NEW YORK (AP) — The television audience appears to have made its choice of serial killers. Fox’s Joe Carroll beats NBC’s Hannibal Lecter in viewer interest.

Last week’s Nielsen Co. ratings make that clear. “The Following,” the gruesome series that debuted on Fox in January, is a hit. With 7.8 million viewers, it was Fox’s most popular program last week after “American Idol” and will be on the network’s schedule for next season when that is unveiled next week.