Crazy is the New Black

Jordan Dane
@JordanDane

I'll admit that I've gone a little cra-cray over Fox's Sleepy Hollow. Yes, Tom Mison is the real reason I watch the show. There I said it, but the insane way the creators have put together such an inventive twist on Washington Irving's short stories (The Headless Horseman & Rip Van Winkle), thrown in the Bible's Revelations, added a spicy mix of conspiracy theory & history surrounding George Washington and the revolutionary war, and topped it off with demons and witches--makes my writer juices flow. It's like they had a dartboard and write about whatever they hit. I call it painting yourself in the corner and trying to figure your way out. The wilder, the better the challenge. I've been dying to try a book using this method and here the notion has unfolded in a TV show. The way season 1 ended, the finale was monster. It's hard to imagine what will come in season 2, but I will be in the front row and live tweeting every episode.

Anyone else a fan of Sleepy Hollow?

Another show that has its season 2 premiere coming Feb 28th is Hannibal on NBC. Crazy man Bryan Fuller has taken Thomas Harris's Red Dragon and reinvented what happens between profiler Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. Fuller asked a great writer question: What if Will met Hannibal before he knew the man was the most prolific serial killer the world had ever known? Then make Hannibal his therapist. That is bent and twisted. If you haven't caught season 1, do yourself a favor and try it. It is graphically violent. So fair warning, but the mental mind games of Hannibal will blow you away. Season 2 is Will fighting back and Hannibal will regret how much he's taught Will about being a master manipulator and sadistic killer. This show may not be for anyone who is squeamish or prone to nightmares, but it puts me in my happy place. Weird, I know. I love Hugh Dancy in this role. He's such a strong actor and Mads Mikkelson as Hannibal is a perfect pairing. Mads has completely owned the iconic role that Anthony Hopkins used to dominate. Move over, Sir Anthony.

These shows (and a few more) have stirred my creative imaginings as a writer. They remind me that a writer is only limited by his or her own imagination. Staying the course and picking a safe book plot won't allow you to stand out in a crowd. To take the risk of pushing the envelope on what you write can be unnerving, but the upside can be ENORMOUS--and it's just so much damned fun.

There are other shows that have twisted storylines with the creators' wild imaginings. Please share some of your favorites and tell me why you like them. Do we have any Game of Thrones lovers out there? Fantasy supreme.

Crane on a Plane

As many of you know, I am totally addicted to Fox’s new show Sleepy Hollow, staring British hottie Tom Mison and his strong female co-star, Nicole Beharie. I’ve been a fan of Tom Mison since he stole every scene he was in on the feature film “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” with Emily Blunt and Ewan MacGregor.  I could NOT take my eyes off him and was thrilled to see the creators of Sleepy Hollow got it right when they cast him in the pivotal and iconic role of Ichabod Crane.
 
With critically acclaimed season 1 about to conclude, I am savoring every promo tidbit that’s coming up, including morsels on season 2. Don’t miss Tom on the LIVE! Kelly and Michael show on Monday, Jan 13th. I believe it is his first live talk show in the US as a leading man. I’ve got my DVR set because I know I will want to watch him over and over. The guy is charming and funny.
 
Check out my Pinterest Board of my favorite Tom Mison images HERE. Real gems!
 
In a recent TV interview with Good Day NY, Sleepy Hollow star Orlando Jones hinted at things to come in June when the show starts filming season 2 after the highly anticipated 2-hr finale that will air on Jan 20th. (Be sure to see another new episode “The Vessel” on Monday, Jan 13th.) For the second season, the cast will be filming in NY, Philly, and London. Yes, the fight to save the world from the apocalypse will force our intrepid biblical Revelations witnesses – Ichabod Crane and Lt. Abbie Mills - out of Sleepy Hollow.


And you know what that means—CRANE ON A PLANE. Ichabod will be hitting the big city and will have to fly in a plane to get to London. Oh, Lord. Talk about a fish out of water. A target rich environment for Crane’s befuddlement and stubborn pride that has endeared him to a huge fan base.
 
I can picture Crane in the iconic Times Square in NYC, staring up at the skyscrapers in his period clothing, spellbound. Mostly I thought about all the Crane-isms for air travel. If you’re a fan of the show, I’m sure you can hear Crane and Abbie’s voices in your head, like I can. No one does moral outrage like our heroic rebel Ichabod Crane. Here are a few quick lines I’ve tweeted – my version of CRANE ON A PLANE:
 
Crane at the airport:
Crane: “Unhand me, sir. By what right…”
TSA: “I said take off your boots. And you’re only allowed to carry on 3 ounces of liquid.”
Crane: “This is an outrage. I pay for water, endure a 10% levy, now I must weigh it?”
TSA: “SECURITY!”
 
Thirty Minutes Later
 
Crane: “But it’s metal. You expect me to believe that ridiculous vessel can fly.”
Abbie: “It’s a plane. It flies. Now get onboard.”
Crane: “I’d rather face Moloch.”
 
In his seat:
 
Crane: “I had better accommodations when I was buried for 250 years than I do here in 14B.”
Abbie: “But you were dead.”
Crane: “A technicality.”
 
I love the writers of Sleepy Hollow. They carry off the delicate balance between ramping up the suspense and stakes, while adding the fun tongue-in-cheek humor that has become trademark of the show. Much of that humor is turned into gold in the deft hands of Tom Mison, who plays Ichabod Crane. Tom has great comedic timing and hilarious facial expressions that require no words at all. Sleepy Hollow is the perfect show for Tom to be introduced to the American public and the world.


He’s a hunky pistachio nut. One taste isn’t enough.
 

 

 
On a side note, I hear during the hiatus, Tom Mison will be working on his American accent, to give him more opportunities as a leading man in the U.S. I sincerely hope he doesn’t lose his proper British one. His diction and pronunciation (enhanced from his years on stage and his dramatic training) make him a standout anywhere.


LINK for video. Thanks to Ivet Lightwood for the great video.



Happy 2014, Sleepyheads!

My Addiction to Sleepy Hollow as a Writer - Are you a Sleepy Head?

Jordan Dane
@JordanDane



I’ve been watching Sleepy Hollow and consider myself a Sleepyhead, one of many fans who follow the show. We tweet during episodes, quoting lines we love, and mostly talk about Tom Mison, the delectable British male lead who will undoubtedly inspire books in me from here on. But what I’ve found most interesting in the show, beyond the eye candy of Mison, is the daring mix of genres and biblical and literary references. It’s got the flavor of National Treasure (by turning history on its ear with an intriguing undercurrent of conspiracy theories or good vs evil battles) woven into the luxurious velvety fabric of fantasy, mystery, humor, romance, historical, paranormal, and horror.



On top of everything else—the cherry on the top--is damned good writing. We care about the characters and what happens to them. They have personal stories we can’t get enough of, along with the good vs evil battle against demons. There’s a great mix of suspense thriller pacing, blended with the mounting risks the characters take on with each new episode, and compelling backstories to pepper the emotional landscape. The writers leave us wanting more with each new show, while continuing an overall story arc on each character. Even secondary characters become important because of how they add to the plot. I get swept away with being a viewer, but often go back to really listen to each line because these writers do NOTHING without a purpose. It’s fun to see all the threads pull together as the season continues. You have to pay attention if you want to figure stuff out ahead of time, which I really love as a writer.
 
Other fun things to watch for is the historical research the show’s writers must do into the history of the period. Crane’s dialogue lines are incredible studies into the English language of the time period as compared to how we speak today. Abbie represents our present day while Crane is our past. They’ve even used Middle English in the retelling of the mysterious legend of Roanoke. With Crane remembering the past freshest in his mind, he is a reminder how precious our past is and how much can be forgotten over time.
 
Crane is also portrayed as a renaissance man with an enlightened perspective against slavery, which works well with Abbie being a black female law enforcement officer whose ancestors crossed paths with Crane’s family. Again, good writing. Characters and their backstories are well thought out and serve a function for all that springs from their conflict or purpose. This show also has many references to literature and books. In the last episode, Crane is quoted as saying, “Without books we have no past and no future.” I hope I remembered that correctly. It stuck with me. So many quotables from the show.
 

 
The “man out of time” bits are hilarious and far too few, but that makes every one precious. Crane is outspoken and has trouble admitting when he doesn’t understand our present time, making each misstep of his funny to watch. His first shower, his take on modern technology and conveniences, his disbelief we pay for water or pay 10% levy on baked goods (his introduction to donut holes), his time spent on the “ninernet” and finding a porn chat room,  and his first baseball game are hilarious. Crane’s take on us is entertaining, but it’s what he teaches Abbie about the past and the way he still lives (standing up to evil or injustice no matter the personal cost), endears him to us. This is another test of good writers – to incorporate such special moments into a suspenseful story line at the right time and place, or surprising the viewer when it comes at a very unexpected moment (like the picture above where he sees his first shower sponge and doesn’t ask why Abbie bought it for him). The writers and Mison make me want the whole show to be about Crane assimilating, but of course there must be more for us to get to know characters who are quickly becoming as familiar as family to the growing legion of Sleepyheads who crave the Sleepy Hollow world.
 
I know the day is coming that Crane will be forced from his period clothing, but I have to say Tom Mison is dream worthy in his revolutionary breeches, boots, and gabardine jacket. He’s wearing a wig for the long sexy hair, but Mison looks amazing in short hair too. Google the many faces of Tom Mison and you’ll see. Here’s fun video on Mison and Beharie. And here’s another of just Mison and his short hair. The fandom on DeviantArt and twitter and countless other chat rooms and forums have quickly evolved. Fortunately people of all ages have embraced this show.
 

 
Another writer thing – the plot and character story arcs are really good. The ground swell to Ichabod’s and Abbie’s story is building in such a tantalizing way with cliff hanger and reveals that escalates the momentum. Ichabod and Abbie are the two witnesses in Revelations who are fighting the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, malevolent spirits, a dark coven of witches, and a powerful demon behind it all. The chemistry between Abbie and Crane is growing stronger as they work together and put their lives on the line for the sake of humanity, despite the cost to their lives and loves. I want to bottle similar elements into a book. There are so many things I am learning about good writing. Thanks to Fox, the Sleepy Hollow Writers and Phillip Iscove for bringing a quality show like this to TV.
 
For other Sleepy Heads, have you seen the online map on the Fox site? HERE is the link. Bone up for the upcoming 2-hour finale (two back to back eps that will be an event held on Jan 20th). Yes, this means we have to wait, but this show is worth waiting for. I can’t even imagine having Ichabod for two hours. (Well, actually I can, but that’s a whole ‘nother post…with a different rating than PG.)
 

Congratulations to Fox and the cast of Sleepy Hollow for getting picked up for a second season within hours of the first episode airing. Fox has a major hit on its hands!!!
 
For the purposes of discussion:
 
1.) Are you a Sleepyhead? Will you be watching the 2-hour finale on Jan 20th?
 
2.) What are your favorite elements of the show – as a writer – as a viewer?
 
3.) What clothes would you like to see Ichabod wear? I’ve heard rumor of a hoodie, but I truly believe Crane’s clothes are his security blanket. Will he part with them? If not, what will his compromise be?