Given that he refuses to tour in support of his new album 'The Next Day,' David Bowie seems to have plenty of time on his hands. The producers of NBC's 'Hannibal' would like him to spend some of it playing a role on their TV show.

'Hannibal' producer Bryan Fuller shared the news with E!, saying he "has reached out to David Bowie to see if he's interested and available" for the part of Hannibal's uncle, Count Robert Lecter, who -- simply judging by the character's name -- sounds perfect for the singer.

As ABC News Radio points out, the Hannibal character -- played by Mads Mikkelsen on the show, and most memorably by Anthony Hopkins in a series of movies that includes the Oscar-winning 'The Silence of the Lambs' -- was briefly raised by Count Robert "as a teen before his sudden death." So if he's dead, how will he appear on the show? Apparently, Fuller plans to whip out a little "alternate universe storytelling."

Of course, Bowie being Bowie, Fuller's overtures may very well be in vain. He tells E! that he hasn't heard back from the reclusive Thin White Duke, whose eclectic filmography includes 'Labyrinth,' 'The Prestige' and the cult classic 'The Man Who Fell to Earth.' You just never know what Bowie's going to do, though, so Fuller should take heart. He might just show up on the set unannounced one day.

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