Sleep Hollow TV show on FOX. Starring Tom Mison as Ichabod Crane. ©2016 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Tina Rowden/FOX.
SPOILERS for Sleepy Hollow’s season three finale. Fans had been worried the Sleepy Hollow TV show on FOX would be cancelled after its third season. After Nichole Beharie’s Lt. Abbie Mills was killed off in the season three finale, “Ragnarok,” FOX renewed Sleepy Hollow for a fourth season. There was quite a backlash.
A supernatural drama, the Sleepy Hollow TV series follows Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison). Crane is a Revolutionary War hero who is resurrected two centuries after his demise. As a prophesied “Witness” along with Mills, he must solve a series of supernatural mysteries. The chemistry between the Crane and Mills characters was a huge part of its audience appeal. Lyndie Greenwood co-stars as Jenny Mills (Abbie’s sister). The cast also includes Lance Gross as Daniel Reynolds and Jessica Camacho as Sophie Foster.
At the time Mills was killed off, it was reported that Beharie wanted off the cult drama series. During the May Upfronts, FOX boss Dana Walden was asked about the Sleepy Hollow season four renewal backlash. Here is more, from Deadline:
During an upfront press call today, Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden was asked to address the controversy. Carefully choosing her words, she said “a variety of factors led to the ending” and that it was “not a decision we wanted to make” but “we were put in a position where we had to make it.” She noted that “while there was backlash, there was also enthusiasm” among fans about where Tom Mison’s character Ichabod Crane would go next.
Sleepy Hollow last week was renewed for a 13-episode fourth season, which will launch in midseason. Asked whether it will be the show’s final chapter, Walden said: “We are not announcing a final season. We are not sure if it’s a final season.”
TV Line adds:
Regarding the controversial decision to move on with a fourth season sans Beharie, Walden said, “What we know is that Tom Mison is a big star. And the Ichabod Crane character has been so central to the series and the storytelling and he feels like an original, big Fox character.
“We don’t feel like it has to be the end of the life of the show,” she added. “And while there was backlash [to the Season 4 renewal], there was also a tremendous amount of enthusiasm from fans about the show coming back and about Tom having the ability to be the center of the series and discovering new dynamics and new relationships. It’s a very original premise and we felt like it had greater life in it and that there was no reason to end it.”
What do you think? Since Beharie wanted to leave Sleepy Hollow, is the backlash fair? Will you give the fourth season of Sleepy Hollow a chance, or are you leaving with Lt. Mills?
I thoroughly enjoy this show! I will miss Abbie, but Crane is such a great character and Tom a wonderful actor, I CAN”T WAIT to see what happens next!
I am and will always be a Sleepyhead that means that I am a true fan of the Sleepy Hollow show. With that said. Yes!! Abbie’s departure has left a huge void as well as HEREVERJoey Corbin’s, I am just ecstatic to have a 4th Season of SH. The rest well…QUE SERA SERA!!!! ICHABOD CRANE IWILLFOLLOWYOUWHEREEVERYOUGO!!!!!
I watch the show for Icabod Crane, not Abby, so Let’s move ON!!
Former fans did move on, and the show helmed by Ichabod Crane, was cancelled!
The story is based on a patriotic American view which must be offensive to the Left in Hollywood.
Doomed to be cancelled.
So sad
I am so sad Sleepy Hollow will not be in the new Fall lineup on Fox. I too watched the show from the beginning until the end of last season. I was shocked to see The Excorcist is taking its place. I do not want to see that on t.v. and I will not be watching it either. I hope it does indeed come back because I thoroughly enjoyed the show!
Well I watched it from beginning to the finale episode very sad. Now you are replacing it with the Excorcist are you kidding me. Never will I watch that program. I thought that it could continue with Icob Crane. I will miss the show.
What is wrong with FOX CHANNEL….Bad move.
Sleepy Hollow (both the original story and the television production) was never in any way about race, or set in concrete with a forever storyline that included Abbie. All shows evolve, and we don’t know for certain what was going on between Beharie and FOX. Even Nicole Beharie has been widely quoted as saying that “Abbie Mills has done all she was meant to do.” In the past, there was also talk that Katia Winter, Orlando Jones, and John Noble wanted out. I certainly wouldn’t blame them as the writers weren’t doing their characters, or careers, any favors. It could… Read more »
Sleepy Hollow was a reimagining of the Washington Irving story, not an adaptation. Hence, the inclusion of original characters Abbie and Jenny Mills, Frank Irving and his family, and Henry Parrish/Jeremy Crane. In the tale, I don’t recall the Headless Horseman having an AK-47, Ichabod Crane being married, the apocalypse/Witness storyline, or ‘twistory’. It’s interesting that you singled out the character of Abbie Mills when the premise of the show – two biblical Witnesses in a seven-year fight against evil, was scrapped for witchy wives, a stupid love triangle, family drama, and woobification of HH.
You know, I was on the side of ‘she wanted to leave’, but just think. How many are willing to give up a check unless they are unhappy? Why would a lead on a show be unhappy? More importantly even if she wanted to leave, they didn’t have to make it sound like she was his side kick. I could have worded that BETTER: “As a witness, we must do what we must to save the world. And that’s what I did”. From the get go, they said the show was about two witnesses, that was NOT completely connected to… Read more »
There is no ‘lore’ of Ichabbie. Period. If anyone bothered to read the original story, you would know that the real trial is between Ichabod and the Horseman. I will miss seeing Abbie, but I am looking forward to seeing what will happen and where the show will go. Just because your head cannon ship isn’t happening in the show doesn’t mean you should boycott. If you enjoyed the show before, then you should at least give it a shot. No one quit watching or made a fuss when Irving died or even when Abraham was sucked into the tree… Read more »
Irving and Abraham are not lead characters. Period. (Abraham isn’t even in the opening credits.) Perhaps you didn’t pay attention but people ‘made a fuss’ when Irving was sidelined in S2, killed off, brought back to a ridiculous storyline, only to be fired during the S3 hiatus. Neil Jackson, who played Abraham, was informed by email that his services are no longer needed. Former fans tuned out because of terrible writing, inconsistent plots, ignoring established canon, forgetting the central premise, wasting the talent of its cast, squandering the chemistry between the leads, mistreating the cast, especially the lead actress, and… Read more »
The lore of Sleepy Hollow was the interracial partnership of Ichabbie. We true fans stood strong as Abbie was sidelined &made asexual, while Crane was thrown mismatched admirer after admirer& off-putting family drama. To make Abbie irrelevant to the series after establishing episode after episode that she was the second witness, the very reason Crane was suspended in time so he could meet & join forces with, in order to fulfill God’s purpose and save the world from the apacolypse, completely destroys the fictional logic the series is based on & leaves a gaping plot-hole the estimated size of ‘our’… Read more »
You are so right! I was let down that this played an factor in their romance. They clearly had chemistry and she was a very loyal and beautiful partner to the very end. It really sucks that FOX is so afraid of interracial relationships that they damaged an otherwise creative show just to avoid their union as a couple. I even half expected them to address the feelings that they had. Instead, all Abby got in the end, after all she had done for the sleepy hollow and Ich is a half hearted goodbye! Smh. If anything Abby’s story should… Read more »
Nicole and Tim were partners– the 2 witnesses. If Tom was a “big star” then so was Beharie. I’ve seen her in movies before. Never heard of him. Don’t know why she had to take a back seat in a partnership, but I don’t appreciate her being marginalized. I deleted show from my DVR & won’t be watching. Good luck, Show, in your future endeavors.
is this woman right in she head or smoking crack. i am not watching this show. abbie or nothing and to say that BS what she just said well now i aint watching
Sorry Fox. You really messed up by making Nichole want to leave! The chemistry between Abbie and Crane was unparalleled, and that was what made this show awesome! And killing off Abbie, Joe AND losing Orlando….just too much to bear. I doubt I’ll be watching when it returns.
Happy the show got another chance. Will miss Abby but the concept and storylines are infinite. Will continue to watch.
I am so happy and excited that Fox renewed Sleepy Hollow for a 4th season!! I will be watching for sure! Thank you! Thank you!
I loved Abbie and I didn’t see her as a sidekick but as a leader.
I don’t know what her fallout was with Fox but I feel she
played a prominent role in the show and I didn’t see her playing
second fiddle to Crane. I love and I will continue
to watch the show. Who knows what went on with Abbie
and Fox but everyone has different
sensitivity levels