NBC’s ‘Hannibal’ season 2 official; we feel mixture of shock, joy

Every season, there is always one renewal that catches us off guard and this year for us it was hearing that “Hannibal” is going to be back on NBC for a second season of 13 episodes. This is a show that has not drawn good ratings at all during its airing Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time, but did have a few other things going for it: DVR figures, strong viewership online and through other platforms, and possibly a big-name producer in Bryan Fuller.

While you’re doing your happy-dance and picking your jaw up off of the floor, allow us to also share the following statement from NBC entertainment president Jennifer Salke:

“We’re so proud of Bryan’s vision for a show that is richly textured, psychologically complex, and very compelling … There are many great stories still to be told.”

One other thing that probably helped “Hannibal”? That the show is actually pretty darn good, and this is a move showing that they are going to emphasize quality and try to give it a shot, even if there are ratings struggles and bumps along the way. “Hannibal” may not have performed well this time, but after a year off, maybe viewers will be able to catch up. This 13-episode order, standard for a number of cable TV programs, is something that network programming head Robert Greenblatt is very familiar with dating back to when he worked at Showtime.

Are you just as surprised, and pleased, as we are about this news, especially since so many out there (us included) did not think that the show had much of a chance at all? If you want to read some more of the latest ratings news pertaining to “Hannbial,” just be sure to hit up the link here.

Photo: NBC