Hannibal (new TV series)

[Darren Dirt]

I watched the first ep.

Within 10 minutes I was all like "this Will Graham character, he's way more fascinating than even Anthony Hopkins' rendition of Dr. Lecter!" ... and then within a half hour I was like "HOLY CRAP, the guy who played Le Chiffre in Casino Royale is actually INCREDIBLY AWESOME as Dr. Lecter!" and so I am personally already hooked to the series. I'm surprised at how impressed I am already, and I have watched a LOT of "crime procedurals".

It has a dark feel along the lines of S1 of Millennium, but with the "creepy/mindfcuk" factor cranked up even higher, which I didnt' think was possible. It is shot like a big-budget Hollywood film, but being a TV series the plot runs so quickly you really have to pay attention to fully appreciate everything (think Numb3rs or Criminal Minds). It's smart, but isn't full of itself. And I think it rewards paying attention, adding an emotional impact to its various elements.


For anyone who HAS seen the first ep, check out this article that discusses the Will Graham character in more detail -- his history, and what is to be expected of him in the TV series (including a summary of the first ep -- so Spoiler Warning obv)

a procedural whose central protagonist isn't the flamboyant titular character but his original adversary, an unassuming forensics specialist with an unusual hyper-empathy problem.

This is good news for two reasons: One is that Hannibal Lecter has never really worked as central character on his own. The more you explain him as a whole?the less you let him recede into the dark, showing himself only in aspects?the less frightening he will be. But the other reason is that, as little as we know about Will Graham from the source material, the Protagonist Zero of pop culture's serial-killer-mind-entry trope is as complex and compelling as any character in crime fiction. If you're able to understand why, and to develop his relationship with Lecter accordingly, you may not just be pulling a Contemporary Hollywood Special in recycling old ideas; you may be realizing a dramatic potential that Graham's original creator?who knew him impeccably?never fully realized.

...The new Lecter himself may be perfect. Mads Mikkelsen plays him with a controlled, understated menace that recalls Le Chiffre from 2006's Casino Royale, the role that almost surely got Mikkelsen this one. When you take in Mikkelsen's Lecter, you may find yourself second-guessing the relatively over-the-top way Anthony Hopkins calibrated the character for his Academy Award-wining performance in Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs

[Mr. Analog]

But what about "Face" and BA Baracus? (I kid, I kid)

Ok, I haven't watched it, but it READS like it is another forensic detective show, just with known characters. I guess what I want to know is what doesn't make this "CSI: Hannibal"?

I'm so bored with TV lately... I spent much of the weekend watching Game Grumps on YouTube, it made me think about it, that something so entertaining would basically never work on TV the way it is now.

[Thorin]

If you're bored with the TV you've been seeing, well, Doctor Who has had a couple new episodes out in the last two weeks.

Criminal Minds is a good forensic detective show, more engaging than CSI I found.  Partly because you never know whether they'll actually catch the baddie in time, or whether they'll talk them out of blowing up the bomb, etc.  There's also a fair bit of time spent on how the main characters are affected by all the crap they see around them.  Oh, and it's fairly explicit in what it shows so it can get a bit squeamish.  It's on its 8th or 9th season now so lots of backlog to catch up on.

Flashpoint is (was?) a great Canadian SWAT show.  I think it's finished now, although I still see episodes but don't know if they're new or just ones I haven't see yet.  It's key message, as far as I understand it anyway, is that shoot first ask questions later has a severe impact on the psyche of even highly-trained police officers.  It's cool seeing them proudly wear Canadian flags and use Canadian location names on a show that was meant to be broadcast throughout North America.

Arrow had a good start to it, but I've lost interest as I didn't keep up with the episodes.  My son really likes it, though.

If you haven't watched it, I recommend catching up on Phineas And Ferb.  Yes, it's a kids cartoon with a certain formula for each show so that younger kids will get that feeling of familiarity and routine while watching it.  I've found it is definitely not dumbed down, though, the writing is sharp, the dialogue takes me by surprise at times, and I haven't watched an episode yet that I didn't enjoy (and it's on its third season already).  Although I let my kids watch it, I'm not as bad as these fictional people: http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/130325.html.

Beyond that, at my house there's a lot reality shows that I'd never recommend to anyone.  And yet most of the family sits and watches them.  Blinken Lighten and all that.

Oh, and I have not seen Hannibal.  I've never really enjoyed that character so ... I dunno, it's just something that if I saw it was up next I'd probably turn off the TV, just like I would for the Saw and Hostel movies.

[Darren Dirt]

Ok, I haven't watched it, but it READS like it is another forensic detective show, just with known characters. I guess what I want to know is what doesn't make this "CSI: Hannibal"?

Except the characters are kinda really NOT "known". They're re-written ("re-invented"?) and for me (with my long years in front of the Tube watching cops and lawyers!) to say that Mads makes me pretty much FORGET Sir Hopkins, that says a lot. Also the high-brow way the show is produced = makes it standout from typical L&O/CSI fare. I feel like I am along for the ride, emotions ready to be stirred up... instead of just trying to think "what are the writers doing in this scene to make the audience think X when in the final act they will tell us Y". And when I heard of the series a few months back I was super-skeptical too! (esp. considering this was an NBC production, not HBO or AMC or whatever) But I'm intrigued and looking forward to the next few eps (although I hope Bryan Fuller has figured out how to keep a show watchable past Season One *cough*Heroes*cough* )

Criminal Minds is a good forensic detective show, more engaging than CSI I found.  Partly because you never know whether they'll actually catch the baddie in time, or whether they'll talk them out of blowing up the bomb, etc.  There's also a fair bit of time spent on how the main characters are affected by all the crap they see around them.  Oh, and it's fairly explicit in what it shows so it can get a bit squeamish.

well-put, sir -- what you covered above = pretty much why CM was the first modern drama series that I thought to compare to, when sharing my thoughts re. Hannibal. I think you'll enjoy it for similar reasons -- and for similar reasons make sure the really young kids are NOT in the same room, unless you like helping them through weird nightmare sessions...

[Melbosa]

For me its not something I am interested in watching... and with Elementary, Arrow, Being Human and now coming Defiance, I think I'm good for a bit for TV myself. My wife watches Grey's, Bones, and Lost Girl (the last two I will watch as well) so between the two of us I think we have enough TV .  Besides I wouldn't be able to get her into Hannibal because of the character... she really didn't like any of the movies.

[Lazybones]

Hannibal doesn't interest me because I am all crime dramaed out.

I fired up the first episode of Legend of the Seeker on nextflix on the weekend, and I have to say I am intrigued.

My personal show list currently amounts to Lost Girl, Doctor Who, undercover boss, Shark Tank, Dragons Den, and Bones when the wife is watching.

[Mr. Analog]

I'm with you Lazy I kind of OD'd on those shows...

Between Doctor Who, sports and a few series on AMC I don't really watch much TV.

I guess with NHL playoffs and baseball starting up I'll watch more than usual...

[Melbosa]

I fired up the first episode of Legend of the Seeker on nextflix on the weekend, and I have to say I am intrigued.

It was very good... too bad it got cancelled after 2 seasons and no real wrap-up

[Lazybones]

I fired up the first episode of Legend of the Seeker on nextflix on the weekend, and I have to say I am intrigued.

It was very good... too bad it got cancelled after 2 seasons and no real wrap-up

Damit! thanks for the heads up though.

[Mr. Analog]

I hate that @%&#, I mean you finally get something interesting and then it's left on the cliff forever.

[Melbosa]

Yeah I am kind of glad that some TV series have a set # of seasons or Movie Wrap-ups.  BSG did that well (although I didn't like the wrap-up ending).  Farscape and Stargate used movies which worked well for them.

Spartacus also will end in 4 seasons next week, which works well for that series.  Rome was another that rounded out well in the end.  Even Eureka finished up where it began, kinda ala Seinfeld style.

Some of the worst ones are Firefly, Legend of the Seeker, The 4400 for just ending....


On Topic,
I think Hannibal won't last a season IMO... too many other crime shows to contend with.

[Thorin]

I know why you all watch Lost Girl.

Once I got past the boobs, though, the whole idea of a fey world intertwined with the mundane world and it being split into light fey and dark fey and there being an uneasy truce but a war brewing, man, that left a lot of opportunity for story, and although they're still throwing in a bunch of the sex appeal, like Lost Girl herself swingin' both ways, the story's pretty good.

Kinda like how I started watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer because of the red-headed band-camp girl and then became intrigued by the multi-episode story arcs.

I wonder what Defiance will be like.

[Melbosa]

I've been playing the Defiance MMO, which is basically the back story for some of the main characters last two weeks before the show.  I am really curious how the cross over stuff will work.

BTW if you can bypass "not available in your area" you can watch the first 14mins of Defiance right on SyFy's website.

[Mr. Analog]

Y'arr

[Thorin]

Oh yeah, right, Defiance has that game tie-in.  Kinda like Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.