Dexter was already successful when CBS began airing the crime drama in February 2008, but the broadcast helped bring it to a wider audience. The network showed an edited version, removing much of the gore and profanity from the Showtime series to meet its standards for broadcast television.
The move came as scripted programming was scarce during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. CBS aired Dexter’s first episode on February 17, nearly a year and a half after its original debut. Showtime was a subsidiary of CBS’s parent company, making the series a practical option for the network’s schedule.
The Parents Television Council had urged CBS not to air the show, objecting to a drama that asked viewers to empathize with a serial killer. CBS proceeded with the edited episodes. The premiere attracted more than 8 million viewers, giving the network its strongest Sunday 10 p.m. performance in months.
Actor David Zayas, who played Detective Angel Batista, later told Entertainment Weekly that the CBS run exposed Dexter to people who did not have Showtime, and that some subsequently subscribed to the premium channel. Showrunner Clyde Phillips also credited the broadcast with raising Showtime’s profile.
Sources: TVLine.