Seven years after its widely panned finale aired, serial killer drama Dexter is set to make a return to Showtime, with a new 10-part limited series set to air next year.

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Six Feet Under star Michael C Hall is set to reprise his role in the follow-up season, once again playing Dexter Morgan - forensic scientist by day and serial killer by night (and...er, lumberjack.)

Throughout its eight series the show, which is based on a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay, brought in millions of captivated viewers and attracted significant praise despite its unpopular ending.

In anticipation of the new series, you might wish to brush up on your Dexter knowledge by watching the show from the start again (or perhaps for the first time). Here's everything you know about how to watch Dexter, and when the new series will arrive.

Where to watch and stream Dexter online

The current home for Dexter in the UK is on Sky and NOW TV, with all eight series available to stream on the platforms with a subscription.

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The series is not currently available with a Netflix or Amazon Prime Video subscription - although you can buy episodes on Amazon, with individual episodes costing £2.49 to stream and entire seasons available for £24.99 each.

If you aren't subscribed to Sky or NOW TV, you can sign up for a variety of packages, deals and trials:

Alternatively, you can also buy the DVD boxset - buy the complete series now.

When is the new season of Dexter released?

The new series was announced by Showtime in October 2020, with the network's Entertainment president Gary Levine saying (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter) “Dexter is such a special series, both for its millions of fans and for Showtime, as this breakthrough show helped put our network on the map many years ago.

"We would only revisit this unique character if we could find a creative take that was truly worthy of the brilliant, original series. Well, I am happy to report that Clyde Phillips and Michael C Hall have found it, and we can’t wait to shoot it and show it to the world.”

So when might the series air? Well we're probably still a while away just yet, but the series is reportedly planned to premiere in autumn 2021.

Will the new season of Dexter be available to watch in the UK?

During it's original run, Dexter was available to view on FX UK, but it's not yet been confirmed where the new series will broadcast on these shores.

In recent years Sky has had a partnership with Showtime that has seen many of the network's series air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV, so RadioTimes.com predicts that this might be the case again - although there has not yet been official confirmation as of yet.

Dexter cast

Six Feet Under’s Michael C Hall stars as title character Dexter Morgan, while Jennifer Carpenter (Limitless) plays homicide detective Debra Morgan, Dexter’s tough, tomboyish foster sister.

Rita Bennett, Dexter’s girlfriend, is played by Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Julie Benz.

Lauren Velez plays tough Lieutenant Maria LaGuerta, alongside fellow Oz star David Zayas, who plays Detective Angel Batista.

Dexter’s deceased adoptive father, Harry Morgan, who appears in flashbacks and fantasy sequences, is played by James Remar (Sex and the City).

Beyond the fact that Hall is returning in the title role, there have not yet been any announcements regarding the cast for series 9, but we imagine that we'd be seeing a fair few familiar faces.

We'll keep this updated when we hear news about any more confirmed returning stars or new cast members joining for the new season.

What is Dexter about?

After Dexter’s mother is brutally murdered, the orphaned three-year-old is adopted by Harry Morgan, a police officer.

Now an adult, Dexter works as blood splatter analyst for Miami’s Metro Police. In the first series, he is part of an investigation into a string of killings by the ‘Ice Truck Killer’, who has been leaving a trail of well-preserved, bloodless bodies around the city.

Dexter, however, hides a secret: he’s good at his day job because he, too, is a serial killer, intent on bringing other violent criminals to justice.

Though Dexter is calm and deliberate, planning his kills meticulously, his double life still proves an enormous challenge — it seems someone is always on the verge of discovering his dark secret.

Aside from Michael C Hall's return, we don't yet know who will be returning to the cast of Dexter for the new season.

Why did Dexter get cancelled/end?

Originally, executive producer Sara Colleton envisioned Dexter as a seven-year series, though an eighth season was later added.

Speaking to TV Guide about the additional season, Colleton said: “I feel easily that we can be an eight-year show, but I never want it to get old and stale. I want us to go out on a high and everybody on the show is determined to keep the level of it up to the very end. It’s always wise to know when it’s time to leave the stage before you’re asked to leave the stage.”

Where was Dexter filmed?

Though set in Miami, Dexter was filmed primarily in Long Beach, California and at Hollywood’s Gower Studios. Some establishing shots in the first series, however, were filmed in Miami.

Interested? You can watch Dexter online below:

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Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.

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