There isn’t much these days on NBC (or network television in general) to get excited about, which is what makes the prospect of “Hannibal” all the more intriguing. The first thing that nabbed our attention right away was the casting of the excellent Mads Mikkelsen — probably best known stateside as Le Chiffre in “Casino Royale” — in the title role. Next was the news that the movie would actually take place before he becomes a convicted killer, with a first season that would run a compact thirteen episodes. [Source]