spent some time today marveling that three seasons of Hannibal aired on prime time on NBC, still can't believe it tbh (complimentary if that wasn't clear) - ThreadSky

moryan.bsky.social • 2 days ago

spent some time today marveling that three seasons of Hannibal aired on prime time on NBC, still can't believe it tbh (complimentary if that wasn't clear)

Reposted from Jennifer Kretchmer

I introduced someone to the joys of Hannibal this week. If nothing else, I have done *some* good in this world.

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formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

There are some scenes I don't think even would've aired on HBO in its prime. I didn't watch the show when it originally aired--I came to it much later and kept checking Wikipedia and IMDB to make sure it was a network show. Was NBC in the basement ratings-wise at the time with nothing to lose?

shelleyelwood.bsky.social•2 days ago

Broadcast tv has limits on curse words and nudity, but the censors never really seemed to care much about gore or sexually suggestive talk on anything that aired after 9pm, CSI did some wild shit

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

Sure. But I mean it's rare you see a shot of dead, naked bodies woven together into a giant tower, or watch someone dine on their own leg. Even gore is restrained, usually, let's be honest.

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

Hell, the episode of 'Home' from X Files isn't all that graphic and Fox disappeared that ep for over a decade.

shelleyelwood.bsky.social•2 days ago

I mean, Criminal Minds did have a serial killer try to Frankenstein his dead brother from assorted body parts and a bad storm; Hannibal was notable for being artsier, but the other shows were actually much ickier with it

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

Buffy did a similar thing, actually.

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

...I mean the show. The character didn't, so far as I recall, try to Frankenstein anyone.

shelleyelwood.bsky.social•2 days ago

It was not as graphic, I think the censors were just kinda looser post-2000

moryan.bsky.social•2 days ago

I could be wrong about this but I heard MGM offered it at a bananas-low license fee, like basically there wasn't much of a way NBC could lose money (again, hearsay, I may be wrong!)

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

And they couldn't use Clarice Starling, I think, because her character was owned by Viacom or something. Anyway, CBS tried to do a Clarice series a few years later, and I really hoped when that show flopped, they'd revive Hannibal and bring on her character. Rights are a goddamn labyrinth of dumb.

mrzeke.bsky.social•2 days ago

I remember something about it being very popular in Europe, so that's where it actually made money.

dreamwisp.bsky.social•2 days ago

They slid under cover of The Blacklist—execs were watching the bigger fish. They also made friends with and talked to their S&P rep about how to manage certain things—i.e. “you can get that through if the blood is black from the moon, not red,” or things were just out of frame.

liddlest.bsky.social•2 days ago

ah yes, the whole “don’t eat your nose to spite your face” scene

😂

dreamwisp.bsky.social•2 days ago

But there are definitely a few things that I just can’t believe managed to slip through. Mostly Verger storyline bits and pieces (pun wholeheartedly intended).

formergregsamsa.bsky.social•2 days ago

It's been a while. Wasn't there a scene involving Gillian Anderson sticking her arm into a leg, with the camera positioned inside of said leg? Or did I dream that (possible!)?

dreamwisp.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s not a leg, but there is indeed a shot of Gillian Anderson, elbow-deep in someone’s anatomy, that tracks from the inside out. The leg is…something else. 🙂

(Gosh, I love this show. My favorite quote about it is when a friend said (SPOILER ahead), “Hannibal, where the pig-baby is ALWAYS real.”)

moryan.bsky.social•2 days ago

can't recall, will have to rewatch now!

worddancer21.bsky.social•2 days ago

I remember watching it a few years back and repeatedly saying “wait, this was on BROADCAST?!”

sarahabein.bsky.social•2 days ago

I've only seen a little of it (keep meaning to watch all of it), but my toes were curled the whole time.

plognark.bsky.social•2 days ago

It is actually one of the creepiest shows I’ve ever seen, and I simply have no idea how it got made and not instantly cancelled

sarahabein.bsky.social•2 days ago

Kinda like how Evil was originally on CBS. I mean, it got even more bonkers once it was streaming only, but the 1st season was plenty creepy too!

dustystowe.bsky.social•2 days ago

I know NBC jerked Fuller around and buried it in bad time slots, but god it’s a minor miracle that show exists

And for three seasons!!

moryan.bsky.social•2 days ago

still can't believe it!

arrannz.bsky.social•2 days ago

It remains (delightfully) BAFFLING that it aired on NBC.

(Though it's also funny to think that it was allowed to be so viscerally grisly but would've been censored if they'd ever shown a boob.)

rmbodenheimer.bsky.social•2 days ago

It was unfathomable that they let it air, and not just for one season! Would that today’s network execs were so creatively bold…

jibbersmke.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m pretty sure the Vatican considers half of those episodes airing on American network TV a miracle..

dreamwisp.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s absolutely miraculous that they snuck by. (I’ve filed away everything I could find of what Fuller has said about HOW they managed it, because the advice is really valuable for navigating S&P gray areas.)

janinefrompgh.bsky.social•2 days ago

The art, tho! I loved that show. Brilliant cinematography (and food porn!)

stevehasegawa.bsky.social•2 days ago

I might have given it a try based on this post, but after trying to fast-forward and rewind during SNL 50, I might be completely done with Peacock except during the Tour de France

dreamwisp.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s on Amazon Prime. No commercials. 🙂

davebrowne.bsky.social•2 days ago

The biggest heart in my throat moment I've ever had with a TV show was from Hannibal and it wasn't even a gory scene. But when he smell Freddie amd you know they're all screwed...just wow.

mattl1.bsky.social•2 days ago

I watched every episode and could never believe it was on network TV. Like, it was too good for this timeline, and we had somehow stolen it from a parallel universe.

yothatsmyjawn.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think about that show regularly. It’s wild to think that advertisers ran ads on a show with a mushroom garden of dead people…

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