1m viewers tuned in for the second season premiere of Showtime's Dexter, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The figure was close to the 1.08m viewers who watched the first season finale and up two-thirds on the first season debut. Broadcasting and Cable reports that the 1m figure is the best for any Showtime premiere since 2004.

The series stars Michael C. Hall as forensics analyst and serial killer Dexter Morgan and is based on Jeff Lindsay's novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter. It airs on FX in the UK.