NBC Pulls ‘Hannibal’ Episode After Boston Bombings, Posts It Online

NBC is using the Internet to help resolve a issue created by unfortunate timing. A Hannibal episode that was pulled from the air after the Boston bombings is being shown in part on NBC.com, where it will continue the series in a tasteful way.

The episode initially included a part in which children are persuaded to kill other children, which is undeniably inappropriate given the events in Boston. Instead, scenes have been “cannibalized”, according to Hannibal producer Bryan Fuller, and repackaged as a web series. These clips will appear one at a time on NBC’s website. You can check out the first one (and a message from Fuller) below.

The rest of the clips are available on Hannibal’s homepage. We may never see this situation again, but the web is the perfect place for ‘sensitive’ material. Kudos to Fuller and his team for thinking innovatively during a difficult situation and understanding the appeal of web companions. It’s as if he has the acuity of Hannibal Lecter himself.