The modern spin on Washington Irving’s classic tale of horror is fin
ally on TV screens and it’s really not too bad. “Sleepy Hollow” comes to us from Fox and stars handsome British actor Tom Mison as central character Ichabod Crane. His sidekick comes to us in the form of Lt. Abbie Mills, played by American actress Nicole Beharie. The overall premise of the show has our hero Ichabod Crane awaking in the modern day town of Sleepy Hollow, after being buried there during the revolutionary war. He joins up with police officer Abbie Mills and together they fight the evil lurking in the town.
Needless to say this being a take on the Washington Irving tale, the headless horseman plays a part in the story, though it seems each week will see new evils arise and it won’t simply be a case of the headless wonder terrorizing the masses.
Where “Sleepy Hollow” works is in the fairly simple premise, that of good versus evil. This is wound up in a fairly coherent back story tinged with biblical intent (that they could have easily left out). The characters are likeable, with just enough quirks to ensure this works. Where “Sleepy Hollow” fails is in the utter silliness, 4 episodes in and Ichabod is still wearing the filthy suit he was buried in and using modern day items as though he were not a man displaced in time. The writers have cleverly tried to cover this aspect by stating Ichabod has an eidetic memory, so once he learns / sees something he retains the information. This still doesn’t explain his smelly clothes however.
Overall, 4 episodes in and “Sleepy Hollow” is an enjoyable – if silly – romp into the supernatural realm. If you can get your head around an axe wielding headless soldier, you should be fine with all the other cheese drizzled horror “Sleepy Hollow” has to offer. If you’ve missed this show thus far and you’re a fan of shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Supernatural” and “Fringe”, give this one a couple of episodes at least to see if you too are drawn in as I have been.
Sleepy Hollow airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. on Fox. Check local listings for the exact time and channel in your area.
-Angela Simpson
We would like to welcome to Angela to our site. It will be great getting reviews from halfway around the world!
