Hannibal’s third season will be its last on NBC. Multiple sources are reporting that the network has declined to order a fourth season of Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal Lecter adaptation, which managed to defy low ratings and the laws of standards and practices until this afternoon.
In a statement relayed by The New York Times’ Dave Itzkoff, Bryan Fuller is incredibly gracious toward his soon-to-be-former network overlords—though Hannibal’s devoted fanbase is surely scouring its mental cookbooks, seeking the most decadent preparation for peacock.
“A hungry cannibal can always dine again” being code for “It’s 2015, and no TV show gets canceled anymore.” Hannibal made it to three seasons on NBC because the network didn’t have to pay very much money for it, a reduced price tag (thanks to international sales and a VOD deal) that could look tempting to platforms yearning for original content. That said, even the least expensive network programming can’t last forever on the Nielsen numbers Hannibal has pulled this season, which reached a series-low .5 18-49 rating last week.