Orlando Jones, who plays Captain Frank Irving on the cult Fox series, “Sleepy Hollow,” personifies the new relationship that exists between stars/producers and fans in the era of engagement-based television. He’s taken the trouble to master the practices, values and traditions of his fan community and he reaches out to them via social media every week, helping to forge strong group support around his program. In this wrap-up conversation, we talk with Jones about fandom and the future of television, asking him to reflect on the ways social media is changing the relations between creators and audiences and to share some of his perspectives as a television performer about the ways his medium is changing in response to digital and mobile technologies.

Since securing a role in the hit Fox series, Jones created his own Tumblr blog – The Orlando Jones Tumblr Experiment – and is very active on Twitter. Jones interacts and connects with his fans in a way that very few actors do. “My approach to fan engagement is born from a genuine appreciation for the evolving and essential relationship between fans and creators,” Jones explains. “I am truly a fan of our fans. The fact that I’m involved in a creative enterprise that stimulates the creativity of others and inspires them to create transformative works of their own through fan art, fan fiction and more is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do.”