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coverstory Dark and stormy TV The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, September 13, 2013 'Sleepy Hollow' puts a modern spin on an American classic By Kyla Brewer TV Media M odern life can be hectic. As we unwind at the end of the day, it's nice to immerse ourselves in fantasy worlds, whether through books, video gaming or television. In fact, one of the biggest TV trends in recent years is the advent of dramas that mix in elements of classic fairytales. NBC has a hit with the supernatural drama "Grimm," and ABC's Snow White-inspired "Once Upon a Time" has proven so popular it's spawned a spinoff, "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland," due to hit the airwaves in October. Yet another major network is poised to hop on the fairytale bandwagon — this time with a homegrown classic. As if Mondays aren't scary enough, Fox brings "Sleepy Hollow" to prime time Sept. 16. Inspired by the legendary 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," by Washington Irving, the mysterydrama brings the story into the 21st century as Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison, "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen") is inexplicably hurled hundreds of years into the future after he "dies" in 1790. Unfortunately, a menacing foe has also shown up in present day, and the legendary Headless Horseman (Richard Cetrone, "Man of Steel") wreaks havoc on the town of Sleepy Hollow. Crane soon joins forces with local police officer Det. Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie, "Shame") — who may have supernatural powers herself — to deal with the murderous creature. "Sleepy Hollow" is one of the most hotly anticipated new dramas of the fall, and Orlando Jones stars in "Sleepy Hollow" it's no wonder with such a talented team bringing it to the small screen. A fansided.com article quoted co-creator Len Wiseman as saying: "I really want to have a just slightly odd flavor to it that doesn't feel completely real. Through its style and design and even the way it's photographed, that you always feel that it's just slightly left of center and that it's moody, it's dark, but has a sense of humor about itself. It's a wicked blend; I want people to have fun whilst being scared." As the Horseman acquires modern-day weapons, Crane will also be introduced to new technology, offering viewers some comic relief amid the dark and stormy moments. Striking the right balance between drama and comedy is a challenge for any actor, but Brit Mison has built a solid reputation for himself across the pond in theater, having appeared in productions of "When the Rain Stops Falling," "Posh" and "Henry IV." A graduate of the prestigious Webber-Douglas Academy, his other credits include the feature film "One Day" (2011) and the TV miniseries "Lost in Austen." Juilliard alum Beharie shot to fame when she landed the leading role in the 2008 film "American Violet." After ap- pearing in the Lifetime movie "Sins of the Mother" in 2010, the actress entered rom-com territory in "My Last Day Without You" (2011). Earlier in 2013, she appeared again on the big screen in the Jackie Robinson biopic "42." Cetrone's experience as a stuntman will come in handy as he takes the reins as the Horseman. He's known for his work in blockbusters such as "Thor" (2011), "The Cabin in the Woods" (2012) and the "Underworld" franchise (2003-2012). He even served as an Iron Man stunt double in the mega-hit "Iron Man" (2008). While Cetrone's Hollywood career has been indeed prolific, the most recognizable star of the series is undoubtedly Orlando Jones, who plays Capt. Frank Irving. He's a familiar face at Fox, where he was one of the original cast members of the network's sketch comedy series "MADtv." The performer actually got his start behind the scenes as a comedy writer for such shows as "A Different World" and "Roc." TV viewers may remember Jones as a pitchman for 7-Up, a post he snagged in 2000. The cast, which also includes Katia Winter as Katrina Crane and John Cho as Andy Dunn, will present a new spin on the American classic, which has seen several incarnations over the years. A 1922 silent film entitled "The Headless Horseman" starred film icon Will Rogers as Crane, while none other than Bing Crosby narrated the animated Disney version "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949). NBC's memorable 1980 TV movie "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," starring Jeff Goldblum as Crane, earned executive producer Charles Sellier an Emmy nod. More recently, Tim Burton enlisted Johnny Depp to help him bring a new twist to the tale in the 1999 film "Sleepy Hollow." Even television series such as "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" and "The Real Ghostbusters" have put their own spin on the spooky story over the years, and Fox's take is likely not the last. It isn't the network's first, either. In 1999, the network aired the motioncapture animated special "The Night of the Headless Horseman," featuring the voices of Clancy Brown, Tia Carrere, Mark Hamill, William H. Macy and Luke Perry. To bolster interest in its latest version, Fox teamed with PR company Eventful, which hyped the series with a Demand It promotion feature that gave Americans the opportunity to bring a special preview screening of the show to their city before its Fox broadcast. TV fans in the winning cities of New York, Chicago and Wilmington, N.C., earned a sneak peek of "Sleepy Hollow." See it for yourself Monday, Sept. 16, on Fox. Chirstopher's Coins 2x2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: There is a popular joke that Samuel L. Jackson is in "everything" — how many movies has he been in? A: There certainly is a sense that Samuel L. Jackson is in every movie you want to see, but it might be just that: The famously foul-mouthed tough guy seems to simply have exceptional taste in roles. Or else a really good agent (for those who want to pursue this argument, he is represented by Toni Howard at the Hollywood agency ICM Partners). It also helps that he's beloved by a number of hotshot directors. He has appeared in a number of Quentin Tarantino's films, starting with his breakout hit, "Pulp Fiction" (1994), and in a number of Spike Lee's early (and some say best) films. Jackson has also been willing to take smaller roles if they seem significant or interesting — that could explain how he has had time to appear in 111 films and 27 television shows since debuting in 1972. For example, some of his biggest roles recently have been as Nick Fury in the latest "Avengers" superhero movies, and as Mace Windu in the three "Star Wars" prequels. In some cases, he had just minutes, even seconds, of screen time. But he has also proven to be incredibly hard-working — in 2006, for example, he appeared in five films. He was the lead character in three of those (and in one, "Black Snake Moan," he also performed much of the soundtrack). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. A/Krazy Tom's B/State FarmMelisa Manikas 2x3

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