Grimm vs. Once Upon a Time: Which new fairy-tale TV show is better?

Two new dramas debuting this weekend borrow heavily from classic fairy tales. Will either live happily ever after?

"Grimm"
(Image credit: NBC, Facebook/Once Upon A Time)

Comparisons are "unavoidable" when two extremely similar TV shows debut within days of each other, says David Wiegand at The San Francisco Chronicle. Such is the case this weekend, with the premieres of two drama series based on fairy tales. In the police procedural Grimm, airing Friday, each murder is a modern retelling of a fairy tale in which fantastical villains like Red Riding Hood's Big Bad Wolf appear to be human. (The homicide detective, a descendant of the Brothers Grimm, sees them for what they really are.) Debuting Sunday is Once Upon a Time, a fantasy drama about classic fairy tale characters who are transported to the modern-day world, with no recollection of their happily-ever-after pasts. Which of the new series most successfully pulls off the conceit?

Once Upon a Time is easily superior: Once Upon a Time is wacky, yes, with "over-the-top characterizations" and a "giddy" pace as the narrative zips back and forth between present-day reality and fairy land, says Wiegand. But that structure works for the show. The special effects are also top-notch and the cast is winning. Whereas Grimm is predictable and overly serious, Once is "great, fluffy fun" and, better yet, the rare family-friendly show that is still "smart enough to win viewers of any age and level of sophistication."

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