The Fine Line Between TV Fans Who Feel Engaged & Those Who Feel Betrayed

No matter how popular or beloved the television show, there is always a certain amount of natural tension between the creative forces on the show and the show's most dedicated fans. Important decisions made about casting, story direction and whether two characters will become an item are generally arrived at after a great deal of wrangling between the showrunner, studio and/or network and the actors involved in the decisions. No matter how well planned the story arc, things can go horribly astray. And while it's often easy to see the results of the disaster on the screen, most times viewers and fans won't know the parameters of what influenced the decision. A lot of things are left unsaid, sometimes to protect participants but more often because the finished product is a messy assemblage of compromise and panic.

Last week Bones creator Hart Hanson wrote in length about the challenges faced by showrunners in the age of social media. In this piece, we'll hear from a fan of the Fox drama Sleepy Hollow. That series - along with The 100 - has been the target in recent weeks of a intense pushback from many of the show's most dedicated fans. 

In the case of Sleepy Hollow, the fan unhappiness over the direction of the show has been growing over the past two seasons. The first season introduced a complex, multi-cultural case built around a wild retelling of the story of Ichabod Crane (played by Tom Mison) and his eventual partner Abbie Mills (played by Nicole Beharie). The cast and crew was unusually engaged with fans online, led by actor Orlando Jones. By the end of the rookie season, the show seemed poised to be a breakout hit in season two. 

Over the following two seasons, much of that engagement and magic faded way for many of the show's most dedicated fans. Sure, some of the unhappiness was due to the changing focus of the show and the addition of some less-than-appreciated new characters. But the primary unhappiness was more an emotional response to the way cast and crew had interacted with fans on social media. There was a growing sense that Fox and some members of the show's crew has purposely misled fans in an effort to keep them watching a show that was struggling to find its way creatively.

By the time season three ended and Abbie was killed off, many fans seemed to feel that this was just the final slap in the face. According to some reports, Beharie left the show due to her unhappiness with the direction of her character. Although a producer I spoke with who is associated with the series argued that the decision was "more complex." That might well be the case, but fans pointed to the lack of information about the reasons for her exit as an indication that the network and the show's producers were only interested in speaking with fans when it suited their marketing purposes.

I've heard a lot from fans of the show in recent days and one of the most concise arguments comes - ironically enough - from Twitter. 

Thanks to @abigael_young for the concise and clear explanation of her unhappiness:

@aysrick I do know that #sleepyhollow can become a case study on how as a showrunnner/producer/writer shouldn't communicate with the fans 1

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick The nets/producers only listened partly to the fans.What i mean by that is that they used the fans (ship-baiting) to keep views up

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick The viewers/fans called the #sleepyhollow show/writers out on this discovery when it was too late. Only to be ignored completely.

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick When you're so big a network show as #sleepyhollow you can't please everyone. But they disregarded all the reasons fans watched

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick in the first place. Which was the character of Abbie Mills and her partnership with Ichabod. You don't destroy that..

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick and expect praise for your work of art. It doesn't work like that and never will. @SleepyHollowFOX Only responds to praise which

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick is a very VERY bad call to make. Don't sideline and ignore the fans who made the show happen in the first place #sleepyhollow

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick only some writers of the show have come out saying the same thing: The viewers don't know what goes on behind the scenes

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick Their only response of the fiasco of #sleepyhollow. As if to say we viewers should shut up and just watch a show without question

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick Communication could be better by just LISTENING to the fans without taking defense as first action. @realboborci does it right!

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick JUST LISTEN. You don't have to execute every demand the fans ask but don't use them either just to keep the views up #sleepyhollow

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

@aysrick final line: If you dont write/produce for your fans to watch, enjoy and feel inspired, then why are you in the media business?

— Abigael Young (@abigael_young) May 1, 2016

And that exchange is at the core of the challenge faced by any network. showrunner, writer or producer who wants to "engage" with fans on social media. Fans don't see that interaction as a one-way marketing-driven conversation. They might not expect their favorite show to listen to their every desire. But like in any relationship, fans want to feel as if their voice is at least being heard.

It's a fine line to walk for the TV industry and everyone is still feeling their way. But it's important to consider the faux intimacy of social media and the way that type of conversation appears to the audience. "Engagement" is a tricky path, especially for TV industry people who are more comfortable simply letting their work speak for itself.


Want to share some thoughts about this piece? Would you like to be part of an upcoming installment? Send an email with your feedback to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and/or follow me on Twitter at @aysrick.