Fall TV preview: Is Fox’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’ escapism of the best kind?

Without even seeing the full pilot, there are some shows that you can figure out just by watching the first full trailer. With Fox’s upcoming “Sleepy Hollow,” what we’ve really learned here is that there is no middle ground at all. This show is either going to be a blast of great entertainment, or a complete and total waste of time.

The trailer certainly makes it look like the show will be pure camp: Entertaining , action-packed, and at times even comedic. It almost feels similar to “The Following” in that the premise is over the top, but in this case it’s managed to go even further than Kevin Bacon could ever dream. This series stars Tom Mison is Ichabod Crane, a member of George Washington’s army who was tasked with destroying a mysterious man. He beheaded him back during the Revolutionary War, but what we have since seen is that this man very much lives on as the Headless Horseman.

Thanks to the power of magic (i.e. a local witch), Ichabod and the Horseman have been brought into the present day to do battle, where they are surrounded by all sorts of modern-day amenities, and also the police. This has a distinct “Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” sort of feel as Ichabod questions everything from firearms to Starbucks appearing on every street corner, and this seems to be where some of the comedy comes from.

The problem with this show feels once again like “The Following” on steroids in that there is a clearly-defined villain, but it is unclear what happens once that villain goes away. Since Crane’s story is so tied to the Horseman, can you really keep this guy around six seasons? It seems very difficult to feel for a villain that stays alive that long, given that it would make Ichabod look rather terrible at his job for never finding a way to get rid of him.

What’s your take on “Sleepy Hollow,” and do you think that this will either be a bonafide hit, or a complete disaster?