a trio of masked bank robbers. It’s fascinating to see how the show creators—including Kevin Williamson of Scream fame—translate those familiar beats into a grounded, often brutal reality. It’s basically Once Upon a Time for people who grew up and realized the world is kind of a mess.
The "Chosen One" Dynamic in Shadow and Bone
One of the core engines of Once Upon a Time was Emma Swan being "The Savior." That heavy burden of destiny is a huge draw for fans of the genre. If that’s what you’re craving, Netflix’s Shadow and Bone is probably your best bet.
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Based on Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse novels, the story follows Alina Starkov, a low-level mapmaker who discovers she has the power to summon light. Like Emma, she’s thrust into a world of politics and ancient magic she doesn't understand.
The production value here is insane. You get the lush costumes, the complicated villains (Ben Barnes as The Darkling gives Robert Carlyle’s Gold a run for his money in the "charismatic antagonist" department), and a world that feels lived-in. Even though it's high fantasy rather than urban fantasy, the emotional stakes of finding where you belong are identical.
Why The Magicians Is The Grown-Up Version You Need
Alright, let's talk about The Magicians. This show is basically what happens if the kids from Narnia went to college, got depressed, and realized magic doesn't actually fix your personality flaws.
It’s irreverent. It’s hilarious. It’s heartbreaking.
The series follows Quentin Coldwater, a guy obsessed with a series of fantasy books called Fillory and Further (a clear stand-in for Narnia). He discovers that Fillory is real and that he’s been accepted to Brakebills University for Magical Pedagogy.
Why is it one of the best tv series similar to once upon a time? Because it treats magic as a messy, dangerous tool rather than a sparkly solution. It also deals heavily with the "story" aspect of life. Characters frequently comment on the tropes they are trapped in. It breaks the fourth wall in a way that feels smart rather than gimmicky. Plus, the musical episodes are actually better than the Once musical episode. There, I said it.
The Supernatural Soap Opera: The Vampire Diaries and Beyond
We can’t ignore the "ship" culture. Once Upon a Time lived and died by its ships—Captain Swan, Snowing, Outlaw Queen. If you want that high-octane romantic drama wrapped in a supernatural blanket, the CW era is your goldmine.
The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals offer that same sense of "family is everything" mixed with "I might have to kill my brother today."
The Originals, specifically, focuses on the Mikaelson family—the first vampires ever created. It’s Shakespearean in its drama. It’s about legacies, curses, and redemption. Sound familiar? Klaus Mikaelson is a great character study for anyone who enjoyed Regina’s redemption arc. He’s terrible, he’s a murderer, he’s a monster, but you find yourself rooting for him to find a scrap of peace.
Lost: The DNA of the Enchanted Forest
It’s a well-known fact that the creators of Once Upon a Time were writers on Lost. The DNA is everywhere. The flashbacks? That’s Lost. The ensemble cast where everyone is connected? That’s Lost. The hidden symbols and "Easter eggs" in the background? You guessed it.
If you haven't seen Lost, you’re missing the blueprint. It isn't a fairy tale, but it feels like one. An island that can heal people? Smoke monsters? Prophecies? It hits all those mystery beats. Just be prepared for the fact that, much like the later seasons of Once, it gets very complicated very fast.
Exploring the Small Town Mystery in Wayward Pines
Part of the magic of Season 1 of Once was the claustrophobia of Storybrooke. No one could leave. No one remembered who they were.
Wayward Pines (specifically Season 1) captures that "trapped in a weird town" feeling perfectly. Matt Dillon plays a Secret Service agent who wakes up in a picturesque Idaho town after a car accident. He can’t call out. He can’t leave. The fences are electrified.
It’s more sci-fi than fantasy, but the pacing and the "what is actually going on here" reveals are reminiscent of Emma trying to figure out why the clock tower finally started moving.
Good Omens: For the Whimsical World-Building
If you loved the banter between characters and the idea of mythic figures hiding in plain sight, Good Omens on Amazon Prime is a must-watch.
It follows an angel (Aziraphale) and a demon (Crowley) who have lived on Earth since the Beginning and have become rather fond of human things like crepes and classic cars. When the Antichrist is born, they team up to stop the apocalypse because they don't want to go back to Heaven or Hell.
It’s British, it’s witty, and it treats mythology with a playful irreverence that feels very much in the spirit of the more lighthearted Once episodes. It’s shorter—only six episodes per season—but every second is packed with personality.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Binge
Don't just jump into the first show you see on a streaming menu. To find the right fit, you have to identify which part of Once Upon a Time you actually liked.
- If you liked the "Real World vs. Magic" mystery: Start with Grimm or Wayward Pines. These satisfy the itch for uncovering secrets in a seemingly normal town.
- If you liked the fractured fairy tales: Check out Tell Me a Story or the older but classic The Tenth Kingdom.
- If you liked the redemption arcs and villain POV: The Originals or Lucifer (on Netflix) are your best bets. Lucifer especially handles the "mythical being in LA" concept with a lot of heart and humor.
- If you liked the "Chosen One" epic scale: Go with Shadow and Bone or The Wheel of Time.
The best way to watch these is to give them at least three episodes. The Magicians, for example, takes a little bit to find its footing, but once it does, it’s an absolute rollercoaster.
The "fairytale" genre isn't dead; it just moved into different neighborhoods. Whether it's the gritty streets of Tell Me a Story or the magical halls of Brakebills, those themes of hope, family, and the power of a good story are still very much alive in modern television. Start with one of these, and you'll find that the "Once" hole in your heart gets filled pretty quickly.
Check your favorite streaming platforms—many of these are currently rotating through Netflix, Hulu, and Max. If you really want that specific ABC-style production, Resurrection or Manifest also carry some of that "mystery ensemble" weight, though they lean more toward the supernatural-procedural side of the fence. Try a pilot tonight and see if the magic sticks.