Dexter is an American crime television series that initially aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis… Dexter is an American crime television series that initially aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department, who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers inadequately punished by the justice system due to corruption or legal technicalities. The show's first season was derived from the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), the first in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay. It was adapted for television by James Manos Jr., who wrote the pilot episode.
The series received mostly positive reviews throughout its run. The show has received multiple awards, including two Golden Globes won by Michael C. Hall and John Lithgow for their roles as Dexter Morgan and Arthur Mitchell, respectively.
The fourth season aired its season finale on December 13, 2009, to a record-breaking audience of 2.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched original series episode ever on Showtime at that time. The eighth season originally served as the final season of Dexter ; the season premiere was the most-watched episode of the series, drawing more than 3 million viewers total. The series finale drew 2.8 million viewers, which at the time set a record for the largest audience for an original series finale in Showtime's history.
Dexter has continued through an expanded franchise with further series. Two sequel series, Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Resurrection, have aired from November 2021 to January 2022, and from July 2025, respectively, with Hall reprising the title role and Clyde Phillips as showrunner. A prequel series, Dexter: Original Sin, was released between December 2024 and February 2025, starring Patrick Gibson as Dexter.
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