Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Time travel + spooky mystery = zesty TV fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Sleepy Hollow
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say the show offers a fascinating mix of supernatural elements, including themes of love, death, and the fight against evil, all intertwined with various cultural beliefs. While many younger viewers found it engaging and not overly frightening, some noted mild graphic content that might be unsettling for sensitive audiences.
- engaging plot
- supernatural themes
- mild graphic content
- suitable for teens
- captivating characters
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In a twist on the classic creepy legend, SLEEPY HOLLOW recasts Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) as a time-traveling soldier who dies on a battlefield in the midst of slaying the creepy headless horseman, and wakes up in modern-day Sleepy Hollow, population 144,000. Everyone Crane knew and loved, including his enchanting wife Katrina, who had secrets of her own, is now dead. But the horseman, not so much -- he's accompanied Crane to modern times and is stalking the residents of Sleepy Hollow and trying to obtain a mysterious talisman for nefarious purposes. Now Crane teams up with police detective Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie) to catch the horseman and solve the mystery gripping the terrified town of Sleepy Hollow.
Is It Any Good?
Time travel, the undead, and a National Treasure-style mystery all rolled into one? Sign us up for this guilty pleasure, which has a cool premise: What if the faceless (literally, in this case) killer stalking a town is a supernatural being who can only be stopped with a combination of Law & Order-style police work and supernatural intervention?
Not only that, but near-unknown lead Tom Mison as Crane is both cute of face and pleasant of manner; Nicole Beharie as the crimefighter he teams up with is charmingly tart and intrepid. And all the mysterious goings on, which involve a lot of flashbacks in period dress, will make teens and adults alike swoon.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the original Washington Irving story Sleepy Hollow. How is this adaptation different? How is it the same? Why would the showrunners have changed the original legend?
Can you think of any other shows on the air that have a fantasy premise like the one on Sleepy Hollow? What about shows like Once Upon a Time or Teen Wolf? How are these shows like or different from Sleepy Hollow?
Sleepy Hollow brings in a time-traveling aspect not present in the original story. Why would time travel be attractive as a plot point on a fantasy show?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 16, 2013
- Cast : Nicole Beharie , Orlando Jones , Tom Mison
- Network : Fox
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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