Global InformationDexter season 1 information
| Dexter | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 DVD cover | |
| Starring |
|
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Original release | October 1 – December 17, 2006 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of Dexter is an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's first novel in a series of the same name, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Subsequent seasons have featured original storylines. This season aired from October 1, 2006 to December 17, 2006,[1][2] and follows Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) investigation of "the Ice Truck Killer". Introduced in the first episode, "Dexter", this serial killer targets prostitutes and leaves their bodies severed and bloodless. At the same time, Dexter's adoptive sister, Debra Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter), a vice squad officer, aspires to work in the homicide department, and Dexter's girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz), wants their relationship to be more intimate.[3] Christian Camargo appears as Rudy Cooper and is a recurring character until the end of the season.[4]
The season received critical acclaim, being praised as "bold, different and exciting, with a central character and performance that take your breath away" by the Daily News.[5] The Wall Street Journal saw "the grotesqueries of Dexter" as "not something that can easily be dismissed with the old 'you don't have to watch' line", and concluded that, "We do have to live among the viewers who will be desensitized, or aroused, by this show".[6] The season holds an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critical consensus reads, "Its dark but novel premise may be too grotesque for some, but Dexter is a compelling, elegantly crafted horror-drama."[7]
The season received high ratings for Showtime; the pilot episode attracted more than a million viewers, giving the channel its highest ratings in nearly two years,[1] while the finale "Born Free" drew an audience of 1.1 million viewers in the U.S.[8] On average, the season was watched by two million viewers per episode during its original run when factoring in DVR viewers.[9]
Due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike and encouraged by the show's critical success and high ratings on Showtime, CBS, a national terrestrial broadcast network, announced in December 2007 that it was considering airing an edited version of the first season of Dexter for free-to-air broadcast.[10] It began to broadcast it on February 17, 2008,[11] and thus, Dexter became the first program in 20 years to air on a broadcast network after being shown on a premium cable channel.[12] During the show's rerun on the CBS network in 2008, the ratings were much higher, reaching 8.2 million viewers during its premiere in February,[13] giving the network its best rating in the 10 p.m. time slot since December the previous year.[14] During its 12-week run,[15] it dropped to 7.1 million in early April,[16] and to 6.6 million during the season's finale on May 6.[17]
- ^ a b Mitovich, Matt (October 4, 2006). "Short Cuts: Dexter Slays the Ratings, and More!". TV Guide. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (December 18, 2006). "Dexter: "Born Free" Review". IGN. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
- ^ "Dexter—Episode Guide > Season 1, Episode 1". TV.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
- ^ Zulkey, Claire (December 16, 2007). "Dexter: Doakes is gone in a bang". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ Bianculli, David (September 29, 2006). "Dexter is dead on target. An avenger - and a serial killer". Daily News (New York). Retrieved November 10, 2021 – via Press Reader.
- ^ Dewolf, Nancy (September 29, 2006). "The Good, the Ugly and the Bad". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ "Dexter: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
- ^ "Dexter Slays Showtime Records". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. December 20, 2006. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Gough, Paul (December 19, 2007). "Dexter kills in second-season finale". Reuters. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- ^ Szalai, Georg; Andreeva, Nellie (December 5, 2007). "CBS eyes Dexter for edited broadcast". Reuters. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ Smith, Lynn (February 17, 2008). "The slicing and dicing of Dexter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
- ^ Stelter, Brian (February 20, 2008). "Dexter Gains a Wider Audience". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
- ^ "Weekly Primetime Ratings (Wk OF 2/11)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. February 20, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ Kissell, Rick (February 18, 2008). "'Knight' rides back to success - Entertainment News, TV News, Media". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Dexter: Watch Full Episodes and Video". CBS.com. October 23, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Fast Facts Overnight Ratings (for 4/6)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. April 7, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
- ^ "Fast Facts Overnight Ratings (for 5/4)" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 5, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2009.