Ratings and Scheduling: Who's the fairest of them all?

[Souris]

Once will return March 5 at 8 p.m.

[CCTC]

3 hours ago, maryle said:

It sound like what they said about Castle... before ending it in the worse way possible

Not that they could not be talking out of both sides of their mouth and have already decided to end itt, but I think what was Castle's final nail in the coffin was more what was going on beyond the scenes and then the negative reaction on how they decided to deal with that friction by getting rid of the female lead.  I think the show was near its end, but they were considering giving it one more year, and finally decided it was not worth dealing with all of the baggage. 

[sharky]

Yea, Castle had rumors swirling for years that the leads did t get along. Add to it that Castle's ratings were the same or lower than Once with the Dancing lead in.

I'm optimistic about Once's chances based on the news today. And I think this just confirms that there wasn't going to be change to Once's slot -- it was just a matter of getting the shows after it figured out. I hope pairing it with a fantasy show will help it too. Putting Secrets and Lies and some other things after it never seemed like a good fit. 

Edited January 10, 2017 by sharky
Was and wasn't don't mean the same thing

[Eolivet]

I think Dungey is talking a good game, and they're going to look long and hard at OuaT's spring premiere numbers before they make any decisions. This tells me she'll tell them in March if it's the final season or not ("time to write an ending").

But I mean...they come back to 0.7 or 0.8, and I think the celebrations of a season 7 may be premature. Two months is plenty of time to "give the fans closure."

4 minutes ago, sharky said:

I hope pairing it with a fantasy show will help it too

Unless the show is The Walking Dead or American Idol circa 2005, a show doesn't benefit from a show that airs after it -- only before it. This says to me they have no hope for this other show. I think the biggest indicator that OuaT is in trouble is they moved Quantico off the night. That's saying "We have no faith you can maintain a lead-in for a show we think has a future."

[TheGreenKnight]

If anyone at the top honestly thinks Quantico has a future, then it won't be too long before they're fired.

[YaddaYadda]

5 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

 

I think Dungey is talking a good game, and they're going to look long and hard at OuaT's spring premiere numbers before they make any decisions. This tells me she'll tell them in March if it's the final season or not ("time to write an ending").

 

The problem with this is that Once is set to wrap production for season 6 at the end of March. By the time 6x11 airs, they will have barely 2 episodes left to film. That's hardly enough time to wrap anything.

AoS has bad ratings, so does Quantico. I get that money speaks and that this is the business, but renewing 2 shows that have done worst would be crappy.

[Souris]

23 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

The problem with this is that Once is set to wrap production for season 6 at the end of March. By the time 6x11 airs, they will have barely 2 episodes left to film. That's hardly enough time to wrap anything.

Exactly. They wouldn't be able to do much beyond scramble together a "happy endings" montage at the end.

Channing was much more enthusiastic about AOS than Once.

[maryle]

No, I think they will get their final season 7 in some capacity if the show don't tank to much further.

but I don't understand the more optimistic people who focus on the "...A. E... good ideas for...( plurials) seasons.

 I read it in a politely way to confirm that Once was near the end.

[Free]

2 hours ago, sharky said:

I hope pairing it with a fantasy show will help it too.

Fantasy shows haven't really worked, OuaT was the last one to do so for them.

[sharky]

Yea people heard "good ideas for seasons" while I noticed the fact that Channing said she sat down with them to discuss their ideas. I'm sure all showrunners probably do that, but the fact that it was mentioned in that context sent up a small red flag to me for some reason. 

[Free]

7 minutes ago, sharky said:

Yea people heard "good ideas for seasons" while I noticed the fact that Channing said she sat down with them to discuss their ideas. I'm sure all showrunners probably do that, but the fact that it was mentioned in that context sent up a small red flag to me for some reason. 

That sounds like pr speak, especially since the show itself feels tired and the writers are just trying to drag the show out by throwing anything they possibly can.

[Souris]

34 minutes ago, sharky said:

Yea people heard "good ideas for seasons" while I noticed the fact that Channing said she sat down with them to discuss their ideas. I'm sure all showrunners probably do that, but the fact that it was mentioned in that context sent up a small red flag to me for some reason. 

It read to me like A&E pitching to TPTB that the show should get a S7.

[tri4335]

Pitching ideas is A & E's strength and I can imagine those ideas came across well. It is shaping those ideas into a coherent story and show-running where they fail.  The bottom line question for Channing is do A&E make ABC/Disney money or cost them money?  And getting a new season or even multiple seasons depends on the response to that one question.

[maryle]

I just read that from EW there some stuff really interesting about how a 7 season could have majority change!!

Dungey said

 "we are looking for the seven season to be springboard in a new direction from a narrative standpoint.. 

Which doesn't mean we don't bring cast back.. you hit the reset button in a way that give opportunity.

[RadioGirl27]

Once Upon a Time: ABC boss on 'new direction' in potential season 7

It sounds like, if there is a new season, they are getting rid of half the cast. I can see it now, it's going to be all Regina, all the time.

[sharky]

Based on robert's interviews, I can totally see Rumple dying in a blaze of glory that somehow resets things in a major way. I wonder if that could also mean a shake up in the schedule, which would seem likely, and replacing the showrunners, which isn't very likely but really needed. 

[Free]

14 minutes ago, RadioGirl27 said:

Once Upon a Time: ABC boss on 'new direction' in potential season 7

It sounds like, if there is a new season, they are getting rid of half the cast. I can see it now, it's going to be all Regina, all the time.

It's really their fault that the cast became as bloated as it is.  All i got was more of the same vagueness and I wouldn't be surprised if they made it all about Regina.

[Souris]

I think Bobby will leave, but I also think Jen is leaving. Remember that terse "no" about whether we'd find out about Emma's tattoo? That was very final. And Eddy hinting about the town going on without Emma. Jen's been so unenthused about this season, and they've whittled CaptainSwan from a previously major part of the show to next to nothing. I don't think Rumple leaving would be that much of a shakeup to the show, to be honest. But Emma dying or otherwise leaving certainly would. Given that Colin's contract is a year behind everyone else's, he's likely contractually obligated for S7, so the show will keep him around -- that's why they've completely separated his story from Emma's, in preparation for that in S7.

This is exactly what I lived through with The X-Files' last season, with Duchovny leaving while Anderson stayed, and it sucked giant monkey balls.

[CCTC]

14 minutes ago, sharky said:

I can totally see Rumple dying in a blaze of glory that somehow resets things in a major way.

Even if the show was in good shape - it is time for one of the many gray to evil characters to go out in a blaze of glory. Robert is a great actor, but not really anything more they can do with his story whether they reform him or make him all bad.    They only way I would care if he stuck around is if he was unapologetic-ally the big bad next year, with no talk of redemption.  Pure villain - nothing else and Belle not moping trying to bring out the good in him.

I think one of the problems with this show (and to be fair, this is common to a lot of shows), is that there have been a few characters that really should have been short term or at most a couple of seasons, but because they or the actors playing them were popular they were held on and story lines were contorted to keep the characters in the story.  It not only makes for nonsensical interactions, but has helped over-inflate the cast, so there are a lot of people sitting around because of the character and plot log-jam.

Edited January 10, 2017 by CCTC
Addition

[RadioGirl27]

‘Once Upon A Time’: Current Narrative To Wrap At End Of Season 6; Will There Be Season 7?

This article gives a bigger "last season" vibe that the other. Oh, and this is interesting:

Quote

“Eddie and Adam came in and talked with me right before the holiday about what some of their potential ideas might be for Season 7,” ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey told Deadline at TCA today. “There was some interesting stuff, we gave them some feedback, and they are now working and are going to come back and sit with me in a couple of weeks.  I think that, having had worked on Lost, they have a very good sense of the engagement with fans and wanting to end the story in the right way.”

Edited January 10, 2017 by RadioGirl27

[maryle]

Honestly, I don't think Jen is leaving this year but after season 7 certainly. 

Maybe I am naive again but the fact that both Jen and Colin retweet the article tell me they are aboard for a last season 7. R.C will leave, Emilie de Ravin and probably Because too. 

After, season 7 if they still think there some juice it will be like Castle.

[KingOfHearts]

In my opinion, Jen and Robert are the best actors on the show. If they leave, that's going drag the entire quality of the show down. (No offense to Colin, Ginny, et al.) It would be pretty ridiculous in a show about "hope" that Emma would die. Also, it would be so weird if A&E kept telling Rumpbelle fans to hang out and then killed off half the pairing. All that said, it's TS,TW, so it's possible that will all happen.

Lana has never had the ability to carry it, to be frank. If Jen and Robert leave, she will most certainly be the lead.

Edited January 10, 2017 by KingOfHearts

[Souris]

This reminds me of when they wanted to reboot Veronica Mars by having her leave Neptune to be an FBI agent in order to get another season. Blech.

The Deadline article does give more of a "wrap it up with a lot of the main cast at the end of S6" vibe than the EW article, which gave a more "S7 would be a transition year with most/some of the cast" vibe.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Souris

[tri4335]

So the question becomes is Season 7 a complete reset or is the launching pad for a new series that would begin the following season?  If ABC is looking to trim payroll and A & E are pitching an idea with current cast or a "brand" new cast then I would guess that the following could be possibilities:

Robert - it's kind of clear that he wants to move on. I don't think he wants to be around for S7 nor a spinoff so it is mutually beneficial to let him go with a bang

Emilie - she's tied to Rumple and if he's gone then so is she. There is nothing she brings without RC

Jen - she seems that she is tired of the current direction of the show and has second billing so trimming her salary would save money. Now it could be possible that if ABC is running it as the CS show they may want to keep her but A & E are done writing for her unless it is a prop to Regina.

Ginny - she is top billing but not getting the story - I think she could easily leave this show and move onto another Disney project. Zootopia grossed over a billion dollars and just won the GG with a potential Oscar being next.  She is underused for what I'm sure they are paying her.

Josh - like Emilie with Snow gone so is Charming

Jared - he's a kid actor but if he is to survive into the next series then that series needs to have a significant time jump so he can be at minimum 16 or older.  They could also have him be a character that is only mentioned in passing and never seen on screen

Lana - now we know A & E want the Regina show so she will stay unless like I stated before if ABC wants the CS show then she could be gone.

Colin -He could go the way of Emilie and Josh or he might survive as either CS or just as Captain Hook depending on the new direction. 

Rebecca - I would think she is gone but really depends on what a new direction could be.  She could remain as Regina's sister.

Joanna - ABC seems to like her and has tried other vehicles for her so they could spinoff to Ariel and involve CO as Hook and even a version of Regina

The other "regulars" Granny, Blue, Dwarfs, Archie etc could stay in their current limited roles or be replaced by new background characters.

Or they could let go of the entire cast and story-line and start a "whole new world"

Edited January 10, 2017 by tri4335
fixed a typo

[RadioGirl27]

Yeah, the Deadline articule give a more "this is the last season" vibe that the EW one. 

I've been thinking about that quote about giving them feedback for the possible season 7 and I see A&E going to Dungey with this "amazing" 22 episodes arc about Regina and Dungey telling them "13 episodes and about Emma (and Ursula, my sister needs a new show) and maybe we would think about it".

Edited January 10, 2017 by RadioGirl27

[Souris]

One thing I think we can put money on, Regina will be in any possible iteration of S7.

I cannot see Jen signing on further for any iteration. She's so clearly over the show. Colin is such a good little soldier, it's hard to say, but he may have no choice given his contract and he does seem to really appreciate having a regular gig.

My guess? Regina & Hook would be the only regulars to carry over. Possibly Zelena as Regina's sister.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Souris

[YaddaYadda]

11 minutes ago, Souris said:

I cannot see Jen signing on further for any iteration.

It might mean nothing at all, and probably doesn't, but both Jen and Colin retweeted that Entertainment Weekly article. 

[Souris]

9 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

It might mean nothing at all, and probably doesn't, but both Jen and Colin retweeted that Entertainment Weekly article. 

I don't think it means anything other than both are very professional about supporting the show. Also, both follow Natalie Abrams on Twitter so would've seen her tweet.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Souris

[Eolivet]

I wonder if the "vision" they pitched was a network-requested meeting justifying their continued existence, not this lovey-dovey creative meeting of the minds. If their meeting with Dungey was "show me how you'd make this show dirt cheap, enough to justify keeping you on the air," not this pie-in-the-sky "give me your plot ideas for season 7."

I still say if the show returns to 0.7s or 0.8s, Dungey gives them the old "wrap it up" sign. As long as she tells them before production ends, she can say she gave them enough time to craft an ending.

[Souris]

1 minute ago, Eolivet said:

I wonder if the "vision" they pitched was a network-requested meeting justifying their continued existence, not this lovey-dovey creative meeting of the minds. If their meeting with Dungey was "show me how you'd make this show dirt cheap, enough to justify keeping you on the air," not this pie-in-the-sky "give me your plot ideas for season 7."

That's exactly how I figure it went. If ratings are iffy for renewal of a long-running show, the network always demands the show cut costs as a prerequisite for renewal. It's always about the bottom line, not the integrity of storylines and characters.

[Rumsy4]

59 minutes ago, Eolivet said:

I wonder if the "vision" they pitched was a network-requested meeting justifying their continued existence, not this lovey-dovey creative meeting of the minds. If their meeting with Dungey was "show me how you'd make this show dirt cheap, enough to justify keeping you on the air," not this pie-in-the-sky "give me your plot ideas for season 7."

Having read the two interviews, that's the exact feel I'm getting. It seems like A&E are in talks with Dungey about a potential season 7, with a reduced cast and changes based on feedback received from focus group polls. But that totally depends on how the ratings go for the initial episodes in Spring. 

No matter how lopsided A&E's priorities are, they are not as stupid as to kill off Emma, and I really can't imagine them killing off Hook or Snowing or Henry. I definitely think that both Robert Carlyle and Rebecca Mader are goners by the end of the season. Sean is not sticking around. And most likely Emilie de Ravin will be gone as well. They'll likely play it as Belle wanting to take her de-aged baby and going off to live in New York after Rumple "heroically" sacrifices himself. She'd better take Snowflake and Pistachio along with her as well. 

I feel like a realm jump is coming up, with another Neverland-like location with plenty of potted plants and mood lighting. 

Edited January 11, 2017 by Rumsy4

[sharky]

Quote

Joanna - ABC seems to like her and has tried other vehicles for her so they could spinoff to Ariel and involve CO as Hook and even a version of Regina

Joanna is also on Pitch, which is in its own ratings purgatory right now. I think she would be considered a guest star on both shows, more so on Pitch at this point, so I think anything involving her would depend on what happens with Pitch.

As for the rest, how many times have we talked about using more than just ratings to determine the life of this show? Look at the merchandise and that may give us another clue as to where this is going. Hook/Killian is selling, Evil Queen/Regina is sell. Emma probably a bit as well. Not sure about the rest. You could easily have Rumple clean out half the cast and then wrap up the season with Captain Hook/Jones and his wife, Queen Emma, trying to live in the Enchanted Forest with the Evil Queen. Plus, you get the princess vs. evil thing.

Again, I think alot of the decisions going on about what happens to the show and who stays and goes are not dependent on 18-49 ratings alone, which is what most of us focus on. I think younger viewers, online presence, the ABC focus group and merchandise are being factored in in this decision -- all things that a show like Conviction or Quantico don't have.

[Hookian]

1 hour ago, maryle said:

Honestly, I don't think Jen is leaving this year but after season 7 certainly. 

Maybe I am naive again but the fact that both Jen and Colin retweet the article tell me they are aboard for a last season 7. R.C will leave, Emilie de Ravin and probably Because too. 

After, season 7 if they still think there some juice it will be like Castle.

Yep. JMO is not leaving. They stated this season would wrap with a little bow regardless of S7. JMO is gonna stay for sure, as will Colin, and probably Lana. The others are iffy. Bobby is probably the most likely to leave.

JMO also RT'd the article as did Colin, so I think they're both safe.

45 minutes ago, Souris said:

One thing I think we can put money on, Regina will be in any possible iteration of S7.

I cannot see Jen signing on further for any iteration. She's so clearly over the show. Colin is such a good little soldier, it's hard to say, but he may have no choice given his contract and he does seem to really appreciate having a regular gig.

My guess? Regina & Hook would be the only regulars to carry over. Possibly Zelena as Regina's sister.

How is she over this show? She's doing 9 cons for this show and she's still filming. She hasn't for the past couple of days but she's in the episode. Please make sure you mention this is your speculation, cause it is. Jennifer is not going to leave. They won't do the show without Emma.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Hookian

[Hookian]

1 hour ago, RadioGirl27 said:

Yeah, the Deadline articule give a more "this is the last season" vibe that the EW one. 

I've been thinking about that quote about giving them feedback for the possible season 7 and I see A&E going to Dungey with this "amazing" 22 episodes arc about Regina and Dungey telling them "13 episodes and about Emma (and Ursula, my sister needs a new show) and maybe we would think about it".

The Deadline article was there own speculation based on what Dungey said. EW and TV Line both indicated different things. It's all about interpretations.

[maryle]

Honestly, it all speculation at this point !

I see people assuming Colin will stay because of contract but... We don't know his contract not more we never knew R. C. contact either.

I  do believe Jen know there a lot of speculation about her. So, I think she want to reassure her fans. I don't see her the kind to give false hope. 

How a show center on Regina is different of the show on screen now. rating .9

The only real spin off will be with character like Ruby or the next generation. 

H think the media are writing article for the click bait and that nothing is certain.  Maybe, it will end this year, maybe a final season with less main or a spin off. All is in the air am nobody know. 

E

[TheGreenKnight]

I would really be devastated (well, maybe not quite that dramatic) if Morrison left the show. I could see Rumbelle, Snowing, Henry, and Zelena* all leaving except for guest appearances, but Morrison leaving would probably destroy the show, imo. Emma (and by extension Hook) and Regina are the core characters. You know I'd watch to the end, but it would never be the same.

*I just hope Zelena goes off to Oz and doesn't get killed off.

[Hookian]

4 minutes ago, TheGreenKnight said:

I would really be devastated (well, maybe not quite that dramatic) if Morrison left the show. I could see Rumbelle, Snowing, Henry, and Zelena* all leaving except for guest appearances, but Morrison leaving would probably destroy the show, imo. Emma (and by extension Hook) and Regina are the core characters. You know I'd watch to the end, but it would never be the same.

*I just hope Zelena goes off to Oz and doesn't get killed off.

Those are the three obvious choices that would for sure stay. JMO, Colin, and Lana. Add in  Gosh as recurring or guest stars

I think Bobby is out which means Belle. Jared would stay as would probably Bex.

I think when they Dungey said wrapped up with a little bow it means all the arcs this season will be wrapped not the whole show. Deadline is speculating off of what Dungey said.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Hookian

[CCTC]

I think Ginny/Josh and Henry if not regulars, would be heavily recurring.  I could see Bobby and Belle gone, and while I like Bex and think she is a good actress, I am not sure there is much of a point to her.  Who knows - first it needs to get renewed and some of it might depend on the actors and if they want to say.

[Camera One]

“[Executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis] would be looking for the seventh season to be a springboard in a new direction from a narrative standpoint,” Dungey tells EW, “which doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re not bringing cast back, it’s just how do you kind of hit the reset button in a way that gives you opportunity to expand the stories that we’re telling?”

The various quotes seem kind of contradictory.  The later article made it seem like it's the final season, but if it's the last year, why would A&E be looking to go in a "new direction" and a "reset"?  And then she throws in the "not bringing the cast back" even though it's in the negative.  

It certainly does sound like it's more of a "convince us that you should get a Season 7" type of scenario, since they wouldn't be demanding changes if they were happy with the status quo.  Then again, whose fault is it that they've let 6A become a complete mess?  They had ample time to ensure 6B would have some cohesiveness, but once again, it's same old same old.

[tri4335]

Ginny is first billing so why would she drop to a recurring status? The only way I see that happening is if that was in her original contract that ABC had the right to change her status.  I think they would move her onto a new project before insulting her with a recurring status.  I don't see her signing a new contract for recurring at all.

[Mari]

2 hours ago, Free said:

It's really their fault that the cast became as bloated as it is.  All i got was more of the same vagueness and I wouldn't be surprised if they made it all about Regina.

 

51 minutes ago, maryle said:

How a show center on Regina is different of the show on screen now. rating .9

True.  They might want to reboot to The Regina Show, but how well would that play with the ratings?  

Regina was supposed to do the heavy lifting this season and carry the plot, and that doesn't seem to have worked out.  Would the network really be interested in renewing and rebooting it into something that would be even more Reginacentric?

[Free]

49 minutes ago, Camera One said:

 

The various quotes seem kind of contradictory.  The later article made it seem like it's the final season, but if it's the last year, why would A&E be looking to go in a "new direction" and a "reset"?  And then she throws in the "not bringing the cast back" even though it's in the negative.  

It certainly does sound like it's more of a "convince us that you should get a Season 7" type of scenario, since they wouldn't be demanding changes if they were happy with the status quo.  Then again, whose fault is it that they've let 6A become a complete mess?  They had ample time to ensure 6B would have some cohesiveness, but once again, it's same old same old.

They've had 6 seasons, I don't trust them to suddenly have quality control of the show now.  6b sounds like more of the same mish mash storylines.

[Mathius]

Wrapping S6 with a bow regardless of getting a S7 just makes me more convinced they won't be getting a S7. Why bother at this point?

The network is gonna have to REALLY like A&E's finalized S7 pitch in order to justify renewing the show.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Mathius

[Camera One]

I'm not sure why Dungey is saying any of this at all.  Half of the stuff she is saying sounds dire, but some of the stuff like:

Dungey: I think they think they would put a little bit of a bow here, and then there is a next piece that comes after that, so they are trying to figure out what that is and how that works.”

This is already what A&E does a lot of the time.  "Frozen" ended in "Shattered Sight" and then we had the "Heroes and Villains" to intro the next arc.  "Last Rites" ended the Hades arc, and then we had "Only You"/"Untold Stories" to intro Hyde and The Evil Queen.  

[Shanna Marie]

If they do continue with a decreased cast, I can't imagine them losing Emma and keeping Hook because they'd end up with a case of the Downton Abbey Dilemma, in which one half of the show's core romantic couple leaves and the other stays. You pretty much have to kill the departing character because it's hard to imagine one half of the couple staying behind while the other half leaves. You're not going to have Hook saying, "I'll just stay here at home with your family and make breakfast for Henry," while Emma goes off on a season-long (with maybe a couple of guest appearances) mission or is kidnapped or vanishes. It's been hard enough believing him not trying to tear down the barriers between this world and the wish realm with his bare hand for just one episode. So they'd be left with killing Emma, and that would make for terrible stories, and probably awful ratings. It would be a real bummer for her to die after everything she's gone through (in a show about hope!) and they've gone through together, including him dying and coming back from the dead to be with her, and I'm not sure the audience (aside from a particular faction) would tolerate the couple we've spent five years watching gradually get together being blown apart like that. At least Lady Mary on Downton needed to go through some experiences to grow as a person, but Hook's story has already been about all the things he's gone through. Either they hit a huge reset button and grief drives him back to being evil, or he shows how much he's learned and doesn't go evil, but he's probably going to be rather depressed, which is boring, and it's hard to imagine him sticking around with Emma's family with her gone. Given that it took him at least a century to get over his last love, he wouldn't be likely to get together with anyone else during the rest of the show's run. So if JMo is out because her contract is up and she doesn't want to renew, the only way to really salvage that for the show would be to let Hook and Emma have a wedding, then sail off on the Jolly Roger for an extended honeymoon. Otherwise, I'm guessing they'd try to keep her and Colin because they get a lot of promotional mileage out of that romance and Colin is kind of the breakout discovery of the show, the relative unknown new to American TV who's become an international sex symbol thanks to this show.

As much as A&E would probably love the Regina Show, I'm not sure the network executives would be all that keen, given the ratings the current Regina Show is getting. If that's the proposal they go to the network with, they probably aren't getting another season.

Rumple and Belle would be pretty painless cuts for the storytelling (I know they have their fans, and it would be painful for them, but I'm taking on the role of heartless network executive only looking at story structure and expenses). Ditto Zelena, since she's barely in it these days, anyway. They might be able to work out some kind of "very special guest star" or recurring "also starring" thing for Ginny if she wants to free up time to do movies and/or spend time with her family, and her frequent absence would be barely detectable on the show. Snow could be either teaching or, in a shocking twist, is the person actually caring for her own baby. There are ways to spin that without it coming across like a demotion, and there's plenty of precedent in television for that sort of thing, when a series star wants to stay involved while dialing it back a lot (think Richard Dean Anderson for the last few seasons of Stargate SG-1).

3 minutes ago, Camera One said:

Dungey: I think they think they would put a little bit of a bow here, and then there is a next piece that comes after that, so they are trying to figure out what that is and how that works.”

It sounds like they have the main arc stuff of the season planned, and the current question that's still up in the air is what to do with the two-hour finale -- use it to launch into a new season, and if so, what will that be about, or use it to tie everything up and end the series.

[RadioGirl27]

Quote

It sounds like they have the main arc stuff of the season planned, and the current question that's still up in the air is what to do with the two-hour finale -- use it to launch into a new season, and if so, what will that be about, or use it to tie everything up and end the series.

Yeah, Dungey probably told them to write a season finale that can be used as a series finale and that, if (a big if) there is a season 7, they have to reduce the cast. 

I'm going to stick with my "this is the last season" politic and if they somehow get renewed, great.

[Camera One]

I hope A&E's pitch is good.  It would be disappointing to have the trump card they have been holding back compressed into a 2-hour finale (or maybe never playing out... like the stories from The Land of Untold Stories.  sorry, I digress).  I also hope Dungey decides either way as soon as possible, so there's time for proper planning.  I wouldn't want to see a half-assed possible season finale/possible series finale, if the show ends up getting renewed.  Since Robert Carlyle seems ready to go home in that interview above, at least that provides one easy way to cut one cost (though of course that would have negative repercussions for Belle).  Hopefully, everyone who wants to stay gets to stay

Edited January 11, 2017 by Camera One

[KAOS Agent]

I don't really see how a reboot featuring any one character would work. The goal would be to at the very least maintain ratings, if not grow them, and dropping a bunch of characters to feature one isn't going to keep the current audience. If they went with the Regina Show because she's the favorite of 85% of the audience, that other 15% won't be sticking around, so how do you make up that lost 15%? How do they attract new viewers? And obviously, they'd lose more than that 15% because even a favorite character isn't enough to stick around if you really enjoy a lot of the others as well. I hope A&E are working towards a Last Rites type wrap up and then will do a two hour finale that will work as a finale of the show, but will have an alternate ending if the show will go on.

[Camera One]

Yeah, I don't get the reboot idea either.  Clearly, A&E is running out of stories to tell with all the regulars except the well that springs eternal aka Regina.  They've also run over 2/3 of the Disney canon characters in their cul de sac of destruction.  What could they "springboard" to at this point?  

[Rumsy4]

Dungey: So, as I had mentioned, I am very interested in hearing your pitch for a possible Season 7 for ONCE. Ready when you are.

A&E: We will open the Season with a shot of a woman dressed in black, weeping over a grave stone. We don't see who that is yet. As we pan closer, it is revealed to be Regina!! In her hand is the viper of Agrabag, and she us about to let it sink its teeth into her arms...

Dungey: Sorry to interrupt. But did you take a look at the part of the focus group research that said viewrs were tired off to much focus on that character? Better to scale back on her, perhaps?

A&E: Shippers!! We know how much fans LOVE Regina--it's obvious on Twitter. We have our own focus group, you see.

Dungey: I think you guys should come up with something more... original than two Reginas.

A&E: Of, course we have! The solution is to have three Reginas!!

Edited January 12, 2017 by Rumsy4