Sunday nights are a witch with Witches of East End and Monday nights are spooktacular with Sleepy Hollow. Something wicked this way comes and both nights scare up some frighteningly good television that can't be missed with not your average premise. With a mixture of humor and horror, these two shows are television's newest unholy treat. If you're searching for programs to keep your heart pounding and your butt on the edge of your seat, then Witches of East End and Sleepy Hollow will more than fit the bill! Captivating and enthralling, the creepy story lines, titillating acting, and searing chemistry all suck you in and make you feel as if you are a part of every spell binding and mysterious moment.
Witches are the new vampires, and I have a feeling the ladies of the new Lifetime network show Witches of East End would agree with me. They have cast a spell on Sunday nights and have entranced viewers. And for good reason too! Clever, wicked, provocative, and yes, magical, Witches of East End weaves a tale also based on a book, this one by Melissa de la Cruz. The show focuses on the Beauchamp family which includes matriarch Joanna (Julia Ormond) who is a free-spirited artist, her two daughters Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) who is a wild-child bartender, and practical, shy librarian Ingrid (Rachel Boston). Both Freya and Ingrid are unaware of the gifts (and curses) that accompany their magical birthright. Bizarre occurrences begin and when Joanna's sister Wendy (Mädchen Amick) shows up with a warning that could eternally change the fate of the Beauchamps, it forces Joanna to divulge the mystical family secret to her daughters, that they are in fact immortal witches that possess incredible untapped powers. Life in their small town is forever changed for them, as a formidable ancient enemy is intent on making the Beauchamp family line extinct. Can the Beauchamps rise to the challenge, embrace magic, and realize there is both power and strength in numbers? Or will they fold under pressure and watch their family disappear?
The women behind Witches of East End provide passion, beauty, and great humor to their roles. When you tune in you get a cornucopia of laughs, danger, drama, and familial ties. Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Rachel Boston are incredible; it is as if these two have been bonded as sisters in real life. Boston gloriously knows how to walk the line showcasing vulnerability and tenacity with her character allowing viewers the opportunity to sympathize and root for her character Ingrid in one fell swoop. Dewan-Tatum is sexy and fierce, she continues to illustrate that Freya is no damsel in distress; she can come to her own rescue. Dewan-Tatum and Boston are sure to quickly become extraordinary role models for many young girls with their striking portrayals. Ormond as their mother evokes emotion and strength as she watches over Dewan-Tatum and Boston as if they were her own. Amick as their aunt throws in the dash of smart and sassiness that keeps the show from taking itself too seriously. Mystery and intrigue are characters in themselves that seem to have a sinister mind of their own as well. Sunday nights are a total scream with Witches of East End.
Sleepy Hollow's scare tactics are top notch! FOX aims to pack a deep punch with Sleepy Hollow and boy to do they deliver with this modern twist on Washington Irving's classic. Tom Mison stars as Ichabod Crane who has been transplanted two and a half centuries in time to unravel a mystery that dates back to the very founding fathers of our country. Ichabod has been revived alongside of the Headless Horseman as the two have been tied by blood. The Horseman begins a murderous rampage in the present day town of Sleepy Hollow and it leads Ichabod to quickly realize that their resurrection and the murders are the beginnings of something apocalyptic. Ichabod is out of his element in the year 2013, and soon discovers he has an unlikely ally in Sleepy Hollow police department's Lt. Abbie Mills, played by the incomparable Nicole Beharie. Evil has awoken in this sleepy town, and with Abbie's own tie in to the mission that lies ahead of them, each night in Sleepy Hollow is a bumpy wild ride. Every piece Mills and Crane uncover in the mystery leads them to realize that secrets, and people, never stay buried for long.
Beharie and Mison are a fiery dynamic duo! The two effortlessly play off one another with their back and forth making it seem as if they have an unspoken connection. Mison, besides being easy on the eyes, is gallant and charming; he can both tease and torment you all at the same time. Beharie has an innate ability to hit the viewer hard with powerful performances then dial back with sincere, gripping emotion. The characters of Crane and Mills have an unmatched chemistry that smolders, something that Mison and Beharie showcase feverishly every episode. Quick and sharp writing added in to this high octane, fast paced constantly twisted mystery make Sleepy Heads, the name for show fans, wish that they had a wicked case of the Mondays.
Both Witches of East End and Sleepy Hollow provide a hellacious and scintillating viewing experience that will leave you unhinged and craving for more. Sinfully scary with a touch of sweetness is just the right mixture to allow for a frighteningly good time. Be sure that you watch Sleepy Hollow and Witches of East End with friends and family, because after you tune in, you won't want to be alone once the lights go out.