What’s it rated? TV-14
When? 2013-2015
Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime
This overlooked crime drama follows FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), whose ability to empathize with serial killers makes him a useful tool for his FBI handler Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne) but something of a freak to everyone else. Luckily, Graham is being treated by psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a detached cannibal. Yes, the series is based on Thomas Harris’ novels Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Risingāthe original-story predecessors of Harris’ best-known story and best film in the series, The Silence of the Lambs.
Visually arresting and with terrific performances, the series is very engrossing, originally appearing on NBC, which canceled the series after the third season due to low ratings. Maybe it met its demise because it was competing against The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, and the audience for a horror TV series was stretched thin, but it’s grisly fun. There’s also talk of series creator Bryan Fuller mounting a fourth season. If he does, I’m all in. (39 44-min. episodes) Ī
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 5, 2020.