NBC Orders 'Hannibal' to Series, 'Notorious' to Pilot

The Bryan Fuller drama featuring the characters from Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon" gets a 13-episode pickup, while the network also moves forward with a "Revenge"-like soap.

4:39 PM PST 2/14/2012 by Lesley Goldberg

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Bryan Fuller

NBC will make room on its schedule for Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

TV Pilots 2012: The Complete Guide

The network has given series orders to Hannibal, a 13-episode drama from Pushing Daisies' Bryan Fuller featuring the classic characters from Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon.

In addition, the network has also picked up to pilot Notorious, a Revenge-like soap about a female detective from Liz Heldens (Prime Suspect, Friday Night Lights).

Hannibal, from Gaumont International Television, is described as an hourlong contemporary thriller featuring characters from Harris' best-seller and revolves around FBI agent Will Graham and his mentor, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who are reintroduced as the beginning of their budding relationship.

The order for 13 episdoes comes as NBC Entertainment president Robert Greenblatt -- a former Showtime topper -- the brings his cable sensibilities to the struggling network as he employs the abbreviated season model typically found on non-broadcast networks. The series order comes as NBC is two weeks into its 15-episode order for Greenblatt's pet project, Broadway drama Smash, which he brought with him after departing Showtime.

Fuller will write and executive produce the series, with Martha DeLaurentiis also on board as an EP. The series order comes a week after NBC opted to delay its planned Munsters reboot to the summer, allowing the high-concept proejct more time to find the right fit during the casting process.

Notorious, meanwhile, is described as an opulent soap in which a female detective returns, undercover, to the wealthy family she grew up in -- as the maid's daughter -- to solve the murder of the notorious heiress who was once her closest friend.

Heldens will pen the project and executive produce alongside BermanBraun's Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein.

Notorious becomes the network's ninth drama pilot -- 10th if you count the Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane -- in contention at the network.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit