Dexter's return will be a 'second finale' for the series
The original series finished in 2013
At its best, Dexter was one of the sharpest shows on TV – a barbed, subversive serial-killer drama that dared audiences to side with Michael C. Hall's mass-murderer, albeit one with a stringent moral code, taking down the baddies who avoided legal justice.
That freshness made it all the more disappointing, then, when the final seasons went completely off the boil – culminating in a finale that often ranks in lists of the worst (or, most disappointing) endings of all time.
All of which made the recent news that Dexter is returning for a one-off revival series on Showtime both surprising and rather exciting – a chance to maybe alter the show’s lasting legacy.
And that’s partly how showrunner Clyde Phillips sees it. Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s TV’s Top 5 podcast, the series boss (who left the original run after the much-celebrated season four), opened up about what exactly the new season will be – and posited it as a ‘second finale’ for Dexter.
"We want this to not be Dexter season nine," he said, adding that the new season will pick up several years after the original ending. "10 years, or however many years, have passed by the time this will air, and the show will reflect that time passage. In so far as the ending of the show, this will have no resemblance to how the original finale was. It’s a great opportunity to write a second finale for our show, and Showtime was very gracious about that."
By the sounds of it, the new season won’t walk back the events of the season eight finale – but it should continue them to a more satisfying place.
"I believe that (Michael C Hall) was not completely satisfied with it, and this is an opportunity to make that right, but that’s not why we’re doing it," Clyde said. "We’re doing this because there is such a hunger for Dexter out there... We’re 10 years later. We’re not undoing anything. We’re not doing movie-magic. We’re not going to betray the audience and say, ‘Oop, that was all a dream.’ What happened in the first eight years happened in the first eight years."
It’s early days on the revival season yet, but current plans have it down for an autumn 2021 release. Here’s hoping Dexter manages to retrain as something other than a lumberjack within that time.
Now take a look at TV shows we wish would make a comeback:
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives! In October 2025, Gary Lucy, who played Kyle Pascoe in the series, said: "We're trying to bring it back but it might be in a slightly different format. I can't say too much about it. But I won't be a footballer in it, I'm too old for that. But in some capacity, yes I'll be in it, definitely."
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
Benidorm
Airing for a huge 10 series between 2007 and 2018, ITV/STV sitcom Benidorm was a huge hit with fans. Ever since the show ended, fans have been begging creator Derren Litten to create more, with rumours rife in April 2025 that bosses are considering maybe bringing the show back.
Fat Friends
Written by Kay Mellor, sitcom Fat Friends aired between 2000-2005, following a group of friends who attend a slimming club together, with a focus on the various ways their weight has impacted upon them. Over the four series, huge stars appeared including Ruth Jones, James Corden, Lisa Riley, Alison Steadman, Jason Merrells and Lydna Barron.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
ER
Running between 1994-2009, medical drama ER starred actors such as George Clooney, Julianna Margulies and Noah Wyle, along with Parminder Nagra, Linda Cardellini and Angela Bassett. ER was set in a Chicago hospital called Cook County General Hospital, in particular their Emergency Department, following the personal and professional lives of the staff and patients.
Friends
Six friends, 10 seasons, and 236 episodes, sitcom Friends will go down in history as being one of the biggest ever TV shows to exist. Airing between September 1994 and May 2004, the final ever episode received a staggering 52.5 million viewers in America alone! Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, Friends was given a reunion special in 2021, with all six members re-living the best moments from the show.
Don't Try This At Home
Who remembers sitting down in front of the TV on a Saturday night, watching on as Davina McCall helped members of the public take on tough and fearful challenges?
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch! The show was also rebooted between 2018 and 2020 as a Netflix series called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty first landed here in the UK in January 2007, going on to have four hugely successful series. The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families. Where The Heart is had a stellar cast, including Lesley Dunlop, Christian Cooke and Sarah Lancashire.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Gossip Girl
Although Gossip Girl was given a reboot in 2021 with a brand new cast, it didn't live up to expectations of the original series, which aired between 2007-2012. The original series kick-started the careers of the likes of Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford and Penn Badgley.
Lost
Despite its marmite ending, Lost was one of the biggest TV shows around when it aired between 2004-2010. The hit series follows the survivors of a fictional crash of airline Oceanic Flight 815, as they are stranded on a tropical island and forced to work together in order to survive.
The Inbetweeners
Although it's hard to believe, Channel 4 sitcom The Inbetweeners actually last aired way back in 2010! With continuous talk of a reunion over the last decade, we'd love to see the return of Will MacKenzie, Simon Cooper, Neil Sutherland and Jay Cartwright.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
We'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks, however we got the next best thing in 2022, with the Fresh Prince reboot called Bel Air, where Jabari Banks played Will Smith.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory was on TV from 2007 until 2019. The show centred around two physicists who shared an apartment, Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter and Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, and their friendship with Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco, who lived opposite.
Skins
Running for seven series between 2007-2013, British teen drama Skins followed a group of teenagers in Bristol as they navigated their time through sixth form. With each episode focussing on a different character, the cast was made-up of some huge names, including the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, Jack O'Connell, Luke Pasqualino and Hannah Murray.
My Name Is Earl
With a total of 96 episodes, American sitcom My Name Is Earl was loved by fans. Featuring Jason Lee as the main character, small-time crook Earl Hickey, the show follows him as his life changes after he wins $100,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket. The show first aired on 20th September 2005, with the final episode landing on 14th May 2009.
Wild At Heart
Filmed in South Africa, drama series Wild At Heart aired for seven series between 2006-2012. The show, which featured the likes of Stephen Tompkinson, Dawn Steele, Lucy-Jo Hudson, Amanda Holden and Deon Stewardson, and followed a vet and his family as they emigrate from Bristol to South Africa, where they attempt to rehabilitate a game reserve for wild animals.
London's Burning
Airing between 1988 and 2002, London's Burning documented the lives of a fictional London Fire Brigade Blue Watch at the fictional Blackwall fire station.
Those were the days!