'Dexter' is being revived for a 10-episode limited series

Acclaimed crime-drama Dexter is making a return, eight years after it went off air.

Star Michael C Hall will be making a comeback in the titular role for a 10-episode limited series, network Showtime said. He will be joined by executive producer Clyde Phillips.

The new episodes will be a continuation of the original series, which ended with Dexter – a forensic blood spatter analyst and vigilante serial killer – going into a self-imposed exile.

A tweet from Showtime announcing the revival simply read: “Surprise motherf*****. He’s back.” It accompanied a short teaser video that said “Being away has been murder”.

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Dexter is set to go into production next year, with a tentative premiere date of late 2021. The series originally ran from 2006-2013.

Showtime Entertainment president Gary Levine said: “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.”

Dexter was initially a huge critical success, though it struggled to maintain the high levels of acclaim during its eight-season run.

The ending was also widely derided. A follow-up has been discussed among fans for years.

Hall, 49, earned five Primetime Emmy nominations for Dexter, and won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.

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