NBC has officially cancelled Hannibal, Bryan Fuller’s series adaptation of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter stories, but the show has such a dedicated fan base that producers are trying to keep it alive somewhere else.
Hannibal started its third season on June 4 and NBC said that the rest of the 13 episodes will continue airing through August. Fuller even announced on Twitter that there will still be a panel for the show at the San Diego Comic Con.
While the show has plenty of fans, it didn’t have enough to sustain a slot on a broadcast network. According to TVByTheNumbers, the show’s latest episode earned a series low 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
Since it is not a Universal TV production, the show’s producers shouldn’t have trouble shopping it to cable networks or online venues. Indeed, Deadline notes that executive producer Martha De Laurentiis already confirmed on Twitter that they are searching for new options. Fuller also tweeted a link to a petition to save the show and it already has over 6,000 supporters.
Amazon actually might be the best place for the show, since Amazon Prime Instant Video is the exclusive streaming home to the first two seasons through a four-year deal with NBCUniversal.
Hannibal has been a critical darling and stars Mads Mikkelsen in the title role. LAurence Fishburne, Hugh Dancy and Gillian Anderson also star. If the show is not picked up anywhere, Fuller could devote his time to Starz’s American Gods, which he is co-executive producing.
image of Mads Mikkelsen courtesy of INFphoto.com