Clarice is a 2021 American psychological horror crime drama police procedural television series created by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet. Produced by CBS Studios, MGM Television, and Secret Hideout, it is based on the best-selling novel The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. The series stars Rebecca Breeds as the titular character, along with Lucca De Oliveira, Devyn A. Tyler, Kal Penn, Nick Sandow, Michael Cudlitz, and Marnee Carpenter. The series premiered on February 11, 2021, on CBS.
| Clarice | |
|---|---|
 Official logo | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman |
| Based on | The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris |
| Starring |
|
| Composer | Jeff Russo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Paula Devonshire |
| Production locations | Toronto, Canada |
| Cinematography | Glen Keenan |
| Editor | Jon Dudkowski |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | February 11, 2021 – present |
Premise
Set in 1993, a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, the series serves as a deep dive into the untold personal story of Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds), as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high-stakes political world of Washington, D.C.[1]
Cast
Main
- Rebecca Breeds as Clarice Starling[1]
- Michael Cudlitz as Paul Krendler
- Lucca De Oliveira as Tomas Esquivel
- Kal Penn as Shaan Tripathi
- Nick Sandow as Murray Clarke
- Devyn A. Tyler as Ardelia Mapp
- Marnee Carpenter as Catherine Martin
Recurring
- Shawn Doyle as Clarice's therapist
- Jayne Atkinson as United States Attorney General Ruth Martin
- Tim Guinee as Novak
- Douglas Smith as Tyson Conway
- Simon Northwood as Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb[2]
Episodes
| No. | Title [3] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [3] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Silence Is Over" | Maja Vrvilo | Jenny Lumet & Alex Kurtzman | February 11, 2021 | 4.00[4] |
| 2 | "Ghosts of Highway 20" | Doug Aarniokoski | Elizabeth J. B. Klaviter & Kenneth Lin | February 18, 2021 | 4.08[5] |
| 3 | "Are You Alright?" | Doug Aarniokoski | William Harper | February 25, 2021 | 3.65[6] |
| 4 | "You Can't Rule Me" | Chloe Domont | Gabriel Ho & Lydia Teffera | March 4, 2021 | 3.48[7] |
| 5 | "Get Right with God"[8] | Chloe Domont | Tess Leibowitz | March 11, 2021 | N/A |
| 6 | "Can't Let Go" | Unknown | Unknown | April 1, 2021 | N/A |
Production
Development
In January 2020, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet were hired by CBS Studios to create a sequel series to the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.[9] The series was among the 14 pilots ordered by CBS in February 2020 and was fast tracked to series the following March, as they are unable to film their pilots where CBS was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] On May 8, 2020, CBS picked up the series.[11] In December 2020, it was announced the series is set to premiere on February 11, 2021, alongside a trailer release.[12] Due to complicated rights issues of franchise characters between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Dino de Laurentiis Company, the series cannot feature or make reference to Hannibal Lecter.[13] Kurtzman explained, "I'm still trying to understand how the rights are divided. But it's been quite liberating because we have no interest in writing about Hannibal—not because we didn't love the films and the show, but because it was done so well by so many people that it didn't feel fresh for us."[13]
Casting
In February 2020, Rebecca Breeds was cast as Clarice Starling.[1] In March 2020, Lucca De Oliveira and Devyn A. Tyler were cast in starring roles.[14] In May 2020, Kal Penn, Nick Sandow, and Michael Cudlitz joined the main cast.[15] In November 2020, Marnee Carpenter was cast as a series regular while Jayne Atkinson, Shawn Doyle, and Tim Guinee were cast in recurring roles.[16] In January 2021, Douglas Smith joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[17]
Filming
Principal photography for the series began on September 21, 2020, in Toronto, Canada.[18][19] Filming is scheduled to conclude on March 23, 2021.[19]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 37% based on reviews from 41 critics, with an average rating of 6.11/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Effectively grim, but narratively bland, Clarice is a disturbingly safe procedural that lets down both its talented cast and source material."[20] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 32 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[21]
Ratings
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
DVR (18–49) |
DVR viewers (millions) |
Total (18–49) |
Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Silence Is Over" | February 11, 2021 | 0.5 | 4.00[4] | 0.6 | 3.34 | 1.1 | 7.35[22] |
| 2 | "Ghosts of Highway 20" | February 18, 2021 | 0.4 | 4.08[5] | 0.5 | 3.32 | 1.0 | 7.40[23] |
| 3 | "Are You Alright?" | February 25, 2021 | 0.4 | 3.65[6] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 4 | "You Can't Rule Me" | March 4, 2021 | 0.4 | 3.48[7] | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
References
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (February 26, 2020). "'Clarice': Rebecca Breeds Cast In the Title Role Of CBS' 'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ Bell, Breanna (December 18, 2020). "'Clarice': 'Silence of the Lambs' Sequel Series Won't Feature Hannibal Lecter". PopCulture.com. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Clarice – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 12, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.11.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 22, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.18.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (February 26, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.25.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (March 5, 2021). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.4.2021". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "(#CLA105) "Get Right With God"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 12, 2020). "'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Series 'Clarice' Set At CBS From Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ "Development Update". The Futon Critic. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2020). "Dramas 'The Equalizer' With Queen Latifah & 'Clarice', Chuck Lorre Comedy 'B Positive' Picked Up To Series By CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 8, 2020). "CBS: 'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Series 'Clarice' Gets Premiere Date & First-Look Teaser; 'Tough As Nails' Also Slated As 'Survivor' Return Remains In Limbo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Hibberd, James (December 17, 2020). "Clarice producers break silence on Lambs sequel with 5 major revelations". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 10, 2020). "'Clarice': Lucca De Oliveira & Devyn A. Tyler To Co-Star In CBS' 'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 10, 2020). "'Clarice': Kal Penn Speaks Of "Thoughtful Thriller" CBS Series As He Joins 'Silence Of the Lambs' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 10, 2020). "'Clarice': Marnee Carpenter Among Four Cast In CBS' 'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 26, 2021). "'Clarice': Douglas Smith Joins CBS' 'Silence Of The Lambs' Sequel Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (October 13, 2020). "Clarice EP: CBS' Silence of the Lambs Sequel Will Not Be a Procedural". TV Line. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ a b "Current Productions & News - Project Title: Clarice (AKA Vicap)". www.toronto.ca. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ "Clarice: Season 1 (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Clarice: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (March 1, 2021). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Clarice' Series Premiere More Than Doubles its Same-Day Adults 18-49". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ Pucci, Douglas (March 8, 2021). "Live+7 Weekly Ratings: 'Big Sky' the Top Total Viewer Gainer in Each Week of its Winter Run". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
