NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ Renewed For Second Season

NBC has ordered a 13-episode second season of Hannibal.

The series, which stars Mads Mikkelsen, Laurence Fishburne, and Hugh Dancy, premiered on April 4 to 4.36 million viewers. Viewership for subsequent episodes dipped to around 2.40 to 2.62 million viewers, and NBC put the decision to renew the series on hold for a little while. The series received generally positive reviews, and at least one cable network expressed interest in picking up the series in case NBC decided not to renew it. Amazon also expressed interest in Hannibal.

Last month, the series made headlines after NBC decided to pull an episode featuring Molly Shannon as a woman who brainwashed children into killing other children. The decision came after series creator Bryan Fuller called the network and asked to pull the episode “given the cultural climate right now in the US.” The episode was set to air shortly after the bombing at the Boston Marathon, and Fuller didn’t feel right about airing the episode after such a tragedy.

“I didn’t want to have anyone come to the show and have a negative experience,” Fuller said. ” … With this episode, it wasn’t about the graphic imagery or violence. It was the associations that came with the subject matter that I felt would inhibit the enjoyment of the overall episode. … It was my own sensitivity.”

At the beginning of May, a Salt Lake City station decided to pull the entire series from its lineup because of the show’s graphic nature. KSL TV wrote on its Facebook page, “After viewing the past few episodes, as well as receiving numerous complaints from viewers, KSL TV will cancel the airing of the NBC show “Hannibal” on Thursday evenings. This decision was made due to the extensive graphic nature of this show.

The second season of Hannibal will premiere no later than mid-season, NBC said.

“We’re so proud of Bryan’s vision for a show that is richly textured, psychologically complex, and very compelling,” NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke said Thursday. “There are many great stories still to be told.”

Are you excited for a second season of Hannibal?