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August 1, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Series

Hannibal

Hannibal is an American psychological horror-thriller television series developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC.

Updated August 1, 20261 min readCited sources

Hannibal is an American psychological horror-thriller television series developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC. It follows FBI investigator Will Graham and psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, focusing on their evolving cat-and-mouse relationship.

Premise

The series follows Will Graham, an FBI criminal profiler with unusual empathy for serial killers, as he works cases with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal secretly has his own murderous agenda, turning their relationship into an ongoing psychological struggle.

Production and source material

Hannibal was developed by Bryan Fuller and draws on Thomas Harris’s novels and characters, particularly *Red Dragon*. The series serves as a prequel-style interpretation of Lecter’s earlier relationship with Graham.

Broadcast history

The show aired on NBC from 2013 to 2015 and consisted of 3 seasons. It was later cancelled after its third season.

In short

  • Centers on FBI profiler Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
  • Based on Thomas Harris’s novels, especially *Red Dragon*.
  • Ran for 3 seasons (2013–2015) on NBC.
  • Cancelled after its third season in 2015.
Canadian angle

The series aired in Canada through Citytv during its original run, making it familiar to Canadian viewers as well as U.S. audiences.[3]

Quick questions

What is Hannibal about?
It is about FBI profiler Will Graham working with psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter while unknowingly becoming entangled in Lecter’s violent and manipulative schemes.
Who played Hannibal Lecter?
Mads Mikkelsen played Hannibal Lecter in the TV series.
How many seasons of Hannibal are there?
There are 3 seasons.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_(TV_series)
    Supports: Series premise, developer, source material, seasons, and cast names.
  2. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2243973/
    Supports: Series plot and the relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter.
  3. Wikipedia (French) — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_(s%C3%A9rie_t%C3%A9l%C3%A9vis%C3%A9e)
    Supports: Three seasons, 39 episodes, and Canadian Citytv broadcast.
  4. YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5sf4y1rq6U
    Supports: Three-season run, cancellation, and main cast details in retrospective summary.
  5. Hannibal Fandom — https://hannibal.fandom.com/wiki/Hannibal_(TV_series)
    Supports: Cancellation after the third season and season structure.