NBC cancels ‘ Hannibal’

NBC has decided to serve its last helping of “Hannibal.” The network said Monday that it will cancel the thriller about brilliant serial killer Hannibal Lecter ( Mads Mikkelsen) after the conclusion of the third season this summer. Although never a ratings killer, “Hannibal” won acclaim from critics, especially for the performances based on characters created by Thomas Harris, who wrote the novel on which “The Silence of the Lambs” was based. But the TV show also drew criticism for its unflinching depiction of violence and gore.

“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,” producer Bryan Fuller wrote in a statement, referring to network censors.

“Hannibal” nurtured a small but hard- core fan base. The Season 3 premiere earlier this month drew just 2.6 million total viewers, a notable decline from the 4.4 million who 2013.—turned up for the series premiere in