There's plenty of overlap in the TV world, some that impedes upon the development of new shows, some that only contributes to it.  So where networks might pass on a show like 'SNL' star Will Forte's 'Rebounding' because it seems too tonally similar to NBC's already picked-up 'Go On,' others like CBS move forward with modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation 'Elementary,' in spite of its comparison to 'Sherlock.'

With NBC hard at work on its upcoming Thomas Harris series 'Hannibal,' does that mean Lifetime's looking for a piece of the pie?

According to TVGuide, Lifetime has begun development on 'Clarice,' a new procedural centering around the Clarice Starling character from Thomas Harris novels 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal,' made most famous by Jodie Foster's turn in the role for Jonathan Demme's 1991 adaptation.  However, Lifetime's adaptation won't involve the character Hannibal Lecter, whose interaction formed the core of 'Silence of the Lambs,' but rather focus on the young agent just out of the FBI Academy.

Including the Hannibal Lecter character in the series might have stepped too hard on the toes of NBC's upcoming 'Hannibal,' which itself doesn't feature the Clarice Starling character, but instead centers on the relationship between Hannibal and agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) of the novel 'Red Dragon.'  Apart from Lecter, 'Clarice' would likely stay true to the character, a young West Virginia girl who moves to her uncle's farm in Montana following her police officer father's death in the line of duty, but later runs away and applying to the FBI academy after college.

MGM will produce 'Clarice,' which Lifetime boss Nancy Dubuc will likely use to strengthen the network's slate of original series with strong female leads, including Jennifer Love Hewitt's 'The Client List.'

What say you?  Can both series co-exist, or are they bound to cover some of the same ground from Thomas Harris' body of work?  Do you think 'Clarice' will ever work in Hannibal Lecter, and if so, share any kind of space with NBC's 'Hannibal?'  Tell us which you're more interested in in the comments!

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