ONCE UPON A TIME
ABC, 8:00 p.m. ET
SEASON PREMIERE: At least give ABC credit for consistency, and for thematic scheduling. Tonight, for the first time, the network is pairing two of its projects that suffer from the same internal, infectious rot: too much access to franchise characters, with too little regard for coherent and compelling story lines. (See also: Marvel’s Inhumans. Except don’t see it.) Tonight, Once Upon a Time, a show that began strongly and cleverly when it premiered years ago, embarks on Season 7, with a premiere that jettisons most of its former regular stars and characters, and hits reboot in order to keep this ship afloat. With access to the Disney universe of characters, animated and live-action, the potential remains significant – but last year was such a hot mess (more of a lukewarm mess, really) that it’s dubious there’s an effective course correction in store. Optimists should watch, once, to taste the new flavor. Lana Parrilla (pictured) is one of the few cast members to make the transition to the new series – but not, at first, as her old character.