Dr. Hannibal Lecter will kill again — at least for one more half-season.
NBC has renewed the critically praised-yet-low-rated drama “Hannibal” at the 11th hour, and will bring the show back for a midseason run of 13 episodes in 2014.
While that’s not exactly a huge vote of confidence, NBC evidently felt the show’s “time-shifted” numbers — viewers watching an episode after its original airdate — was good enough to warrant a second chance. According to Nielsen, “Hannibal’s” numbers in the adults 18-49 demo increased by 75 percent in time-shifted viewing.
“There are so many great stories to be told,” NBC entertainment chief Jennifer Salke said in a statement.
NBC better hope so, since “Hannibal” — which stars Mads Mikkelsen as the infamous cannibal Dr. Lecter — averaged only 4.7 million viewers over eight episodes last season and wasn’t a strong candidate for renewal.
It’s not clear if “Hannibal”— co-starring Laurence Fishburne, Caroline Dhavernas and Hettienne Park — will return in late January/early February, the traditional midseason timeframe, or at a later date.
In the series, Lecter, a psychiatrist, is helping the FBI track serial killers — while, unbeknownst to the FBI, he’s simultaneously indulging his passion for murder and cannibalism.