I had grave doubts when it was announced that the iconic Hannibal Lecter character would once again be back on screen, albeit the TV screen; it seemed to me that Dino De Laurentiis had flogged this particular horse until it had died a slow death, so desperate he was to squeeze every last drop of cash out of the 'franchise'.

As a fan of the Thomas Harris books however, looking in on the new series was difficult to resist, and I wasn't just pleasantly surprised; I was completely blown away. I hadn't really immersed myself in any of Brian Fuller's work previously (I caught a few episodes of Pushing Diasies, and that was about it), but his vision for Hannibal was truly worthy of the source material.

Visually, it is stunning: the nods to Kubrick have been noted an acknowledged, but even at its most gruesome (and by heck, it can be gruesome), Hannibal manages to retain an almost hypnotic beauty to its visuals; you simply cannot take your eyes off he screen.

And nor should you, because the next thing you notice is how tautly written it is. Scenes of conversation that on the face of it are there to slow the pace down are very tightly scripted; every word uttered seems to bear some relevance later down the line, particularly where it relates to the development of the character of Hannibal and Will. Miss a sentence, and you may well miss something vital.

Season One provided a very strong start to the series, but Season Two has comfortably surpassed the early success. It seems to have it all: clever use of music, thematic depth, excellent acting (the cast is truly outstanding), and of course, strong reference to the source material. Naturally, the series does not follow the canon established by the novels due to the ownership rights relating to some major characters, but the series is none the weaker for it; indeed, it lends the show an element of unpredictability that keeps you on the edge of your seat, even if you are familiar with the books.

Its been a long time since I've seen a TV series that has people talking about it for days after each episode, but this certainly is one of them. Bravo to all involved, and may the standard set so far continue.