Fox Entertainment president David Madden talked about the network's decision to renew "Sleepy Hollow" for season 4 after a major character was killed off.

At the Television Critics Association summer press tour, Madden said the decision to kill co-lead star Nicole Beharie's character in season 3 finale went through a very hard conversation. He said, "Crane (Tom Mison) and Abbie (Beharie) were the spine of the show in a lot of ways, so it was difficult to figure out if it was right thing to do, to continue or not."

The show's creative team pitched in new characters and situations for Crane, which eventually led them to agree. He has already seen the first seven scripts and said, "We think there's a lot of good new stories to tell."

Fox Televesion co-chariman Dana Walden also addressed concerns about the next season being a reboot of sort. She said, "The only thing you can do is show materials from the show that will demonstrate to viewers that there's still something very special about the series."

Beharie is not the only familiar face that viewers will miss in the upcoming season. As the location of the show transfers from New York to Washington, D.C. Actor Lance Gross, who played FBI head Daniel Reynolds, will no longer appear, while actress Jessica Camacho will guest in some episodes to reprise her role as Sophie Foster.

Taking over the female lead is a character named Anna who is described to be a single mother and former military officer. Her entry is marked by a conflict with Crane because of skepticism towards the supernatural as they begin working together.

Anna is further described to be tough with a wry sense of humor and a born leader with a soft side she rarely shows.

"Sleepy Hollow" season 4 is scheduled to premiere in early 2017.