Thomas Harris ‘Hannibal’ Books Inspires Two TV Series

COMMENTARY | Thomas Harris’ series about a serial killer named Hannibal Lecter, which has spawned a number of movies, most starring Anthony Hopkins as the iconic “Hannibal the Cannibal” is shortly to inspire not just one, but two TV series.

According to TV Guide, Lifetime is developing a series to be entitled “Clarice,” based on the character Clarice Starling played by Jodie Foster in the movie version of “Silence of the Lambs” and Julianne Moore in the movie version of “Hannibal.” The series will recount the various cases Agent Starling investigated between the events of the two movies.

Clarice” will join the NBC series “Hannibal,” which will depict the partnership between Hannibal Lecter and Special Agent Will Graham before Lecter was revealed to be a serial killer in “Red Dragon.” The hook in the “Hannibal” series will be that only the audience will know that Dr. Lecter is a serial killer and not just the sharp, cerebral psychiatrist who is willing to help the FBI catch (other) serial killers. Hugh Dancy has been cast as Special Agent Graham.

It is inevitable, given the popularity of such shows as “Criminal Minds” and “Dexter” that more serial killer shows would appear on TV. Harris was one of the first authors to popularize characters who kill people in various, grisly, creative ways. Before that, people interested in that sort of thing had to content themselves with following the real life atrocities of people like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Dean Corll.

The problem with real life serial killers is that they lack the grandeur and the epic evil of a Hannibal Lecter. Most people who kill people as a hobby are sick and gross almost beyond the human capacity to understand. They are driven to do things to other people that are so atrocious that even the most fervent death penalty opponent might make an exception in their case.

Fictional characters such as Lecter and Dexter often inspire sympathy. Lecter is intelligent, cultured, and well mannered. He might even make a good friend, so long as he doesn’t decide to have one for dinner. And he will only do that if one is “rude” by his definition. Dexter has been trained to channel his impulses to kill people worse than he is.

That is the advantage and the problem with fictional serial killers. They can be what the author wants and not what they are. Thus the risk is run of numbing and distorting the view of the audience to the pure evil of people who kill as a chosen lifestyle.