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NBC Cancels “Hannibal” After Season 3

Series creator, producers remain hopeful this is not the end

Jun 23, 2015 08:35 GMT  ·  By
Mads Mikkelsen is Hannibal Lecter in “Hannibal,” now airing its 3rd season on NBC
   Mads Mikkelsen is Hannibal Lecter in “Hannibal,” now airing its 3rd season on NBC

NBC took a genuine leap of faith in renewing “Hannibal” for a second season considering ratings weren’t what they had imagined they would be, but the time has run out on the series. Network executives have decided that the current, third season will also be the last, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.

Even though the series has developed a cult following and has been received mostly with positive reviews, it failed to get better ratings. If anything, the third season has been the lowest in this sense, with last week’s episode drawing 1.8 million viewers.

NBC pulls the plug over disappointing ratings

Because the loyalty of a few and solid reviews from both fans and the critic community mean nothing when put in the balance with huge ratings, NBC has decided that “Hannibal” is no longer a wise investment.

The second season was given the green light despite disappointing ratings because the show was relatively cheap to make, so in the end, NBC wasn’t really losing anything by betting on it.

With ratings even more underwhelming, keeping it on the air for a fourth season was no longer a wise choice. The worst part is that series creator Bryan Fuller and producers, including executive producer Martha DeLaurentiis, had already made plans for a fourth season, which would have introduced the character of Clarice Starling, famously played by Jodie Foster in “Silence of the Lambs.”  

At last year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, they said that the fourth season would include the most explosive and satisfying story arc of the series.

Fuller remains hopeful it might still get to see the light of day, but until then, fans have an entire summer to enjoy the final episodes of the series. Season 3 comprises 13 episodes and they will air as scheduled on NBC.

“Hannibal” is looking for a new home

It’s not uncommon for fan-favorites to move from one network to another when their initial home closes down for whatever reason.

As of now, no other network has shown interest in “Hannibal,” but Fuller and DeLaurentiis have already gone on the record saying that they hope this happens soon.

“Hannibal is finishing his last course at NBC’s table this summer, but a hungry cannibal can always dine again. And personally, I look forward to my next meal with NBC,” Fuller says in a statement.

DeLaurentiis confirms this on Twitter, but she also told THR that she hopes the fans will rally and make their voices heard, so that the series finds a new home for the 4th season. As we speak, #Hannibal and #SaveHannibal are trending on Twitter in several countries, so it looks like this could actually happen soon.