At first glance, the odds for success appeared to be stacked against “Hannibal,†NBC’s new drama about Hannibal Lecter. It had a late-spring premiere date, which has often been a dumping ground for network programming, and NBC’s recent track record has not inspired confidence.
But so far, “Hannibal†has persevered in the ratings. It drew 4.4 million total viewers for its series premiere on April 4, 4.4 million for its second episode on April 11 and 3.5 million viewers for its most recent episode on Thursday. The show’s promising start points to a larger trend, namely the television audience’s current appetite for not only the horror genre but also the continued fascination with shows about serial killers, like this season’s greatest drama success, “The Following†on Fox, and Showtime’s “Dexter.â€
While “Hannibal’s†overall numbers may not be large, NBC has struggled to fill the 10 p.m. time slot on Thursdays since “E.R.†ended its 15-year run in 2009. In the last four years, no less than 11 series - including dramas like “Prime Suspect,†“The Firm†and “Awake,†among others - have occupied that slot. And all of them failed to gain traction in the ratings. The previous 10 p.m. Thursday offering, “Do No Harm,†barely cracked 2.2 million total viewers for its second episode. It was promptly canceled.
