NBC Cancels 'Hannibal' After 3 Seasons: #SaveHannibal

“Hannibal” is not coming back 

for a fourth season.

HANNIBAL — “Aperitivo” Episode 304 — Pictured: (l-r) Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford 

NBC has made it official, opting not to pick up a fourth season of its well received drama Hannibal. Despite good reviews and devoted cult following, 'Hannibal' could not grow into a broad network show. The writing had been on the wall, with NBC opting to hold Season 3 for the summer, where the drama has delivered soft ratings. (It most recently logged a 0.5 Live+Same Day in adults 18-49.) Likely more suited for cable, Hannibal has been solid on DVR and on-demand and has done very well on social media but that was not enough to sustain the show on a Big 4 net. 

The third and now final season will air in its entirety in the Thursday 10 PM slot, and the show will still present at Comic-Con as planned. 

There is an effort to find a new home for Hannibal as part of a #SaveHannibal campaign led by executive producers Bryan Fuller and Martha De Laurentiis. 

The drama based on the relationship between FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), will cancel following its current third season, which premiered on June 4.

Laurence Fishburne plays Special Agent Jack Crawford, head of Behavioral Sciences at the FBI and Graham’s boss.

The drama will finish up its entire 13-episode run in the same 10:00 p.m. time slot Thursday nights this summer, wrapping up on Sept. 3 with the series finale.

“NBC has allowed us to craft a television series that no other broadcast network would have dared, and kept us on the air for three seasons despite Cancellation Bear Chow ratings and images that would have shredded the eyeballs of lesser Standards & Practices enforcers,” Fuller said. “(Entertainment president) Jen Salke and her team have been fantastic partners and creatively supportive beyond measure. 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.”

Hannibal, based on Thomas Harris’ characters, stars Hugh Dancy as Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. It is produced by Gaumont International Television.

“We have been tremendously proud of Hannibal over its three seasons,” NBC said in a statement. “Bryan and his team of writers and producers, as well as our incredible actors, have brought a visual palette of storytelling that has been second to none in all of television — broadcast or cable. We thank Gaumont and everyone involved in the show for their tireless efforts that have made ‘Hannibal’ an incredible experience for audiences around the world.”

“Hannibal” is one of those shows with loads of   critical praise but a tiny, albeit fiercely-loyal fan base. The last two episodes that aired averaged a mere 1.65 million viewers overall and a series low (0.5) in adults 18-49.

So what will be next for Laurence Fishburne?

Considering the actor’s extensive work in every corner of the entertainment field, there’s no telling.

Fishburne is rumored to reprise his role as Cowboy Curtis in the upcoming Pee-wee Herman movie “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.”

He has also completed production as Perry White in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Below, Alana, Dr. Chilton and Mason Verger are ready to get their revenge against Hannibal on Thursday’s all-new episode (June 25), 10/9c on NBC.

‘Hannibal’ – 

Will Show Find New Life Elsewhere After BC Cancellation?

It is a battle cry that is taking Twitter by storm: #SaveHannibal. 

Creator/executive producer Bryan Fuller used it when the news of the Hannibal cancellation broke, urging fans to watch the 10 remaining episodes on NBC. It was repeated by Hannibalexecutive producer Martha De Laurentiis, who confirmed that “we are exploring options with other potential partners” and invited viewers to “join us in sending a message to other potential partners.”

The cancellation news is barely a couple of hours old, but we hear that there has been a significant interest in Hannibal from other outlets. The one that would make most sense is Amazon, which already has exclusive rights to the existing three seasons of the show as part of a four-year, five-show deal with NBCUniversal. The deal is in the middle of its term, which would complicate potential negotiations with Amazon competitors like Netflix.

Also worth mentioning is that Fuller, who has run the show for the first three seasons, has no show-runner deal going forward.

But Fuller has been passionate about Hannibal and had indicated that he likely would find a way to stay involved if the show continues. 

It is not easy but has happened before: Cult comedy Community was dealt the same fate as Hannibal last year, getting cancelled by NBC, but subsequently was picked up by Yahoo. Hannibal, from Gaumont International TV, is a well-reviewed, upscale series with a small but devoted following and strong social media presence — something digital networks crave. Also working in Hannibal‘s favor is the fact that the show is still on the air, with 10 new episodes yet to air, giving potential buyers a series that still would be fresh in viewers’ minds.

And the fan support for the show should get an extra boost next month, with Fuller rallying fans at Comic-Con. He confirmed post-cancellation today that the show would still be going to the comic book convention in San Diego.