Dexter Premieres on CBS Tonight

**Bacchus** · #1 02-17-2008

CBS Welcomes Dexter Tonight

Tonight, Showtime's critically-acclaimed drama Dexter is premiering on network television.

The series' 12-episode first season will be shown on Showtime's sister channel, CBS, making it the first premium cable drama to make the transition. The broadcasts will give viewers who don't have access to Showtime the opportunity to watch the hit drama about a blood spatter analyst/serial killer on the small screen, while avid fans can relive the show's entire debut season.

Debuting on network television entails certain consequences, particularly of the editing kind. In order to fit the more conservative standards of free TV, Dexter has been edited, so viewers can expect to see less of the gore that cable subscribers have been treated to.

Dexter, which is based on Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, has done well for Showtime, earning strong ratings, a loyal fan base and high critical praise. Show star Michael C. Hall, has been nominated twice in the lead actor category at both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also won a TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama for his work on the show.

While Dexter has become a hit among viewers and critics, one watchdog group has expressed concern over the airing of the show on CBS. The Parents Television Council, a non-partisan non-profit organization, formally asked the network late last month to do away with its plans to air the show.

In a press release, the PTC, which has also gone after other shows like Nip/TuckJoan of Arcadia, described Dexter as a “graphically violent show about a hero who is a serial killer." The PTC's description completely contrasts CBS' entertainment president Nina Tassler's sentiments on the show.

“Dexter is a high-quality, compelling series that will be new and original programming for most CBS viewers,” Tassler said in a statement. “It's also a great match with our existing line-up, affording us the opportunity to promote this critically decorated series in CBS' top-rated crime dramas.”

Dexter will fill CBS' 10pm Sunday night timeslot for 12 consecutive weeks.

[ via buddytv ]

**Bacchus** · #2 02-18-2008

I thought CBS did a good job with the edit. There were no major plot points removed although I counted about 10 different instances of frames being cropped out (death scenes, sex scenes etc) lots of "rephrasing" (just about every time Debra opens her mouth it is "***k") and the opening sequence was removed in favor of just a title with credits running as the show began.

Opening Sequence

Also, the commercials seemed to come at inopportune times, but they always do, right? I still think they only way you are going to get the true Dexter experience is on DVD (or Showtime) but it is still entertaining and worth the watch on network television.

**Bacchus** · #3 02-21-2008

I could see this coming from a mile away. I think that there is a call to boycott just about every show on television these days. All bark and no bite. Not sure why I am even posting this...

PTC Asks Advertisers to Boycott Dexter

The Parents Television Council is calling on the advertisers on the CBS drama Dexter to boycott the show because of its violent nature and asking all CBS affiliates to preempt the show.

The main character in the show works for the police as a blood spatter expert, who has channeled his desire to kill by secretly targeting only criminals. The show was originally produced for Showtime, like CBS television network, part of CBS Corporation. However, Showtime is a pay cable network. CBS has edited the show for free broadcast to take out the most violent parts.

The PTC does not feel CBS has edited the show enough.

“Despite countless public calls for restraint and corporate responsibility, CBS broke its own promise to the public that it would employ careful editing and accurate ratings guidelines for Dexter,” said PTC president Tim Winter. “Depictions of violence were barely altered from the Showtime network original format.”

Winter also derided CBS for not labeling the show for mature audiences only.

“If, as CBS repeatedly promised, the program were targeted only to mature audiences, why wouldn’t they assign a mature audience rating of TV-MA?,” Winter said. “What could possibly lead them to determine that a show about a pathological serial killer hero could be appropriate for 14-year-old children?”

Winter called on CBS affiliates to preempt the show. “We urge the affiliates to exercise their power to do so,” he said.

Among the advertisers who ran ads in the first episode to air on CBS were Capital One, Macy’s, Pfizer and Burger King, along with assorted movie studios.

CBS had no comment or response to the PTC's most recent complaints about the show, but issued a statement earlier in response to previous PTC concerns which read:

"Dexter is an award-winning, critically acclaimed series for Showtime that will be edited for CBS in the same fashion that feature films, for many years, have been presented on broadcast television. The telecast of Dexter will comply with all network television standards, be edited with respect for artistic integrity, and scheduled responsibly in the last hour of prime time. As always, with broadcasts containing mature content, television audiences will be well informed with an appropriate V-Chip rating and parental advisories in advance and during the broadcast."

[ via MediaWeek ]

**Kathleen** · #4 02-21-2008

Helloooooooo? Parents out there, are you home? <insert roll eyes smilie here>

Any good parent, has their kid in bed by 10pm, especially on a Sunday night. And I mean "kid" under 12. And.... if you are good parent you would have your parental control blocks on shows based rating.

Who are these people to tell me, an adult, that I can't watch this show on CBS because of the children. I'm a good mom I wouldn't let my kid watch this show, doesn't mean that I can't watch it.

It all comes down to parenting, these bozo's need to mind their own and let others decided what is and what is not appropriate for their own children.

**Bacchus** · #5 02-21-2008

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Helloooooooo? Parents out there, are you home?

Any good parent, has their kid in bed by 10pm, especially on a Sunday night. And I mean "kid" under 12. And.... if you are good parent you would have your parental control blocks on shows based rating.

Who are these people to tell me, an adult, that I can't watch this show on CBS because of the children. I'm a good mom I wouldn't let my kid watch this show, doesn't mean that I can't watch it.

It all comes down to parenting, these bozo's need to mind their own and let others decided what is and what is not appropriate for their own children.

I totally agree. In this day and age with the technology available to parents it just takes a couple of clicks to set the V-Chip up and block everything and anything they want. There is a 1960's mentality when it comes to network television. It is not like kids can't find nudity, violence and inappropriate language on the other 200 cable channels 24 hours a day seven days a week if the parent is asleep at the wheel. For a 10 PM show, Dexter did not even push the boundaries of other fare that appears across the viewing landscape.

On a funny side note, as a youngster when ratings were first becoming a thing, I would plan my television viewing based on the rating. The more sexual content and violence warned against, the more I wanted to watch....lol.

**V1man** · #6 02-21-2008

Dexter bombed'

It may have seemed like a reasonable stop-gap measure, back during the strike when it was clear the networks would be short of fresh shows at midseason.

But importing cable programs to fill holes in their schedules has not worked out all that well.

The premiere of CBS’s “Dexter” Sunday night at 10 p.m. averaged a mere 2.3 adults 18-49 rating, despite loads of pre-debut publicity over the acclaimed but violent Showtime series’ reworking for broadcast.

Via Media Life

The network better dust off another reality show.

**Bacchus** · #7 02-21-2008

Originally Posted by V1man

Dexter bombed'

The network better dust off another reality show.

It still beat out Big Brother, so I don't think another recycled reality show is the answer!

Sunday:

CBS – Dexter (debut on CBS)
Viewers: 8.30 million (#3), A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#3)

CBS – Big Brother 9
Viewers: 7.16 million (#4), A18-49: 2.3/ 6 (#4)

**V1man** · #8 02-23-2008

Originally Posted by Bacchus

It still beat out Big Brother, so I don't think another recycled reality show is the answer!

Well, if they picked up one of ours, it wouldn't be recycled...

I dusted off a few of them during the past three days in LA.