Ranking Every Hannibal Adaptation Worst To Best

Hannibal was a television series based on the characters from Harris' novels, Red Dragon and Hannibal, but not directly based on a specific novel itself. The series ran on NBC from 2013 until 2015 when it was cancelled due to a decline in ratings, with 39 episodes aired in total across three seasons.

The primary focus of Hannibal was on the relationship between Special Investigator Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter who was played by Mads Mikkelsen. The series primarily played off the relationship as it developed in Red Dragon, but over a much longer period of time than indicated in the novel.

Overall, the series received widespread critical acclaim with emphasis placed on the lead actors and the visual style of the show. It won numerous awards including Saturn Awards for Best Network Television Series and Best Actor for Mikkelsen.

It's easy to watch this show and fall into Mikkelsen's trap. You can find yourself asking... is he really the bad guy or is he a good guy who does bad things? The answer is pretty obvious - he's a monster - but the way Mikkelsen plays him, it sometimes makes that difficult to remember as he captivates the audience's attention with his creepy charisma.

While the series was cancelled due to declining ratings, it remains acclaimed as one of the best series of the horror genre. One of the reasons the series lost ratings was due to online piracy, which indicates people were watching the show, but not being tracked. Due to the series' popularity, it may be revived or go on to inspire a new film, though nothing has happened in this regard since formal discussions began in 2017.