Written by Matt Taylor
Hannibal, Aquarius Move to a New Night
Today, NBC made the somewhat surprising announcement that it’d be moving the final seven episodes of Hannibal, as well as the rest Aquarius’ first season, to Saturday nights, typically regarded as a graveyard for struggling series.
The move will find both series swapping timeslots with Dateline Saturday Mysteries, with the dramas airing from 9 to 11 p.m., effective immediately. For Aquarius, this is a fairly big surprise, as it’s very rare that a show that’s already been renewed will move to such an unpopular timeslot. But, for Hannibal fans, this move, essentially, digs the knife even deeper into the backs of the loyal fans.
While it’s something of a minor miracle that NBC gave Hannibal three seasons, as it has never been a huge hit and definitely serves a niche audience, the network has never made the show all too easy to watch. During its first season, it aired after Parks & Recreation, which is a hilariously mismatched combination. Its second season, meanwhile, aired on Fridays, which is, like Saturdays, a difficult night to gain large audiences. While NBC confirmed they’d air the entirety of the third season, even after cancelling it three weeks ago, the least they could do is air the remaining episodes at a decent timeslot. Not only will it be convenient for the fans, but it could help the show find new life on another network.
For his part, series creator Bryan Fuller has had nothing but great things to say about the network, who he’s worked with many times in the past. He’s also been trying to give fans hope that a fourth season could still be in the cards, even though both Amazon and Netflix turned down the offer. Hopefully he’ll be successful, and this move to Saturday won’t be the final nail in Hannibal’s coffin.
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