Showtime has developed a reputation for renewing their shows long past when they stopped being relevant — Office‘ing, if you will. Eight seasons of Weeds, five seasons (and counting) of Californication, and most unforgivably, two award-nominated seasons of Episodes, to say nothing of Dexter, which had an improved seventh season, but still has on been for SEVEN SEASONS. Finally, though, according to Showtime’s entertainment president David Nevins at the TCA tour, there’s an “end game” in sight for the drama, thought it may not happen for some time.
At Showtime’s TCA session today, Showtime entertainment president David Nevins stopped short of committing to an end date for [Dexter]. “We’re not making any announcements today about when Dexter will end,” he said, adding, “I think I will clarify before Dexter goes on this season (in June). We have clear end game in place, I can’t talk about it just yet.” Just how important Dexter has been to Showtime? “Dexter to Showtime is what Batman is to Warner Bros., it is a cornerstone franchise,” Nevins said. (Via)
As for Showtime’s other huge hit, Homeland, which hasn’t been on for 17 seasons only because it debuted two years ago, Nevins proudly boasted, “I think it’s got a really long life, it is on the rise, like Dexter.” He added:
While he admitted that he agrees with some of the criticism about the recent second season, Nevins said he liked it. “It started really strong and ended really strong,” he said. Speaking of Homeland‘s season two ending, Nevins would not confirm whether Damian Lewis will return as a series regular next season. (Via)
Showtime’s TCA panel also revealed that the next seasons of Dexter and Homeland will premiere on June 30 and September 29, as the lead-ins into new series, Ray Donovan, with Liev Schreiber as a “fixer,” and the Lizzy Caplan-starring Masters of Sex, which will never hear “CANCEL NOW” cries, assuming it lives up to its title better than fellow Showtime series, The Paper Chase. The lack of papers that were chased was very distressing.
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I really enjoyed season 2, but I don’t know how long it can go on.
I hadn’t for a moment considered that Damian Lewis wouldn’t be returning. And Dexter comes back in June?!? That’s a first. It has previously returned the last week of September or the first few days of October.
Please do not consider me to be a Showtime historian.
They want to give added momentum to Ray Donovan – which if I may say so, looks like it doesn’t really need an extra push
Damian Lewis apparently signed an 8 year contract (looking for a link now). Once I heard that my blood chilled. He may not be a regular, but 8yrs tells me they are going to milk the cow on this one, very much like Dexter.
Yep, with a very high risk of it turning out the same way.
Hmm. Certainly does sound like they’re reneging on the Dexter-ending plan. “End game in sight” simply means “We have an idea how we’re going to end it, but we’ll only do it after the money goes away.” Shame.
It also sounds like they previously didn’t have a “clear end game in place”
I thought they announced a while ago that the next season of Dexter would be the last
There’s no way they’ll end it until Michael C. Hall wants ou, and they can’t throw enough money at him to keep him on.
I’m willing to give Homeland a chance to be great again considering we’ve only had one amazing season and an average one. Still, Showtime has a problem and someone needs to stage an intervention. Milking something like Dexter for 7+ seasons is the TV equivalent of Hollywood’s boner for sequels and remakes.
I don’t know why everyone is so against Homeland’s S2, I thought it was slightly stronger even than the first
Homeland is the kind of show that needs to be planned from the start. It needs to have an endgame, the writers need to know exactly how crazy Carrie is and exactly how terroristic Brodie is, and that endgame should not be six years away.
They need to learn to go out on a high.
That or they should do a kind of reboot. Introduce new characters and story lines after a few seasons. Promote Carrie and have her in charge of operations in Europe or Asia, with another strong protagonist taking on most of the action. Otherwise this show could easily write itself into a hole and end up with all sorts of ridiculous plots.
They announced officially when they renwed Dexter for season 7 & 8 that 8 was going to be the last, right? I am not the only one who remembers these headlines, am I?
homeland season 2 was mixture of 24 and the notebook. the first season was so great because there was always an end game in sight, brody killing the vp, and every episode worked towards that end until the last one when brody was in the bunker with him. season 2 started hot, then regressed into a carrie/brody love affair that no one knew was real or not. i hated the ending of season 2, no questions were answered and it seemed utterly implausible. i wanted to know who moved brody’s car, why nasir was in america hiding in the sewers, and why nasir told carrie of his plan to kill the vp while talking to brody if he was just going to let her go. not to mention the implausibility of the skype blackberry and the heart monitor episode.
i’ll watch the start of season 3, but if it’s more notebook i doubt i’ll stick with it again.
Season 1 of Homeland was great. Season 2 felt like 24 except instead of a screaming Jack Bauer I got a crying Carrie Whatsherface. No thanks.
And the whole hit and run crap. And Dana. Everything Dana.