Showtime has confirmed that next season -- Season 8 -- will be the final one for "Dexter."

The series, starring Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, has been Showtime's backbone since its debut in 2006. It won a Peabody Award and was nominated for 25 Emmy and 10 Golden Globe Awards.

Hall, who grew up in Raleigh, won a Golden Globe and a SAG award playing the "serial killer with a heart of gold."

"Dexter" has had its up-and-down periods, but last season was a return to greatness, with Dexter's step-sister Deb finally learning his true identity -- and making some surprising adjustments to that new reality.

Hall told Entertainment Weekly that he was happy for the show to get a proper wrap-up: “There has to be an end game. Once Deb found out, it felt like we were moving toward a place where the world as Dexter knew it would end.”

The final season of "Dexter" starts on Showtime on June 30.

Check out the sneak peek of Season 8 just released by Showtime.

DVDs of the eighth and final season of Showtime's award-winning dramedy "Weeds" hit stores tomorrow (February 12), but we can hook you up with one right here!

"Weeds" starred Mary-Louise Parker, Hunter Parrish, Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The Blu-Ray/DVD/digital download set has cast and crew commentaries, a gag reel, deleted scenes and three exclusive must-see featurettes:

-“WEEDS Season Eight: The Wrap Up!”: Roundtable Discussion with creator (Jenji Kohan) and producers (Roberto Benabib, Matthew Salsberg)

-“Clippin’ the Buds”: With interviews by cast and experts, this upbeat, humorous, and educational piece looks into the world of medical marijuana and the creation of the marijuana pill

-“Everyday Advice from Guru Doug”: Guru Doug gives his best advice to some of our most complicated life problems.

If you'd like to win, send me an email by midnight on Tuesday (Feb. 12) and include your mailing address. The winner will be picked randomly from email entries.

Good luck!

NAACP Image Awards (8pm, NBC) - 44th annual award show, hosted by Steve Harvey, will give Kerry Washington ("Scandal") the NAACP President's Award (gotta be a joke in there somewhere) and U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Janine Howard will receive the NAACP Chairman's Award. Presenters include Halle Berry, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Archie Panjabi and Wanda Sykes.

Mumford & Sons: The Road to Red Rocks (8pm, Showtime) - This documentary offers a compilation of live footage from the British rock band's two sold-out concerts at the Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado. It also has interviews with band members and a behind-the-scenes look at their life on the road.

CSI: NY (9pm, CBS) - When a young pizza maker is carjacked, the team tries to figure out what the perpetrators were after.

Shark Tank (9pm, ABC) - Hopeful entrepreneurs pitch sandals for barefoot runners and a website that creates personalized soundtracks for children.

Banshee (10pm, Cinemax) - A botched museum heist delivers unexpected consequences. Also, Lucas, Carrie and Job renew their partnership.

Real Time with Bill Maher (10pm, HBO) - Maher's guests are Newark mayor Cory Booker, filmmaker Alex Gibney, author Sam Harris, journalist Jackie Kucinich and actress Eva Longoria.

House of Cards (Netflix) - Netflix's first original series debuted early this morning, available only to Netflix streaming subscribers. It's a political drama starring Kevin Spacey. We didn't get preview access, but I'm reading that it's very good. And unlike most TV series, all 13 episodes are available at once, so you can watch at your own pace -- great news for us binge-watchers!

Clear your calendar and clean out the DVR: we're all getting free Showtime this weekend!

And by "we," I mean everyone with a digital subscription to Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and Dish Network. The promotion runs Friday, January 11 through Sunday, January 13, and coincides with the Sunday season premieres of Showtime series "Shameless," "House of Lies" and "Californication." (For movie fans, "Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I" and "Iron Lady" with Meryl Streep also debut on the channel this weekend, and there's a slew of slightly older movies like "My Week with Marilyn," "50/50" and "The Help.")

It's also a great chance to watch as much "Dexter," "Homeland," "Nurse Jackie," "Episodes," "Weeds" and "The Big C" as you possibly can on Showtime On Demand. You can't record On Demand shows to watch later, so that means you may have to pull some all-nighters. You can also install and use the Showtime Anytime app, which you can use on iPad, iPhone, Android or a computer.

Of course, Showtime is hoping you'll like what you see enough to subscribe. For more information on the free preview weekend, go to Showtime's website.

The Wilmington Star News reports that the new Stephen King series "Under the Dome" (a title we at the N&O love, by the way), will begin filming soon in Wilmington.

The 13-episode series, based on King's 2009 post-apocalyptic novel about people in a Maine town living under a transparent, sealed dome, is scheduled to air on CBS this summer.

Showtime, a CBS subsidiary, was originally supposed to air "Under the Dome" as a miniseries. It was announced in November that the show would air on CBS instead.

NBC's post-apocalyptic TV series, "Revolution," currently films in Wilmington.

The Eleventh Victim (8pm, Lifetime) - A New York therapist, who was once an Atlanta assistant district attorney, pursues a serial killer she once prosecuted after he is suspected of murdering some of her clients.

Plane Crash (9pm, Discovery) - A 727 plane is programmed to crash into a desert via remote control in an effort to improve airline safety.

Larry Wilmore's Race, Religion and Sex in Florida (10pm, Showtime) - Larry Wilmore (right, "The Daily Show") heads to Florida for this one-hour town hall-style comedy special, examining the socially, ethnically, religiously and economically diverse state that will help determine the outcome of the presidential election. The special features comedians Paul Rodriguez and Moshe Kasher, Republican strategist Ron Christie and Current TV's Ana Kasparian. Wilmore, who describes himself as "passionate centrist," acts as host and moderator, and also conducts man on the street interviews.

Doomsday Preppers Bugged Out (10pm, National Geographic Channel) - A man prepares for an economic collapse by building spider holes in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Also, a woman prepares her family for an ecological disaster and a couple live underground in a missile-silo bunker.

Pit Bulls and Parolees (10pm, Animal Planet) - Tia, Tania and newest parolee Randy race to Nashville to rescue a dog from death row. With Tia away, Mariah battles a storm that threatens to flood Villalobos. Finally, one of the puppies rescued from the ninth ward has a chance at finding a forever home.

Saturday Night Live (11:29, NBC) - Seriously can't wait for this: Comedian Louis C.K. hosts SNL. The musical guest is Fun.

Below is the full interview with replacement referees Wayne Elliott and Jim Core from last night's episode of "Inside the NFL" on Showtime. Elliott and Core talk about the training they received, as well as reactions from coaches, players and fans. "Inside the NFL" airs at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. The full episode can be seen on Showtime on Demand or in repeats on Showtime Extreme HD and Showtime HD through this Saturday.

North Carolina fans of Showtime's excellent drama "Homeland" likely already know that the series is mostly shot in and around Charlotte.

So, how's that working out for producers?

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting story on some of the pros and cons of shooting in Charlotte, and adjustments the producers have made to make it work. The cast and crew returned to Charlotte to shoot Season 2, which premieres on September 30, but some of the upcoming season was also shot in Israel (which doubles for Beirut).

Season 1 of "Homeland" has been nominated for nine Emmys (the 2012 Emmy show airs on September 23 on ABC).

CBS News and Showtime Sports announced today that "60 Minutes" will air a monthly sports news magazine program on Showtime starting in November.

"60 Minutes of Sports" will be co-executive produced by "60 Minutes" executive producer Jeff Fager and Bill Owens, the executive editor of "60 Minutes." They will use the on-air talent from "60 Minutes" and CBS Sports to produce two original segments per month for the show, plus one updated "60 Minutes" classic sports story from the program's 44-year archive. Each program will also have a studio-based interview with a sports newsmaker.

Showtime already airs a number of sports programs, including "Inside the NFL," "Inside NASCAR," "The Franchise" and "All Access."

Showtime is owned by CBS.

Fatal Honeymoon (8pm, Lifetime) - A Lifetime movie about a father who searches for the truth about his daughter's allegedly accidental drowning during her Australian honeymoon. After an incriminating underwater photo surfaces, suspicion falls on the .... husband! No way!! Based on a true story, of course. Adrienne reviews.

Strawberry Summer (8pm, Hallmark Movie Channel) - A music teacher gets a struggling country singer to perform at her town's annual festival, but the musician's difficult behavior causes problems. Eventually, the pair find common ground in their music and inspire each other. Stars Shelley Long ("Cheers"), Cindy Williams ("Laverne and Shirley"), Trevor Donovan ("90210") and Julie Mond.

Haunted High (9pm, Syfy) - A new Syfy movie! In this one, a dead demonic headmaster haunts a New England private school. With a ginormous robot shark! (Not really.)

The Incredible Dr. Pol (10pm, Nat Geo Wild) - In the Season 2 premiere, country vet Dr. Jan Pol  diagnoses and treats a starving horse and aids a pit bull who eats a spiral-bound notebook and gets the wires caught in his gums. There's also a pretty heart-pounding calf delivery. Read more about this great animal series in my review.

Katt Williams: Kattpacalypse (10pm, Showtime) - Comedian Katt Williams returns with a performance filmed live on New Years Eve in Los Angeles, riffing on everything from Herman Cain to the       Michael Jackson murder trial.

Larry Wilmore's Race, Religion and Sex (11pm, Showtime) - Larry Wilmore, widely known for his correspondent work on "The Daily Show," goes to Utah to stage a "town hall" style comedy special. Wilmore uses what he calls a "passionate centrist" point of view to prompt discussions on why race, religion and sex are vital in choosing the nation's leader.