Serial Killer Drama Dexter Hits CBS on Feb. 17

UPDATE -- A CBS publicist adds this about the episodes: "Will start from the beginning in Season 1 and run the episodes in order…I have not seen the edited version yet…Bob Greenblatt has been in the editing room himself to supervise the process and protect the show’s integrity…Most of the edits are for language…"
In another sign that the Hollywood writers strike has made TV executives more, um, adventurous, CBS announced plans to re-air episodes of the explicit serial killer drama Dexter starting Feb. 17. They originally aired on a corporate sibling, premium cable outlet Showtime. (See Showtime's cheeky catch-up here.)

I named Dexter as 2007's best series, so I'm happy to see the show made available to a larger audience. But i'm wondering how exactly they will tone down the sexuality (nude women, mostly) and the cursing (especially Dexter's potty-mouthed sister Deb and nemesis Det. Doakes). Funnily enough, I think the gore will be the least of their problems, because the show hasn't shown nearly as much blood and guts as you might expect. I bet an episode of C.S.I. has more gore than a typical Dexter.

And a pal of mine, Bob "Mr. Media" Andelman, wonders when NBC will get with the program and make the second-coolest series now on TV, Battlestar Galactica, available on NBC.

Here's CBS' release:

SHOWTIME'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA "DEXTER" PREMIERES SUNDAY, FEB. 17, 10:00-11:00 PM ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK

In an Unprecedented Move, a Premium Cable Drama To Air on Network Television

DEXTER, the critically acclaimed drama series about a serial killer, which recently completed its second season on premium cable network SHOWTIME, makes an unprecedented appearance on network television when it premieres Sunday, Feb. 17 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

DEXTER's move to CBS marks the first time a full season of a premium cable drama series will make the transition to network television. DEXTER's 12-episode first season will be edited for network television and will be broadcast on 12 consecutive Sundays.

"We're excited to work with our corporate cousins at SHOWTIME on this unique programming opportunity," said Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment.  "DEXTER is a high-quality, compelling series that will be new and original programming for most CBS viewers.  It's also a great match with our existing lineup, affording us the opportunity to promote this critically decorated series in CBS's top-rated crime dramas."

"We're thrilled to have the chance to expose DEXTER to a wider audience on CBS," said Robert Greenblatt, President, Entertainment, SHOWTIME Networks.  "I think it will be very compatible with their lineup as well as be a great opportunity to promote our brand on a platform that reaches every home in America." 

  Based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, DEXTER stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated Michael C. Hall ("Six Feet Under") as Dexter Morgan, an incredibly likeable forensics expert for the Miami Metro Police Department who also happens to be a serial killer — but one with his own moral code in that he only kills murderers who can't otherwise be brought to justice.   

DEXTER has been honored in two consecutive years with American Film Institute Awards for Top 10 Outstanding Programs (2006, 2007) and has been nominated in various categories for awards given out by the Writers Guild, Producers Guild, Casting Society, Television Critics Association and the Primetime Emmy Awards.

For his portrayal of Dexter Morgan, Hall has been twice nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series (2006, 2007), a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and a Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.  He is the recipient of a Golden Satellite Award and a Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

             DEXTER's second season finale on Sunday, Dec. 16 averaged 1.4 million viewers, the largest audience ever for an original SHOWTIME broadcast.

            DEXTER also stars Julie Benz ("Angels," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Jennifer Carpenter ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose"), Erik King ("National Treasure"), Lauren Velez ("Oz"), David Zayas ("Michael Clayton") and James Remar ("Sex and the City").  John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton and Clyde Phillips, are executive producers.  DEXTER was developed for television by James Manos, Jr.

CONTENT RATING FOR THE PREMIERE EPISODE: TV 14-V
 

Comments

[Chuck Welch]

This is good news for all those who haven't purchased the DVDs or watched the series last year at their sister's house.

OK, I canceled Showtime when they canceled Dead Like Me.

I hope CBS runs the second season quickly after the first.

As an aside: don't read "Dexter in the Dark" until you're read the first two. Disappointing book.