In a shocking announcement, Showtime detailed that the long-revered serial killer drama “Dexter” will return as a limited series for its ninth season, which is scheduled to begin airing eight years after the controversial finale.
“Dexter” originally premiered on Showtime in 2006 and enjoyed its eight-season run through 2013, picking up 24 Emmy nominations with four wins. While the program was popularly celebrated during its initial run, the “Dexter” fanbase has only expanded since 2013 after the drama became one of the television mainstays on Netflix’s burgeoning streaming platform at the time. However, unlike other recent TV revivals, the idea of “Dexter” returning isn’t something fans will immediately write off and possibly not care about. Because after the series finale failed to impress and left many upset with the way the show ended, having a bit of a redo is a welcome opportunity.
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Michael C. Hall, who plays the titular Dexter, will return in the role. Also returning alongside Hall is showrunner Clyde Phillips. Phillips became a key creative member for “Dexter” during the show’s first season, and he remained on board as a writer, executive producer, and showrunner through the fourth season. In the past, Hall has mentioned his interest in returning to the world of “Dexter,” as has Showtime Chairman and CEO David Nevins.
Showtime has greenlit ten episodes for the program, which is reported to go into production in early 2021 (COVID permitting, of course). If all goes well, we could expect a premiere date as early as fall 2021.
In a statement to Deadline, Showtime’s Co-President of Entertainment Gary Levine credited the mass popularity of “Dexter” for the network’s initial success, while looking ahead at the “brilliant” creative angle they’ve found for the ninth season:
“’Dexter’ is such a special series, both for its millions of fans and for Showtime, as this breakthrough show helped put our network on the map many years ago. We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series. Well, I am happy to report that Clyde Phillips and Michael C. Hall have found it, and we can’t wait to shoot it and show it to the world.”
We’re still unsure when exactly the events of season nine will take place, or who else from the established cast will return, but we’re sure it’s only a matter of time before more details are made public. All we can hope is that the new ending is a little better than what was presented back in 2013.