The series premiered on the premium cable network Showtime on October 1, 2006. Dexter has received considerable critical acclaim and has won two Emmys in technical categories, and has also generated public controversies concerning its content and promotion. An edited version of the series began airing on CBS on February 17, 2008, to make up for the shortage of new content caused by the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike. Canada's CTV simulcasts episodes along with CBS, and is also airing the edited version in order to follow Canadian cable simultaneous substitution rules.

The first season introduces Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police Department and a serial killer who hunts criminals who evade justice from the law. He is called to crime scenes where bodies are dismembered with precise methodical cuts and virtually no blood, which intrigues Dexter. The perpetrator, known to the public as the "Ice Truck Killer", is seemingly leaving messages for Dexter Morgan through these crime scenes. We are also introduced to people Dexter deals with daily: his adoptive sister, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) who aspires to be a homicide detective, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) whom he days to maintain a facade of normalcy, Rita's two children Cody and Aster, and Sgt. James Doakes (Erik King) who seemingly is not fooled by Dexter's facade.

The entire season was released in the United States in DVD format on August 21, 2007, and in Blu-Ray format on January 6, 2009.

The second season premiered September 30, 2007, and continues chronologically right after the end of the first season. Dexter begins the season unable to satisfy his urges for over a month, due to constant surveillance by Sgt. Doakes. When the opportunity to kill arises, he has problems executing his victims due to the events leading up to the end of the last season. Further complicating matters, treasure hunters discover Dexter's underwater dumping ground for his victims. As the police extract body part after body part from the ocean, the media dubs the killer the "Bay Harbor Butcher", and FBI Special Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) is brought in to catch the "Butcher." Meanwhile, Rita suspects Dexter of having an addiction due to his numerous absences and sends him to a Narcotics Anonymous program, where he meets Lila Tournay (Jamie Murray) who becomes his sponsor. Her involvement in Dexter's life is the focus of the season as he attempts to resolve his true nature and his principles.

The entire season was released in the United States in DVD format on August 19, 2008.

The third season premiered September 28, 2008, and follows the events leading after Dexter kills an innocent man for the first time. The innocent man is related to the prominent assistant district attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) who becomes very personally involved in the case. Dexter and Miguel strike up a friendship, and the two become close when it is apparent that Miguel can see Dexter for who he really is and not be afraid. The relationship between Rita and Dexter has matured to where Dexter has proposed to Rita. Lastly, a new serial killer is introduced-- nicknamed "The Skinner", he comes about after the death of the innocent man and is somehow picking off the witnesses interviewed by the police department. The season follows the massive changes Dexter undergoes in attempting to be "more human" and the results, good and bad, that come from them.

Headlined by eight-time Eisner Award winner, Kyle Baker, Early Cuts is a twelve part weekly webisode series, premiering October 25th on sho.com. Andres Vera Martinez and Ty Templeton round out the roster of creative talent behind the animation. Originally touted as three separate tales of Dex's early progress towards his calculated vengeance, a recent Showtime press release claims the series will be told in four one to two-minute increments each week.

Narrated by the emotionally absent dulcet tones of Michael C. Hall, Early Cuts focuses on three victims, Alex Timmons, a "corrupt Gulf War veteran", Gene Marshall, an arsonist and Cindy Landon, a "black widow."

For links, go to Dexter: Early Cuts