In the first 5 episodes of season 5, Michael C. Hall wore a wig in the role of Dexter because he had lost his hair due to chemotherapy.
During filming, Michael C. Hall once crashed the Slice of Life boat into a dock, causing $8,000 worth of damage.
Although the series is set in Miami, Florida, exterior scenes are mostly shot in Long Beach, California, while interior scenes are shot at Sunset-Gower Studios. A second unit shoots additional footage in Miami to increase realism.
There is no improvisation on set. Scripts are followed to the letter, and any potential changes are first discussed with James Manos Jr.
At Dexter's wedding in the season 3 finale, the series' music team appears as the wedding band: Daniel Licht (composer) on keyboards, Jon Licht (additional music) on bass, and Gary Calamar (music supervisor) on guitar.
Composer Daniel Licht had actually written Dexter's theme song for the 1993 horror anthology film Necronomicon: Book of Dead.
Due to child labor laws, the role of Dexter and Rita's baby, Harrison, was shared by twins Luke Andrew Kruntchev and Evan George Kruntchev.
The Nikon DSLR and 105mm Micro Nikkor lens Dexter uses at crime scenes where he collects forensic evidence are equipped with a Nikon R1 twin macro flash kit. This setup allows him to take shadowless extreme close-ups.
Michael C. Hall described the wig he wore in flashback scenes as 'Surfer/Prince Valiant.'
The outboard motors on Dexter's 'Slice of Life' boat alternate between Evinrude and a white-cowled Yamaha. It is thought that Evinrude was used in the Miami scenes and Yamaha in the Long Beach scenes.
A subtle detail: the computer graphics on screen reflect the style of 2007, such as the 'glossy' buttons and progress bars that were an internet trend between 2005 and 2010.