Hannibal Series Premiere Date Set For April

With Do No Harm pulled from the schedule after two episodes, NBC has an opening on Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. And it looks like Hannibal will fill that spot, come April 4. Because we're excited and hopeful that things are going to work out for Hannibal, it is at this point that we are going to actively ignore the series of poorly performing dramas that have aired on Thursdays at 10:00 p.m. on NBC and look to the future with optimism and anticipation. If ever there were a man who could politely overcome a struggling time slot, it's Hannibal Lecter, right?

NBC posted the date and time along with this new photo, showing Hannibal star Madds Mikkelsen hovering over a roasted pig. Hannibal does appreciate pigs, doesn't he?

The decorative horns framing his head in the background offer a nice sinister undertone. I'm also liking the bluish coloring of the photo and Lecter's suit.

Developed by Bryan Fuller, Hannibal stars Mikkelsen as the title character, based on the lead in Thomas Harris' novels, and follows the earlier days of his relationship with criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), when Hannibal was a well known and respected psychiatric mind (and also secretly a serial killer). Of course, Will has no idea what Hannibal truly is.

There's a lot of potential for a series based on Harris' character, so we're hopeful that the show will find an audience. Thursdays at 10 hasn't been the best time slot for NBC, but perhaps the spring premiere will yield better results than the time slot did for Do No Harm, which was unfortunately cancelled recently after just two episodes.

Hannibal premieres Thursday, April 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC.