I have ranked the top 68 television shows of the '00s, and will be presenting them, one-by-one, starting with 68 and working down. The rankings are more or less based on the show's popularity, it's cult status, it's critical acclaim, and my personal liking of it, with a heavy dose of arbitrariness added in. If a show was a big enough phenomena, I'll keep it on the list - but if I don't like it, I may drop it some spots. One other caveat - these are primetime shows (I apologize if I put a cable show that wasn't, I thought they were all primetime shows - the main point of this is just that no talk shows, no Colbert and Daily show that would be on otherwise).

Last week was the busiest I have been in quite some time so not much an excuse but at least an explanation for my lack of posts in that time period. Anyway, onwards and upwards, and always twirling, twirling towards freedom.

51: Dexter

Sometimes, consciously or not, I put shows near each other on this list that have some relationship to one another. The only two Showtime shows on this list are back to back, and it starts with the one I prefer, but has probably made slightly less of a dent on the pop culture, landscape, Dexter. That said, Dexter has been critically acclaimed and has accrued a sizable cult audience, and for good reason.

Long before I started watching Dexter, which was while the second season was airing (though I didn't watch it as it aired, as I was still behind and didn't have Showtime), I saw ads for the show all over the subway and was intrigued when I found out the premise - it's one of those ideas that sound great for about a minute after you hear it, but usually seems incredibly stupid after that when you realize you need to make thirteen hour long episodes based on it - in this case, a serial killer who kills other serial killers - a serial killer you could root for. It's easy to see how it could get old and fast.

Basically, in order for this premise to work over multiple seasons, a number of things have to all go right, and Dexter manages to pull them off. Most important, Dexter needs to be interesting - a boring and bad Dexter kills the show from day one (I realize you can say this for many main characters, but as much as any of them, Dexter's casting and character is important, particularly as his supporting cast tends to be less important than in many other shows and because the premise is so gimmicky) - and luckily Michael C. Hall is phenomenal and the character itself is relatively complex without being too emo, or chilling - someone you could believe as a serial killer, while also gaining your sympathy.

After each season, I have wondered - how will they go on from here? They've already introduced each of the couple of natural possibilities for Dexter over the course of a season - Dexter has friends, Dexter has enemies, Dexter struggles to maintain his normal life. Each season they've managed to put something together which made the season worth watching - in the third season, Jimmy Smits' character is the component that makes the show different but compelling.

Dexter doesn't really haven't the strongest supporting characters - not that they're bad as much as they're boring - they don't really do a lot - they're just kind of side pieces in the war between Dexter and the serial killer of the season or those trying to catch Dexter - those who are convinced that something's up with him, like Doakes, in the first two seasons, who don't know who Dexter is but are on to him, like Keith Carradine's character in season 2, or who are trying to use him, like Jimmy Smits' character in season 3.

Also, I couldn't write a piece on Dexter without at least mentioning how extremely weird it is for fans that the actors who played Dexter and his sister, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter got married last year. Gross.