Many genre fans can fondly recall when X-Files was the hottest thing on network television.
It was an amazing genre TV show that appealed to geeks and everyday folks alike, and it was also inspired by one of the greatest geek shows in history, Kolchak the Night Stalker, where a reporter is constantly uncovering the supernatural, and no one believes him because his stories are too good to be true.
Where Kolchak was sadly short lived, X-Files had a nice run from 1993 to 2002. Where Kolchak was in more of a horror vein, X-Files had more of a sci-fi feel, and it’s an easier genre for regular audiences to tune in to.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Gillian Anderson is returning to TV, this time in the series version of Hannibal.
This is apparently Anderson’s first time on broadcast TV in a decade. Has it really been that long?
And this is absolutely a role to die for, as Anderson will be Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, Lecter’s therapist. I think it’s safe to say Mr. Lecter is beyond help, but it should be great, ghoulish fun to watch anyone try. (And you thought Tony Soprano was a tough case).
As Bryan Fuller, the writer / producer of the series, said in a statement, “Every therapist needs their own head examined and we are ecstatic that Gillian Anderson has chosen Hannibal to mark her return to American television. Her intelligence and sophistication, not to mention her pedigree of ground-breaking TV, make her the perfect actress to match wits and psychological manipulations with one of the greatest villains of pop culture.”
There’s currently no start date for the Hannibal series, which will be on NBC, but current speculation is a late spring debut is likely. Also signed on to appear on the show are Laurence Fishburne, Eddie Izzard, and Molly Shannon, among others. While it’s hard to keep a horror show going, this year we saw The River come and go despite good reviews, here’s hoping Hannibal can go the distance and bring terror back to the tube.
