NBC has given a third season to Hannibal, ending the suspense over the fate of at least one of its fiercely loved, yet low-rated series today. As Hitfix’s Alan Sepinwall explains, a renewal for the show—which averages only about 3.6 million viewers, but all of them will someday go on to make operatically stylish thrillers of their own—is an easier decision for the network, thanks to its financing deal with Gaumont International. It’s an arrangement that’s every bit as effective as keeping your victim alive by feeding him parts of his own body. So, as the show inches toward the events of Red Dragon (and possibly beyond) with another season, you can raise a glass in thanks to Gaumont, while enjoying your own delicious meals of whatever that is.
Also being picked up for another year is About A Boy, a relatively low-profile yet solid performer for NBC in its Tuesday night slot, where it often beats its sitcom competition. Most notably, the renewal finally breaks the streak of one-and-done series for its star David Walton, who survived Cracking Up, The Loop, Heist, Quarterlife, 100 Questions, Perfect Couples, and Bent, all to finally discover that the eighth time is the charm. Anyway, About A Boy doesn’t have any cannibalism—at least, not yet. There’s now a whole new season to explore those options.