Thursday, February 16, 2012

NBC Greenlights 'Hannibal' TV Series

Next season, "Dexter" won't be the only show on TV with a serial killer lead.

NBC has officially ordered "Hannibal" to series, based upon novelist Thomas Harris' unforgettable creation, Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The series is described as a modern update on Harris' novel, "Red Dragon;" and it will follow the beginning of Lecter's relationship with FBI agent Will Graham before Lecter was exposed as a serial killer himself. Although, if the show runs multiple seasons, it could conceivably cover material from "The Silence of The Lambs" and "Hannibal" as well.

"Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller wrote the "Hannibal" pilot script and he will executive produce the series. Fuller has also created "Wonderfalls" and "Dead Like Me" in addition to writing for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Heroes." Fuller announced his involvement with "Hannibal" last September, before getting serious interest from NBC in November.

"Hannibal" received the unusual straight-to-series pickup based on NBC's strong reaction to Fuller's pilot script. Another factor was the international backing of Gaumont International Television; which will ensure that "Hannibal" will also be broadcast worldwide.

The first season of "Hannibal" will be 13 episodes long, presumably to run in the fall of 2012. However, NBC could also sit on the show until midseason next year.

Fuller is also currently working on a revival of "The Munsters" on NBC, which was renamed “Mockingbird Lane” to better reflect the slightly more serious take on the original series. The new take is reportedly "'True Blood' meets 'Modern Family.'" "X-Men" director Bryan Singer is attached to direct the pilot episode. However, "Mockingbird Lane" was recently delayed and pushed out of contention for the fall of 2012 in order to "give it extra attention."

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