Julie Benz

SHOWTIME’S ‘DEXTER’ TAKES A STAB AT SEASON TWO

Acclaimed One-Hour Drama Series Starring Michael C. Hall Sets Production for Spring; Fall Premiere

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 2, 2006) SHOWTIME has ordered a second season of its freshman drama DEXTER, starring Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under), it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, Showtime President of Entertainment. DEXTER premiered last month to widespread critical acclaim and ranks as SHOWTIMES top-rated series. Production is set to begin on 12 new episodes next spring and will premiere on SHOWTIME later in 2007. The series follows Dexter Morgan (Hall), an incredibly likeable forensics expert for the Miami Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer.

DEXTER has been one of the most talked about and critically lauded new series of the year. Said New York Magazine in its review last month: horrifying, intoxicating, seductive and thrilling, all at the same time. The Boston Globes Matthew Gilbert proclaimed, This fiendishly excellent new Showtime series turns blood splatter into a pop art form, like Jackson Pollock meets Annie Leibovitz. Additionally, Time and People magazines both named DEXTER one of the best new series of the fall season.

Dexter is a home run for us, both critically and in popularity. The show was launched at the height of all the broadcast networks fall premieres yet instantly became our #1 rated show, Greenblatt said. People seem fascinated by the moral ambiguity of Dexter, as played by the gifted Michael C. Hall. This character and the world of this show are a welcome addition to our premium line-up. Along with Hall, the series stars Jennifer Carpenter (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), Lauren Velez (New York Undercover), Julie Benz (Jawbreaker), Erik King (National Treasure), David Zayas (The Interpreter) and James Remar (Sex and the City). The series premiered in October 2006 and will air its season finale on Sunday, December 17th. John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton (Live from Baghdad, The Painted Veil), and Clyde Phillips serve as executive producers for the series. James Manos, Jr. developed the series for television (Emmy Award for writing "The Sopranos").

DEXTER is based on the compelling novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, a South Florida native. Orphaned at the age of four and harboring a traumatic secret, Dexter is adopted by a police officer who recognizes Dexters homicidal tendencies and guides his son to channel his gruesome passion for human vivisection in a constructive way - by killing those heinous perpetrators who are above the law or who have slipped through the cracks of justice. A respected member of the police force, a perfect gentleman and a man with a soft spot for children, it’s hard not to like Dexter. Although his drive to kill is unflinching, he struggles to emulate normal emotions he doesn’t feel, and to keep up his appearance as a caring, socially responsible human being.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME TOO, SHOWTIME SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME, SHOWTIME BEYOND, SHOWTIME NEXT, SHOWTIME WOMEN, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV.