Whoa! CBS is actually going to do it. The network is going to put a pay-cable series about a violent serial killer on the broadcast network.
You can gasp in horror.
And this could end up being a good thing.
You can gasp in surprise.
In these troubled television times — barring a miracle, the writers' strike is in its 71st day today — networks are looking for original programming to put on the air instead of a steady diet of repeats. CBS is looking to its pay-cable sister company, Showtime, and "Dexter."
And "Dexter" is quite definitely not a show for children — although the same can be said about a lot of other hourlong dramas on CBS, including all the "CSIs," "Cold Case," "Moonlight," "NCIS," "Shark" and the network's other show about serial killers, the gruesome "Criminal Minds."
But "Dexter" isn't just about hunting a serial killer, it's about Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), who is both a forensic expert and multiple murderer.
Based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, the show is (to repeat my original review back in September 2006) about a seemingly average guy — as average as any blood-splatter expert working for the Miami police might be.
But Dexter is not your average guy. He murders people. A lot of people. Only evil people, but he murders them nonetheless.
In flashbacks, we see Dexter and his foster father, Harry (James Remar), a police detective who recognized Dexter's murderous urges and channeled them into a strict moral code. Dexter seeks out and eliminates those who have committed crimes upon humanity and gotten away with them.
Until Dexter gets ahold of them, that is.
Certain "watchdog" groups have already got their panties in a bunch because a show that would definitely get an R-rating if it were a movie because of language, violence and gore is going to air on CBS. (However, there's less gore than a lot of "CSI" episodes.)
But the episodes will be edited. CBS doesn't air uncut R-rated movies; it won't air "Dexter" uncut.
What we're going to get is the equivalent of an airline version of a popular film. The same idea as when some people took their R-rated movies to certain stores to have them edited.
Isn't it a good thing to have an edited version of "Dexter"? Isn't this a way for viewers who don't want to watch R-rated material to see a very good series without all the language, violence and gore?
Isn't this the kind of thing "watchdog" groups ought to be applauding?
Even with editing, "Dexter" isn't for everyone. And kids shouldn't watch it. But they shouldn't watch "Criminal Minds" and a lot of other shows, either.
But, rather than criticism, CBS deserves some praise.
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com