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This fall, TV executives are hoping viewers of all ages still believe in magic.

While fantasy and science-fiction movies continue to draw crowds to the theater, broadcast networks are also packing their fall schedules with shows involving fairy tales and supernatural beings. In addition to returning hits such as ABC鈥檚 鈥淥nce Upon a Time,鈥� almost every main network is airing at least one new show that has sci-fi or fantasy roots. These range from the robots-among-us 鈥淎lmost Human鈥� (Fox, premi猫ring Nov. 4) to 鈥淒racula鈥� (NBC, Oct. 25) to 鈥淢arvel鈥檚 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.鈥� (ABC, Sept. 24), which follows the government agents who handle superheroes in Marvel鈥檚 comic book universe.

Launching an otherworldly show can be tricky. For every hit like ABC鈥檚 鈥淟ost,鈥� which followed survivors trapped on a mysterious island, there are many others that never catch on with viewers. In just the past two years, Fox鈥檚 parallel universe drama 鈥淔ringe,鈥� ABC鈥檚 spooky hotel show 鈥�666 Park Avenue,鈥� and Fox鈥檚 鈥淎lcatraz,鈥� in which the San Francisco prison was the site of mysterious disappearances, were all canceled. (Even with 鈥淟ost,鈥� some viewers complained the show didn鈥檛 answer its own questions quickly enough.) Others, like NBC鈥檚 superhero drama 鈥淗eroes,鈥� have a buzzy first season and then seem unable to sustain themselves narratively, leading to fewer viewers.

So why are networks continuing to try so many fantasy or sci-fi shows? Los Angeles Times TV critic and senior culture editor Mary McNamara says one reason is box office returns. The 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� and 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥� films proved to Hollywood that fantasy has a wide appeal, and she thinks the launch of 鈥淢arvel鈥檚 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.鈥� is a direct result of the success of comic book movies.

鈥淭V鈥檚 seeing if they can get a piece of that,鈥� Ms. McNamara says.

In addition, with more cable channels and online companies like Netflix producing original series, McNamara says the broadcast channels need to stand out, and one more procedural isn鈥檛 going to cut it.

鈥淭here are only so many broken-policeman stories you can do,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople are experimenting.鈥�

Which new shows may have staying power? McNamara says she was impressed by the pilot of 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in Wonderland鈥� (ABC, Oct. 10), a spinoff of 鈥淥nce Upon a Time,鈥� which will focus exclusively on Lewis Carroll鈥檚 characters and is geared toward adult viewers.

鈥淚t is very evocative of Tim Burton鈥檚 [film],鈥� she says, referring to the director鈥檚 鈥淎lice in Wonderland鈥� (2010). 鈥淚t seems a little more grown-up [than 鈥極nce Upon a Time鈥橾.鈥�