LOS ANGELES, CA — (December 6, 2010) — As season five of SHOWTIME’s  top-rated drama series DEXTER, starring Emmy®-nominated and Golden Globe® award-winning actor Michael C. Hall, heads toward another powerful, suspense-filled finale on Sunday, December 12^th at 9 PM ET/PT, the network has renewed the series for a sixth season.  The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks.  Season 6’s episodes will go into production next spring in Los Angeles.

“DEXTER is the best suspense drama on television,” said Nevins.  “To grow its audience so significantly in its fifth season is an enormous accomplishment by this amazing cast and crew.  This is the easiest decision I’ve made since I got to Showtime.”

One of the most acclaimed series on television, DEXTER received seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations this year, including Outstanding Television Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Michael C. Hall and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for John Lithgow, which Lithgow won.  Additionally, director Steve Shill won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.  The series has received numerous Golden Globe nominations, as well as a prestigious Peabody Award in 2008 and was twice named one of AFI’s top ten television series.

DEXTER had its second highest ratings ever with this season's tenth episode (Nov. 28), delivering 2.54 million viewers, up 43 percent versus the season five premiere (1.77 million). The telecast was the second-highest delivery in the series’ history, behind the season four finale (2.57 million).‪ 

DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall (Golden Globe and SAG Award winner) as a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer.  Season five of the series also starred Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, C.S. Lee, Lauren Vélez, David Zayas, and James Remar. 

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