Once Upon a Time part of ABC’s Upfronts 2016

Once Upon a Time was one of the programs presented during ABC’s Upfronts for the latter half of 2016.

The fairy tale show recently concluded its fifth season and has been renewed for a sixth.

The Upfronts were presented by the new ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey, who replaced Paul Lee earlier this year. The lineup of programs mostly follows the previous season’s lineup with a few additions here and there (some comedies and a few legal thrillers.) Quantico star Priyanka Chopra led the presentation with an exciting opening number.

Once Upon a Time cast members Jennifer Morrison (who plays Emma Swan) and Lana Parrilla (who plays Regina Mills or the Evil Queen) were present to celebrate their shows’ renewal. Josh Dallas (who plays Prince Charming) made a cameo in the reel with other characters from ABC’s current shows.

The new mid-season shows are When We Rise, Downward Dog, Imaginary Mary, Still Star-Crossed, and Time After Time, a show about H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper.

New shows include Conviction, a legal thriller starring Hayley Atwell, fresh after Agent Carter was cancelled by the network.

Once Upon a Time maintains its Sunday night slot. The show has begun to explore source material beyond traditional fairy tales, with its season finale including characters from a new realm called the Land of Untold Stories, populated by various literary characters. The finale introduced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with the latter being set up as next season’s Big Bad.

Based on the pages of the magical story book Henry found in the New York library, there is a strong possibility that other characters from classic novels may join the already colorful cast of Storybrooke. These include but are not limited to: Don Quixote, The Three Musketeers, The Water-Babies, Paul Bunyan, and many more.

Once Upon a Time season six is due to air later this year on ABC.