Comments on: Is ABC ripping off FABLES in ONCE UPON A TIME pilot? http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/ The Blog@ Team and prominent comics personalities share what’s on their minds. Sat, 25 May 2013 03:49:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Josh http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-690798 Josh Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:34:12 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-690798 The really sad thing is if the whole fairytale thing takes off and he wants to shop it around again, no one will buy it. They will all point to "Once Upon a Time" and say: "Oh no thanks, it's just like that show on ABC" Basically a ripoff of his own work will prevent him from selling his work. The really sad thing is if the whole fairytale thing takes off and he wants to shop it around again, no one will buy it. They will all point to “Once Upon a Time” and say: “Oh no thanks, it’s just like that show on ABC” Basically a ripoff of his own work will prevent him from selling his work.

]]> By: KC http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-689645 KC Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:24:19 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-689645 Fables is hands down my favorite comic book series. When I initially heard that ABC had bought the option to the show I was really excited to see what would be done with it. Now we get no fables and we get a crappy watered down version instead. I watched the pilot episode of Once Upon a Time. More than once I was shocked at how close the plot came to the plot of fables. We have fairy tale characters banished to our world for starters. *sigh* I may watch a few more episodes just to see where it goes. I am kind of a sucker for adult fairy tale adaptations(though i don't know how adult it will be on abc). I hope it pulls away from the fables storyline though. Also they really need to do something with fables or let Willingham shop it around. Its kind of bullshit, especially with the fan base the series has. We want to see fables on tv or in theaters! Daniel, just out of curiosity what do you not like that Willingham is doing? Fables is hands down my favorite comic book series. When I initially heard that ABC had bought the option to the show I was really excited to see what would be done with it. Now we get no fables and we get a crappy watered down version instead. I watched the pilot episode of Once Upon a Time. More than once I was shocked at how close the plot came to the plot of fables. We have fairy tale characters banished to our world for starters. *sigh* I may watch a few more episodes just to see where it goes. I am kind of a sucker for adult fairy tale adaptations(though i don’t know how adult it will be on abc). I hope it pulls away from the fables storyline though. Also they really need to do something with fables or let Willingham shop it around. Its kind of bullshit, especially with the fan base the series has. We want to see fables on tv or in theaters!

Daniel, just out of curiosity what do you not like that Willingham is doing?

]]> By: Daniel http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-689424 Daniel Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:06:11 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-689424 I have a personal dislike for Willingham's personal intentions with Fables, but read the books and respected his crafting of them. I think he got screwed and feel bad for him. ABC definitely took his concept and in an even more messed up way than just hearing the pitch, and then rolling out a similar concept. They bought the option for it, which they still own, did nothing with it, and then magically, the writers from "Lost" have this show that's like Willingham's concept yet different enough that they claim to have come up with it themselves... They stole the concept and reworked it into a show different enough not to have to involve him and can creatively control. What I really feel bad about for Willingham, is the fact that he can't even shop around his TV adaption to anyone else, because ABC owns the options to keep him from competing with their show that they took from his work. I have a personal dislike for Willingham’s personal intentions with Fables, but read the books and respected his crafting of them. I think he got screwed and feel bad for him. ABC definitely took his concept and in an even more messed up way than just hearing the pitch, and then rolling out a similar concept. They bought the option for it, which they still own, did nothing with it, and then magically, the writers from “Lost” have this show that’s like Willingham’s concept yet different enough that they claim to have come up with it themselves… They stole the concept and reworked it into a show different enough not to have to involve him and can creatively control.
What I really feel bad about for Willingham, is the fact that he can’t even shop around his TV adaption to anyone else, because ABC owns the options to keep him from competing with their show that they took from his work.

]]> By: LOST_SUCKS http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-689375 LOST_SUCKS Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:24:46 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-689375 ABC and the LOST creators can hide behind the "public domain" excuse, but the characters are not the main gripe concerning Fables fans. With Once Upon A Time, the whole concept of Fables has been watered down and remolded into a very similar story, with fewer characters. Anyone who has read the Fables book series can see this from a mile away when watching Once Upon A Time. Isn't it odd that Once Upon A Time, a show with an extremely similar plot to Fables, premieres on ABC four years after a script for a Fables television show was supposedly "rejected" by ABC??? Even the shows creators have admitted to reading Fables and being fans of their work. COME ON!!!!! It's real sad that nowadays so-called television writers can't think of an original idea to save their lives. It's one thing to make a show based on a book and change around the plot. Its another thing to make a show based on a book, then try to play it off as if you were the one who came up with the whole concept yourself. If I were the creator of Fables I would be pissed. However the fact that Fables is based on fairy tale characters everyone has used for TV and Film, the chance of any legal advantage for Fables in court is slim to none. This is something I'm sure ABC is well aware of which is why the LOST hacks can say whatever they want and get away with it. I truly hope that one day soon the creator of FABLES gets an adaptation with a network who understands and respects the concept of original storytelling. FABLES would make a great show with the right creative team involved. ABC and the LOST creators can hide behind the “public domain” excuse, but the characters are not the main gripe concerning Fables fans.

With Once Upon A Time, the whole concept of Fables has been watered down and remolded into a very similar story, with fewer characters. Anyone who has read the Fables book series can see this from a mile away when watching Once Upon A Time.

Isn’t it odd that Once Upon A Time, a show with an extremely similar plot to Fables, premieres on ABC four years after a script for a Fables television show was supposedly “rejected” by ABC???

Even the shows creators have admitted to reading Fables and being fans of their work.

COME ON!!!!!

It’s real sad that nowadays so-called television writers can’t think of an original idea to save their lives.

It’s one thing to make a show based on a book and change around the plot. Its another thing to make a show based on a book, then try to play it off as if you were the one who came up with the whole concept yourself.

If I were the creator of Fables I would be pissed. However the fact that Fables is based on fairy tale characters everyone has used for TV and Film, the chance of any legal advantage for Fables in court is slim to none. This is something I’m sure ABC is well aware of which is why the LOST hacks can say whatever they want and get away with it.

I truly hope that one day soon the creator of FABLES gets an adaptation with a network who understands and respects the concept of original storytelling. FABLES would make a great show with the right creative team involved.

]]> By: Dash http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-682629 Dash Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:55:56 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-682629 So here I was all excited to learn that maybe a Fables adaptation was going to be a real thing. However I am wondering what is really going to happen with this....ripoff. I mean, who can not love the Bigby Wolf character right? And whats up with this Snow White? Is that kid supposed to be the Pinocchio from the comics?? Hmmm, They should have just stuck with using the Fables outline. I guess it was too cool for school and the people of the world could not handle the awesomeness? So they dumbed it down for the wide media? Lame. So here I was all excited to learn that maybe a Fables adaptation was going to be a real thing. However I am wondering what is really going to happen with this….ripoff. I mean, who can not love the Bigby Wolf character right? And whats up with this Snow White? Is that kid supposed to be the Pinocchio from the comics?? Hmmm, They should have just stuck with using the Fables outline. I guess it was too cool for school and the people of the world could not handle the awesomeness? So they dumbed it down for the wide media?
Lame.

]]> By: Luis Alvarez http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-656002 Luis Alvarez Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:36:31 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-656002 Are there any inspirations from Fables? Kitsis: “Again, this was our own idea. I’ve only read a couple issues of that, which is amazing. We’re trying to do something different completely.” Horowitz: “This was really born out of our love of these stories.” THAT WAS MY QUESTION AT THE PANEL!!! >=| they totally avoided it. later on at the fables panel the creative team TOLD US THAT THEY HAD PITCHED THE IDEA TO MANY NETWORKS AND THEY ALL DECLINED. SUDDENLY THEY HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO IT? also that was not the full answer they gave me. they beat around it in a defensive manner and then established the stories were public and they could do with them whatever they wanted. Are there any inspirations from Fables? Kitsis: “Again, this was our own idea. I’ve only read a couple issues of that, which is amazing. We’re trying to do something different completely.” Horowitz: “This was really born out of our love of these stories.”

THAT WAS MY QUESTION AT THE PANEL!!! >=| they totally avoided it. later on at the fables panel the creative team TOLD US THAT THEY HAD PITCHED THE IDEA TO MANY NETWORKS AND THEY ALL DECLINED. SUDDENLY THEY HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO IT? also that was not the full answer they gave me. they beat around it in a defensive manner and then established the stories were public and they could do with them whatever they wanted.

]]> By: Timothy Hunter http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-596141 Timothy Hunter Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:10:39 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-596141 Harry Potter being pretty much Books of Magic. Harry Potter being pretty much Books of Magic.

]]> By: Simon DelMonte http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-596071 Simon DelMonte Fri, 04 Mar 2011 19:14:03 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-596071 And lest we forget, Fractured Fairy Tales was doing it long ago. We all drink from the same water. The fairy tales are constantly being revisited, reinterpreted, reinvented. Which doesn't mean that Willingham might not be unhappy. And lest we forget, Fractured Fairy Tales was doing it long ago.

We all drink from the same water. The fairy tales are constantly being revisited, reinterpreted, reinvented.

Which doesn’t mean that Willingham might not be unhappy.

]]> By: Lan Pitts http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-595950 Lan Pitts Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:20:22 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-595950 I would rather have a rip-off that I might enjoy than a poor adaptation of something I already enjoy. I would rather have a rip-off that I might enjoy than a poor adaptation of something I already enjoy.

]]> By: Vinnie Bartilucci http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-595943 Vinnie Bartilucci Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:12:25 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-595943 Wouldn't be the first time. Won't be the last. ABC's "Murphy's Law" was lifted in toto from Warren Murphy's (co-creator of The Destroyer) character Trace (formerly Digger when he was with Pinnacle). Naming the character Murphy was just salt in the wound. Warren got the last laugh - he sued, and got credit on the show. Pity it didn't last long. JMS pitched the Star Trek folks a series about a space station where a number of races interacted. They said no, he converted it into Babylon 5, and at the same time, the Start Trek folks "came up with" the idea of a show about a space station where a number of races interacted. Anyone else got one? Wouldn’t be the first time. Won’t be the last.

ABC’s “Murphy’s Law” was lifted in toto from Warren Murphy’s (co-creator of The Destroyer) character Trace (formerly Digger when he was with Pinnacle). Naming the character Murphy was just salt in the wound. Warren got the last laugh – he sued, and got credit on the show. Pity it didn’t last long.

JMS pitched the Star Trek folks a series about a space station where a number of races interacted. They said no, he converted it into Babylon 5, and at the same time, the Start Trek folks “came up with” the idea of a show about a space station where a number of races interacted.

Anyone else got one?

]]> By: Nat Gertler http://blog.newsarama.com/2011/03/04/is-abc-ripping-off-fables-in-once-upon-a-time-pilot/comment-page-1/#comment-595941 Nat Gertler Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:10:31 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=22729#comment-595941 ABC integrating Snow White into the modern world is nothing new - consider The Charmings, a series which predates Fables by a decade-and-a-half (and which also predates ABC's purchase by the Snow White specialist at Disney.) ABC integrating Snow White into the modern world is nothing new – consider The Charmings, a series which predates Fables by a decade-and-a-half (and which also predates ABC’s purchase by the Snow White specialist at Disney.)

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