‘Bates Motel’ renewed for season 2, before episode 4 even airs

Just how confident is A&E in their new original series “Bates Motel”? Let’s just say that they are willing to pick up the show for another full season before the first one is even halfway through airing.

In a statement on Monday, A&E president Bob DeBitetto announced that the series, which is grounded by some pretty fantastic performances from the likes of Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, has been renewed for a ten-episode second season. This will give the show more opportunities to dive deeper into the Norman Bates origin story, which is the focus of the series, while at the same time giving executive producer Carlton Cuse (“Lost”) some more good stuff to think about.

Here is ultimately what DeBitetto had to say about the show coming back:

“Bates Motel’ has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal audience in its first 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.”

“Bates Motel” may not be universally-loved, but it does give A&E something that they have been desperate to have: a series that actually features enough critical clout that it could be an Emmy contender. While the show comes nowhere near the ratings punch of the breakout hit “Duck Dynasty,” it still does well enough in the 18-49 demographic to be one of their most-successful shows.

Are you glad to see that there will be some more “Bates Motel” coming up in the future? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and you can watch a promo for Monday night’s new episode of the show just by heading on over to the link here.

Photo: A&E