Let it go. Let it go? Hardly. The Disney Frozen cash cow just keeps on giving milk.
And butter and cream and cheese.
And now, the Frozen sisters, Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, have come to Storybrooke, Maine, to work their magic on the small screen and breathe new life into ABC's Once Upon a Time.
The 11-episode Frozen story arc kicks off Season 4 with "A Tale of Two Sisters" premiering at 7 p.m. today. Warm up (or get frozen up) with a preseason hour special at 6 p.m.
"Storybrooke Has Frozen Over" guides viewers through the recent occurrences in Storybrooke and features interviews with executive producers Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. They'll tell us how Storybrooke came to be frozen by the Ice Queen of Arendelle and other insider goodies.
Adding the Frozen touch to the series is programming genius and a perfect example of symbiotic back scratching between ABC and the Disney mothership.
In case you've been hibernating since November, the animated, Oscar-winning Frozen is a worldwide phenomenon. The film has earned an astonishing $1.2 billion at the box office, and DVD and soundtrack sales are still going strong.
Word is there's a sequel in the works as well as a Broadway musical. So why not have Frozen characters drop in on Once Upon a Time? They'll make up for the disappointing bifurcated detour last season that first involved Neverland (in Part I), and Zelena the Wicked Witch of the West in Part II.
We got a little tease of Elsa in the final scene from May's Season 3 cliffhanger when blue liquid oozes from Rumplestiltskin's urn and coalesces into Elsa. She heads out of his barn trailing ominous ice crystals behind her.
Here's what we know about Season 4.
A frightened and confused Elsa (Australia native Georgina Haig, Fringe) finds herself suddenly transported from being a prisoner of Rumplestiltskin to Storybrooke. Wary of the mysterious modern world and the intentions of its inhabitants, Elsa creates a fearsome snow monster for protection. Panic ensues.
Meanwhile, with Robin Hood's (Sean Maguire) wife, Maid Marian (Christie Laing), back in the picture, reformed evil queen Regina (Lana Parrilla) wonders if her blossoming "happily ever after" with Robin has been nipped in the bud. Regina is heartbroken and very angry. That's never good.
While on their honeymoon, Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) questions whether he should officially give Belle (Emilie de Ravin) control over the dagger that makes him The Dark One. And Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) is baffled that Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) seems to be avoiding him while she tries to comfort Regina. Emma was, after all, the one who rescued Marian and brought her to Storybrooke.
In a flashback to the Arendelle of the past, Anna's (newcomer Elizabeth Lail) wedding to ice trader Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster) is put on hold when she discovers that her parents -- who died at sea during a violent storm -- were heading to a mysterious destination in a quest that may have held the secret to controlling Elsa's ice powers.
Against Elsa's wishes, Anna wants to finish their parents' journey to find out what they were looking for.
Other Frozen characters include Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost) as the Snow Queen; Anna's conniving ex, Prince Hans (Tyler Jacob Moore); Hans' 12 brothers, and Pabbie the Troll King (voiced by John Rhys-Davies).
Kristoff's lovable reindeer Sven is on hand, played by a real reindeer named Jack, and Will Scarlet (Michael Socha), a former member of Robin Hood's band of Merry Men, will transfer over from the defunct Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Alas, there will be no Olaf the snowman. He just didn't work out for Storybrooke.
In addition, Mary Margaret/Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David/Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) have a new baby, Prince Neal.
Trivia: If you thought Snow White was putting on weight last season, you were right. In real life, Memphis native Goodwin and her husband, co-star Dallas, welcomed their first child (a boy) in May.
RETURNING SHOWS
There are no new series premiering today or Monday. Here's a list of the veterans returning to duty.
Today:
7 p.m. -- Once Upon a Time (ABC), The Simpsons (Fox).
7:30 p.m. -- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox).
8 p.m. -- Family Guy (Fox), Resurrection (ABC).
9 p.m. -- CSI (CBS), Revenge (ABC).
Note: D'oh! Crossover! On a special hour-long Family Guy, the Griffins journey to Springfield where they encounter Homer Simpson.
Warning: CBS NFL football continues to run long each Sunday. Be sure to check how that domino effect affects your DVR plans.
Monday:
7:30 p.m. -- Mom (CBS).
9 p.m. -- Castle (ABC); NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS).
Spoiler alert: For those who keep emailing me, Castle did not die in the fiery car crash. The series would be over. It was only a cliffhanger.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 09/28/2014