Channel 5 buys Disney’s Once Upon A Time

British commercial broadcaster Channel 5 has acquired US supernatural fantasy drama Once Upon A Time after striking a deal with Disney.

The Richard Desmond-owned network has acquired the exclusive first run free television rights after concluding an agreement with the international distribution arm of the Hollywood studio.

The series, which is produced by ABC Studios, tells the story of Emma Swan and the child she abandoned at birth as they navigate the weird world of fairytales. It stars Big Love’s Ginnifer Goodwin and The Full Monty’s Robert Carlyle and written by Lost and Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

Paul Fagan, head of acquisitions, Channel 5 said, “There’s no living happily ever after here – these are fairytales as you’ve never seen them before. Once Upon A Time is a magical and mysterious addition to our 2012 schedule on Channel 5.”