'Hannibal' episode pulled after Boston Marathon bombings

[ntscuser]

Hannibal will not air its fourth episode in the wake of this week's Boston Marathon bombings.



The show's creator Bryan Fuller told Variety that he asked NBC not to air the fourth instalment, which included Molly Shannon playing a character who brainwashes children to kill other kids.

Fuller explained that "given the cultural climate in the US" following Monday's attack and the recent Sandy Hook school shooting, it wouldn't be appropriate to air such an episode.

"I didn't want to have anyone come to the show and have a negative experience," Fuller explained. "Whenever you [write] a story and look at the sensational aspects of storytelling, you think, 'This is interesting metaphorically, and this is interesting as social commentary'."

He continued: "With this episode, it wasn't about the graphic imagery or violence. It was the associations that came with the subject matter that I felt would inhibit the enjoyment of the overall episode... It was my own sensitivity."

Clips from Hannibal's fourth episode will be available online in the US, and the episode will air in full in other territories.

NBC also insisted that Hannibal's continuity will not be affected by its decision to cut an episode.

Hannibal will jump ahead in schedule by next airing episode five, with its finale now scheduled for June 20.

ABC made a similar decision earlier in the week when it announced that an episode of Castle centred on a bomb threat will be delayed by one week.

More than 180 people were injured and three killed when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.