The premiere of new Showtime drama Ray Donovan posted the network's highest rated original series debut ever, drawing 1.35 million viewers at 10 p.m. following the final season premiere of Dexter.
The drama starring Liev Schreiber bested Homeland's 2011 debut by 25% and drew 2.22 million viewers for the night including replays, 61% more than Homeland's premiere night. Showtime made the pilot episode available on demand and on its app, which drew 816,000 viewers, bringing Ray Donovan's premiere viewership to 3.04 million watchers.
At 9 p.m., Dexter averaged 2.5 million viewers, up 4% from its season seven premiere to rank as its highest rated season opener ever. The episode drew 3.2 million viewers for the night, up 5% compared to last season.
