Here it is – the first look at Bates Motel, A&E’s highly anticipated new series charting the childhood of one of cinema’s most enduring killers, Norman Bates.
By now you’ve probably heard all about this Psycho prequel! Freddie Highmore (aka Charlie from the Chocolate Factory) is playing the young Norman, while Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air) is his twisted mother Norma who ends up totally screwing up her kid down the line. Also look out for Pan Am’s Mike Vogel (a guy long overdue for a signature, star making role) and Nestor Carbonell, last seen on the underrated Ringer. Guiding the action behind the scenes is Lost producer Carlton Cuse.
Bates Motel is part of a new breed of dark dramas debuting in the New Year, following the smash success of The Walking Dead, Dexter and American Horror Story. We’ve got Kevin Bacon’s serial killer series The Following (Fox), The Hannibal TV series on NBC and The CW’s Cult. Question is – can network shows keep up with their gorier and nastier cable counterparts? We’ve already seen what happened with 666 Park Avenue this Fall… Still Bates Motel is cable, so A&E will be able to go further and edgier… but will the Duck Dynasty network go that far?
From this trailer / behind the scenes feature Bates Motel does look interesting… but I wonder how long the show can sustain without wrapping itself up in narrative circles? I mean, how much creative license should the show take with the whole Psycho mythology?
I also have to say I think it’s a HUGE mistake to set the show in present day America instead of the 1930′s / 40′s. Psycho was very much a movie of its time. Personally I don’t want to see Norman Bates texting and on Facebook. For me it diminishes a classic movie character…
That said I’m still gonna be watching… if only for the show’s curiosity factor. But what about you – will you be checking into Bates Motel?
Click here to view the embedded video.
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