Bates Motel: A&E's Psycho-Prequel TV Series!
 

Written by Anthony Cipriano and produced by Universal Television, A&E has announced that it is developing "Bates Motel", a prequel TV series to Sir Alfred Hitchcock's legendary 1960 horror-thriller, "Psycho."

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...ates-motel.jpg

The original "Psycho" was based on Robert Bloch's 1959 novel of the same name. The movie had such a profound influence that it spawned three sequel films in which Anthony Perkins reappeared in his role as Norman Bates. "Psycho" was also notoriously remade in 1998 by director Gus Van Sant.

Funny, that there is also a television pilot (a failed one at that) created in 1987 that was supposed to pave the way for an anthology series. The TV film was about Alex West, a mentally disturbed youth who was committed to an asylum after killing his abusive stepfather. There he befriends Norman Bates and ends up inheriting the infamous Bates Motel.
With the financial failure of Psycho III, Universal decided to continue the Psycho franchise as a television series; taking inspiration from the Friday The 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street TV series. In that televised spin-off of Psycho, Norman Bates is portrayed by Kurt Paul, who previously stood in as a stunt double for Anthony Perkins in Psycho II and Psycho III. Perkins declined involvement in the project and even heavily boycotted it. The film was made as a pilot for a weekly anthology television series, but the series was never picked up. Thus Universal decided to air the pilot as a made for TV film over the 4th of July weekend. The film received mostly negative reviews and low ratings.

A&E's Bates Motel, on the other hand, will serve as a prequel story that delves into Norman's past.

About A&E's BATES MOTEL from press release:

Looks like it'd be worth checking out. Mick Garris' made for TV sequel covered some of these elements. Been some pretty good horror shows over the last few years so this could be great.

I've got the 1987 Bates Motel pilot don't actually remember very much about it.

“Bates Motel” premieres in 2013.

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/31...oes-to-series/

After watching the first episode my reaction is a resounding "meh." IMO not every classic needs to be updated and given a really mundane backstory.

The first episode had no style or flair and was told in a really standard tv movie style. Pretty shoddy treatment for old Hitch. It's just another attempt to cash in on a respected classic film.

That's my opinion, anyway. No doubt many younger viewers will enjoy it. Standards have eroded that far.

Hey there! I'm young and I didn't like it either. I thought the whole time period thing was really odd and didn't work very well. It was supposed to be modern but if you had taken away the cell phone, mp3 player and modern car you wouldn't be able to tell it was supposed to be modern. I get that they were trying to add nostalgic influences but I didn't really feel like it was working. I won't be watching this series.

I feel like American Horror Story is a really good example of how horror can be done well for a TV series. The characters are usually well developed and that show screams style. It does a very good job of mixing old and new, something which Bates Motel isn't grasping very well.

I've not taken a look yet though I have the episode on standby.
While I'm kind've interested in taking a look the first think I thought is that a prequel seemed a bit superfluous.
Sometimes a pilot isn't a great hit...I've seen shitty pilots to what's turned out to be decent shows, so who knows.

That said, I've only seen the first in the series of movies - were we ever told how Mrs Bates meets her end?
I think that, along with a lead-up/side story to the original film captured in the series would be something I'd like to see.

Only it can't ever really be that, because it's set in present day.

IMO our own imaginations create a much creepier origin for Norman Bates from the few hints dropped in the original film than these standard kind of backstories the script writers hack together.

The unknown is always more horrifying.

And that is Hitchcock magic! Something the writers are completely missing.

missed it and from the sounds of the feedback here....won't bother with it

I did not think the show was as terrible as many of the people described. Granted, it is nowhere near Psycho (1960), which is one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Also, it is true that this show does not really make any sense as far as the story. It does not really line up with what Psycho established (timeline excluded). It should be noted that the makers never said it was going to be a real prequel series. Thus, they took a great deal of creative license with the plot. Honestly, putting the film in a modern context did not make any sense (nor did it when they made that terrible remake in 1998). But, I thought the acting was really good and I hope a new generation will be exposed to this old storyline (you would be surprised by how many in the millenial generation do not even know that Norman Bates was the killer in Psycho). Overall, I would give the show at least a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thus, it is entertaining, but definitely not a masterpiece (but still worth watching).