If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Once Upon a Time is available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus and Hulu right now. 7 seasons is a serious commitment, but one that pays off episode after episode. 2,495 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Lana Parrilla anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Once Upon a Time arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Once Upon a Time work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. There is a town in Maine where every story book character you've ever known is trapped between two worlds, victims of a powerful curse. Only one knows the truth and only one can break the spell. Lana Parrilla and Colin O'Donoghue lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. Across 7 seasons (2011–2018), it never lost the thread that made it worth starting. Once Upon a Time resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Once Upon a Time a chance. Fans of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland will recognise the sensibility here immediately. 7 seasons gives the story real room to develop. Watch for Lana Parrilla in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.

Once Upon a Time wrapped up in 2018, created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz — and 7 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.