12 Shows Like Hannibal That Will Get Your Blood Pumping

Bryan Fuller's style is difficult to replicate. Full of detail, sometimes muted by shadows or vibrant with gore, it's easy to recognize his signature on earlier creations such as "Pushing Daisies" and "Dead Like Me." "Hannibal" has resonated the strongest with his fans, though. Hannifans are a testament to the power of fandom, keeping this three-season series alive — with the hope of a continuation — via new art, fanfiction, and recreating Hannibal's cuisine with the help of the series' food consultant Janice Poon ... without Lecter's most unique, uh, ingredients.

Sumptuous and elegant (are we talking about the show or Mads Mikkelson as Dr. Hannibal Lecter?), Fuller's creation believes in the intelligence of its viewers, never holding back the details of a damaged mind. Lecter's psychology is the most intriguing, often kept locked tight, but Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) is the key to unraveling pieces of him. That requires an intimate relationship that courts the taboo of a hunter loving his prey. It's a dynamic with an irresistible lure. While "Hannibal" can't be replicated, there are two ways to celebrate it: Help the fans keep the dream of more "Hannibal" alive, and dive into any one of these 12 shows to at least sate your appetite temporarily.

Skip the second season of the anthology series "True Detective," it lacks the intriguing personal inveiglements we want. Seasons 1 and 3, however, ride to victory on the backs of their duet dynamics. The first gives us Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrellson) with a chiller of a tale. The story of the dead and lost of Louisiana is seen mostly through Cohle's eyes, who looks at the world with apocalyptic sensibilities. He doesn't guide the viewer with Will Graham's nightmare stag, but with a spiraling nihilism that lured the audience into seeing the world as if everything around us is a cosmic horror story.

Season 3 gives us Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff), two cops from very different worlds and a cold case strung across decades. This one, however, pits Hays against himself in as dreamlike a web as a "Hannibal" fan could want. This one is bittersweet, though, because the later Hays has elder dementia and not all of his memories have lasted. Dorff is a terrific platform for Ali to work off of, and their conversations are a smart and earthy delight for "Hannibal" viewers.

In 1995, retired FBI agent John E. Douglas released one of the best non-fiction looks inside the career of a criminal profiler, "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit." Douglas' work became the basis for a number of profilers in popular fiction, and that includes Will Graham. Author Thomas Harris attended one of Douglas' early public presentations, learning about some of the real killers that formed the basis of Hannibal Lecter's urbane criminality.

The Netflix adaptation from series creator Joe Penhall titled "Mindhunter" goes back to the plain horror of it all. Using Douglas' book as a baseline, this fiction series is set in the late '70s and recreates Douglas' interviews with serial predators, interwoven with new characters and a look at what was then a fresh field in criminology. It's tough stuff, with producer David Fincher lending his trademark grim and grimy tone to the series. For fans that might've come to "Hannibal" fairly fresh from its sci-fi tonal predecessor "Fringe," Anna Torv's presence is an extra gift. Currently on a long — possibly permanent hiatus — there's still plenty here for hungry fans to devour.

Let's go back to the roots of modern psychology. It's the late 1800s, and a practitioner of this fledgling field is still called an alienist. Borrowed from the French noun aliéné, meaning an insane person, the alienists at this time often became our earliest criminal profilers. Caleb Carr's "The Alienist," adapted for TNT in 2018, follows the fictional Dr. Lazlo Kriezler (Daniel Brühl) as he assists Teddy Roosevelt — yeah, that one, played here by Brian Geraghty — in solving a gruesome crime spree. It is not a pleasant situation.

Less dry than you'd fear, "The Alienist" has no problem delving into the hedonism of New York City at the turn of a century. While not as lush as Hannibal Lecter's dinner table, the richness on display in contrast to brutal class struggles adds poignancy to a bloody costume drama. It's not hard to empathize with these characters even when they're trying to feel distant, and Brühl is always a stellar actor to watch. For those fascinated by the details of Will Graham's job, "The Alienist" remains a fine starter watch.

It probably wouldn't take much to get "Hannigram" fans to admit they'd bang a hot Satan given a chance. For all your fantasy needs, here's Tom Ellis charming his way through a luscious version of the former King of Hell. "Lucifer" is technically a DC series, and — to borrow MCU terminology — Ellis' Lucifer is a variant of the same Lucifer we met in "The Sandman," complete with the loyal demon Mazikeen at his side.

The similarities end — mild spoiler for future "Sandman" arcs ahead — with the name of the nightclub Lucifer runs. Lux is his turf as the series opens, as luxurious and debauched as Hannibal Lecter could want. The Devil always throws the best parties, but being a decent person? That's a switch-up. Only God could have guessed that this fallen angel would decide to become a police consultant for kicks, and maybe They did. Certainly, these questions become a plot point in the bizarre but delightful later seasons. For its charm, its absolute commitment to its wild presence, and Ellis' note-perfect performance, "Lucifer" is a perfectly pleasant accompaniment to "Hannibal."

Michelle McNamara's life isn't a cautionary tale, but there are lessons to take away from her story. She was a true crime devotee whose persistence in solving the riddle of the Golden State Killer helped revive the cold case in popular culture, and the culprit would be finally arrested after her book was published. The cost was her own life. Her husband, Patton Oswalt, would later acknowledge the opioid addiction that helped Michelle cope with the horrors she chronicled, and how it all killed her.

The HBO miniseries based on her book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" blends documentary with drama, and like David Fincher's "Zodiac" it treads the line between fascination and losing ourselves to the deep waters. It's a warning fans of Will Graham should heed. "Hannibal" is fun stuff, but there's an edge of reality we need to be aware of when playing with our bloodiest toys. This brief-but-taut miniseries is the perfect palate cleanser before returning to Hannibal Lecter's table.

It may not lean into the horrors of the human mind the way "Hannibal" fans expect, but like "Person of Interest" there's enough character intricacy in "Mr. Robot" to satisfy fans looking for rich dynamics between troubled people. Instead of criminal profiling, Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) is a neurodivergent cybersecurity expert who finds himself lured into a society of hacktivists dedicated to making the world a better place. At least, that's what Elliot thinks is what's going on as the series opens.

If you don't know any spoilers for "Mr. Robot," keep it that way. If you need one hook to catch your intrigue, consider that series creator Sam Esmail is open about his inspirations for the biggest twists and turns, and they include head-spinning movies like "Fight Club." More than anything else, it's a show that (like "Hannibal") believes in its audience. Attention to detail is necessary to enjoy the series, and you'll come out a little bit better informed about cybersecurity, which the show handles with actual expertise. Best of all, it's four tightly-paced seasons long, with a finale that pays off rich dividends in its last minutes. That's a treasure all "Hannibal" fans can still strive for.