Fox’s modern-day adaption of the literary classic “Sleepy Hollow” is one of the latest network television attempts of following the shortened season model originated by cable television. Like NBC’s (successful) “Hannibal” and CBS’s (so far disappointing) “Hostages,” Fox decided to run the show in seasons of 13. So far, the decision seems to be working.

“Sleepy Hollow” stars Tom Mison, a relatively unknown English actor, as Ichabod Crane, a soldier who died in the Revolutionary War, only to be revived in present day Sleepy Hollow, New York, due in part to spell created by Crane’s wife, Katrina, who just so happened to be a witch. When Crane comes back to life, it is believed he beheaded the sheriff, however the only person who believes him to be innocent is the sheriff’s partner Abbie Mills, played by Nicole Beharie.

Fans of “Supernatural” should be sure to check out the “Sleepy Hollow”, as most of the themes seem very familiar. In the pilot alone, Crane and Mills deal with demons, biblical references, the Four Horsemen, witchcraft and some fantastic chemistry between the two leads.

However, while “Supernatural” took its time unrolling its plot, “Sleepy Hollow” seems to be taking a page from “The Vampire Diaries” and hit the ground in a dead sprint, possibly in an attempt to tell as much story as possible in the shortened season. The mythology of the show is sometimes so intertwined it may take a couple of viewings to figure out what exactly is going on. It may even just be best to wait until the first season ends and then marathon the episodes. For the purpose of this review, I watched all five episodes in succession, and it seemed to make the overarching story line a little bit easier to follow.

For a casual viewer not willing to make the full commitment to yet another television show, it is enjoyable just to watch Crane try to adjust to modern day life, including telling his life story to a phone operator, without getting too invested.

3/5