A&E has renewed the freshman series Bates Motel for a second ten-episode season. The series, which premiered March 18th and stars Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, was the highest-rated original drama debut for the network in key demographics. It has attracted a dependable following that has helped maintain formidable ratings in subsequent airings. Bob DeBitetto, president of A&E stated in an announcement, “Bates Motel has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its fist few weeks 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 Carlton and Kerry take Norma and Norman Bates next.”
The Psycho pseudo-prequel will begin pre-production for its second season later in the year and will potentially air in 2014. Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin serve as executive producers for the show and developed it for the network. The series follows mother and son Norma and Norman Bates as they move to a coastal town looking to establish new beginnings. Norma buys a motel on the outskirts of the town and runs it with her son, but soon they discover the town is not quite as quaint as it seems.
