Few storybook heroes capture our imaginations the way Peter Pan has.

Syfy knows this and takes great care when telling his back story in the fascinating new miniseries “Neverland,” which will air for two days starting Dec. 4. What’s even more impressive is the program’s cast, which includes Rhys Ifans (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”), Anna Friel (“Pushing Daisies”) and Bob Hoskins.

Keira Knightley (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) does the voice of Tinkerbell, and newcomer Charlie Rowe (“X-Men: First Class”) impresses as Peter Pan.

And the timing of “Neverland” could not be better.

Freshman shows such as “Once Upon a Time” on ABC and NBC’s “Grimm” have sparked a fairy-tale trend on broadcast TV, and Syfy’s installment only furthers the fascination with all things happily ever after.

But as “Grimm” has proven since its debut, not all fairy tales are created equal; the NBC series is downright frightening at times, and that’s the point, the producers say.

“There are a lot of fairy-tale movies and a lot of TV shows, but ours is so not about the fairy tale,” says Todd Milliner, one of the executive producers behind “Grimm.” “It’s a police procedural with a hint of fairy tale,” Milliner says.

To better understand “Grimm” and the other two fairy-tale offerings, we’re ranking the shows at the start of the holiday season, during which families often watch TV together.

“Once Upon a Time” 8 p.m. Sundays, ABC

Time used to stand still in Storybrooke, Maine, until Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) came to town and started shaking things up. This is what must be done, after all, if the fairy-tale characters in this town are ever going to break the Evil Queen’s (Lana Parilla) curse and find out who they really are.

In terms of family friendliness, “Once Upon a Time” has very little violence and no adult situations.

“Grimm” 9 p.m. Fridays, NBC

Sure, this show puts a new spin on Little Red Riding Hood, but only to show how a Big Bad Wolf/serial killer is targeting young girls in red so he can eat them. Shudder. That’s right, folks, the original Brothers Grimm tales could be dark and disturbing, and this show explores that side of things.

Violence and murderous plots make “Grimm” more of an adult offering.

“Neverland” 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5, Syfy

Get ready to snuggle and giggle with your favorite little one during “Neverland.” Fun for the whole family, the made-for-TV movie is packed with action and moral dilemmas. Ifans plays Captain Hook before he became the Captain, and Rowe introduces viewers to Peter when he was a pick-pocketing orphan.

But “Neverland” isn’t without its dark moments, and a scene where the fairies get vengeful is more than a little intense. The violence and blood are kept to a minimum.