The fourth episode of NBC's new drama "Hannibal" is being shelved at the request of the show's writer, Clarkston native Bryan Fuller.
The episode, due to air Thursday, April 25 stars Molly Shannon as a woman brainwashing children into killing other children.
"Given the cultural climate right now in the U.S., I think we shouldn't air the episode in its entirety," Fuller told Variety. "I didn't want to have anyone come to the show and have a negative reaction."
Fuller said it was his own sensitivity to current events that led him to the decision. Episode five will air in its place, according to UPI. The show's freshman season will be one week shorter, with the finale now set for June 20 instead of June 27.
The grisly show, based on Thomas Harris' novels, airs at 10 p.m. Thursday nights.
