HOLLYWOOD—With only four episodes aired, A&E’s thriller series, “Bates Motel,” has been officially renewed for a second season.
On April 8, President and General Manager of the A&E network, Bob DeBitetto, announced that the suspenseful series starring Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore will produce ten more episodes to premiere in 2014.
“’Bates Motel’ has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its first few weeks,” said DeBitetto. “With superb writing and exceptional acting, led by the critically acclaimed performances of Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, we’re incredibly excited to see where [executive producers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin] take Norma and Norman Bates next.”
When the show premiered March 18, it garnered a record-setting 4.5 million total viewers, making it the most-watched original drama debut in A&E’s network history.
The series serves as a prequel to “Psycho,” a horror novel that was more famously adapted on the big screen by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and starred Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh. The film became one of the most iconic pictures of all time, revolutionizing cinema with the infamous shower scene that displayed a new form of violence at the time.
Viewers are able to see the origins of Norman Bates and his mother in a modern setting and how he would later become the titular “Psycho” character that would become a household figure in pop culture.
Production for season two is expected to begin later on this year with new episodes airing next year. “Bates Motel” is currently airing Monday nights on A&E at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
By Carmen Herrera
