Dexter Coming To CBS

Mr_Vindictive · January 29, 2008, 08:28:26 PM

So, with the writers strike still going on, broadcasters are looking anywhere possible for new shows. Looks like CBS is bringing Showtime's Dexter over to their network this February.

I have to say that Dexter is quite possibly my favorite show that is currently running. It is about a blood splatter investigator in Miami by the name of Dexter Morgan. Dexter has mental issues, and likes to kill. He uses his job to find criminals who have escaped from the law, and he uses his own brand of justice on them.

I've seen both seasons of Dexter and both are absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure exactly how well they'll transfer over to standard TV as the show is quite gory/sexual/profane. I still highly recommend looking out for it on CBS once it starts airing. It's a highly unique show that really should get a ton more attention than it currently does.

Killer Bees · January 30, 2008, 11:15:38 PM

I heard about this show on the telly. They were advertising it like mad and then....nothing

So I'm not sure if they lost interest or whether they put it over to cable tv. I heard the show was about a serial killer who was a forensic guy like Ducky from NCIS. But your explanation is a lot different from what the tv was saying here.

Sounds like a show I would just love. I guess I'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

Mr_Vindictive · January 31, 2008, 02:26:45 PM

KB,

The show is out on DVD. The first season has been out for about a year or so. It's a Region 1 DVD so I'm not sure if you'd be able to buy it over in Australia.

Dexter is really a great show. The character is the most fascinating one I've seen even on TV.

Killer Bees · January 31, 2008, 11:30:58 PM

Quote from: Skaboi on January 31, 2008, 02:26:45 PM
KB,

The show is out on DVD. The first season has been out for about a year or so. It's a Region 1 DVD so I'm not sure if you'd be able to buy it over in Australia.

Dexter is really a great show. The character is the most fascinating one I've seen even on TV.

That's fabbo news Skaboi! I'll keep a weather eye out for it. Usually we get stuff here on DVD even if it hasn't been popular on tv.

Case in point - I found the whole series of HR Puf 'n' Stuff on DVD the other week and nearly fell over!

Dennis · February 01, 2008, 02:08:51 AM

I don't see Dexter as being viable on network TV, the show deals with some pretty wild subject matter and I think it would be so heavily edited that it wouldn't make sense. Commercial interuptions would also distort the flow of the story. This is one of our favorite shows, got the first season DVD as soon as it was available, got to get season 2 also as soon as I can. This is a really good series, well written, well acted, a winner. One of the classic moments occurs during the opening credits when Dexter (Michael C Hall) is dressing for work, he pulls a white tee shirt on and you can see in his face that he's an emotionless psychopath, then as he leaves his apartment he's got his smiling I'm a great guy face on. The transition is amazing. What makes it truly enjoyable is Dexter's narration, if any of you get a chance watch this show.

Mr_Vindictive · February 01, 2008, 10:58:44 AM

I agree Dennis, it's going to be extremely interesting to see just how this will work on a "standard" channel. I can think of well over a hundred things that would need to be cut in the first season alone. The first episode involves bloodless dissected corpses and a decapitated head.... Then again, CBS is the channel that has pioneered the crime investigation drama, and some of those can get a bit gory....

ToyMan · February 01, 2008, 08:35:21 PM

the [ i]dexter season [/i]one dvd was really popular just before the the holidays, in the states. our store moved a lot around then, but these days, we hardly have any, and no one asks. strange.

did you know there are dexter books, too? jeff lindsay wrote dexter in the dark, darkly dreaming dexter, dearly devoted dexter, and there may even be others, for all i know.

Mr_Vindictive · February 01, 2008, 08:45:39 PM

Yep, the show is in fact based on a series of books. I had not heard of them until the show started, which is amazing to me. I have yet to pick any up, but keep meaning to do so. If I'm not mistaken, the original season was based on "Darkly Dreaming Dexter". Lindsay is one that I fear now after seeing the show. Anyone that can come up with a character so dark, has to have a few problems of his own.

dean · February 02, 2008, 02:26:03 AM

A friend of mine gave me a couple of episodes he downloaded online, and it was great, but because of lack of access no go at the moment.

Bees, I don't think it's out here yet on DVD, but it has been showing on Foxtel, but since I stay away from that I dunno about where they be at with it.

I don't remember it getting slated for free-to-air release? Maybe someone said "Hey this is an awesome show, let's get it" then someone else watched it and realised it was going to need a late time slot to actually work, and probably shelved it for now. Shame it is.

Killer Bees · February 03, 2008, 09:31:32 PM

Quote from: DENNIS on February 01, 2008, 02:08:51 AM
I don't see Dexter as being viable on network TV, the show deals with some pretty wild subject matter and I think it would be so heavily edited that it wouldn't make sense. Commercial interuptions would also distort the flow of the story. This is one of our favorite shows, got the first season DVD as soon as it was available, got to get season 2 also as soon as I can. This is a really good series, well written, well acted, a winner. One of the classic moments occurs during the opening credits when Dexter (Michael C Hall) is dressing for work, he pulls a white tee shirt on and you can see in his face that he's an emotionless psychopath, then as he leaves his apartment he's got his smiling I'm a great guy face on. The transition is amazing. What makes it truly enjoyable is Dexter's narration, if any of you get a chance watch this show.

Our television standars are pretty relaxed here from what I've seen in other countries. They just put shows on at 9.30 pm and they pretty much show what they like. You can count on any movie airing the f-word without censure from 9.30 pm onwards.

I think the writers' strike may have played a large part in them not showing it yet.

Hollis · February 09, 2008, 09:06:57 AM

I bought the first season on DVD. My parents though I was insane, because I'd only seen commercials for it, and they said that I wouldn't know if I like it or not. I love it. I stayed up twenty-four hours straight watching the season I bought. (Amoung other things of course.)

I think it will work if they censure it. Have you ever seen movies they edit for T.V.? I mean, the cuss word substitutuions are halairous, but it still works. All the crime stuff will still be in, I mean, they show dead people all the time on shows like Law and Order and CSI. They'll also have to completely cut out or edit the few sex scenes, but other than that, I don't really see any major issues.

Dennis · February 09, 2008, 12:27:15 PM

Quote from: Hollis on February 09, 2008, 09:06:57 AM
I think it will work if they censure it. Have you ever seen movies they edit for T.V.? I mean, the cuss word substitutuions are halairous, but it still works. All the crime stuff will still be in, I mean, they show dead people all the time on shows like Law and Order and CSI. They'll also have to completely cut out or edit the few sex scenes, but other than that, I don't really see any major issues.

You are right, it would work, but it would lose a lot of its flavor, editing the language for instance would change the personalities of the characters, Dexter's sister Debra would no longer be the foul mouthed street cop with a soft and lonely soul, but just a valley girl air head playing cops and robbers. A good portion of Dexter's relationship with seargent Doakes would be gone also, if Doakes can't actually tell Dexter what he thinks of him in his usually graphic and colorful way you miss a lot Doakes' personality. I also think that while they would show bodies and crime scenes a lot of it would be shortened or just cut out entirely, these minor details are what makes the series enjoyable. Editing, and of course the commercial interuptions, would cause the flow of the story to be broken up.
I wouldn't recommend watching this series on ABC, NBC, or CBS because of the editing that would be done to it, I understand that the public air waves in other countries are more liberal so maybe there would be little or no changes in other places. I guess what I'm saying is that having seen Dexter in its original form I would not watch it or recommend watching it on broadcast TV here in the USA.
Having said that I must add that each episode is just under an hour in length, possibly to allow for editing and commercial interuptions, this seems to me to be smart if you intend to try selling the show to network TV, wouldn't be surprised to find out that each episode has two versions, one for cable and one for the networks.

Torgo · February 12, 2008, 11:49:36 PM

I really doubt that they'll have to edit the episodes nearly as much as people think that they will have to.

CSI and shows like that have really blown open the boundaries of what kind of blood and gore you can get away with on network TV.

They'll only have to edit some of the language and the few instances of sexuality in the show but that should be about it.

KYGOTC · February 13, 2008, 02:05:35 AM

I dunno, man. These modern dramas look pretty trashy. Not to mention lame.

Mr_Vindictive · February 13, 2008, 06:06:28 AM

KYGOTC,

I have a feeling you would enjoy Dexter. It's more of a character driven show than just blood/sex. If you dig thrillers, or just psychos in general, then it's a treat. I really recommend it.