My 10 Favourite TV Series of the 2010s
Hannibal (2013–15)

The idea of doing Hannibal Lecter for television sounded terrible. The character had worked on the page and at the movies, but could it work on a weekly basis for mainstream primetime television? Anthony Hopkins was also synonymous with the role thanks to Silence of the Lambs, so what chance did someone younger and more “foreign” have compared to Sir Tony? And it’s from the creator of bright and breezy fantasy drama Pushing Daisies?

Amazingly, Hannibal accomplished everything it wanted to. This was seriously dark and frightening TV, broadcast on NBC (a major network, not cable or streaming), who kept it alive for three seasons — thanks partly to how it was co-financed and didn’t present a massive financial burden for them. Mads Mikkelson made for an excellent Dr Lecter, of course, but the beauty of the show was in the dynamic between his character and fragile FBI analyst Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Theirs was a compelling and twisted relationship that was intellectual, emotional, and sexual. Lecter loved Will so much he wanted to eat him up — literally — and Will was strangely obsessed with the apex predator of a type he’s trained to outsmart.

And, oh man, the baroque and grotesque imagery! There’s indelible nightmare fuel here, from gruesome crime scenes to horrifying torture sequences and unsettling dreams. Every episode has something to make you gasp or giddy, but also giggle as you start to become strangely attached to Hannibal and his unique approach to life and death, art and food, good and evil. There’s a reason this show inspired an obsessive fandom (the Fannibals) who made amazing artwork celebrating the “gay love story” at the heart of the show. We’ve been teased with the idea of a revival, to remake the only missing piece of the Hannibal canon (The Silence of the Lambs), and let’s hope it happens before everyone ages too much!
['Dan Owen']
['Features', 'TV', '2010', 'Culture', 'Television']