‘Bates Motel’ Emmy campaign begins with Freddie Highmore, Vera Farmiga on bus

At the beginning of June, we are going to be starting up our stuffed-to-the-brim Emmy Preview series with some of our picks for Hollywood’s top awards, but before we come to that why not chat first about some of the entertaining ways in which networks and studios are trying to get their shows / stars some love?

We begin here with “Bates Motel,” mostly because the folks behind the show at Universal Television have decided to brand an entire Starline Tour Bus that is set to visit some of the most-popular spots in Hollywood. (Image comes to us via TVLine.) Is this really going to work? We’re still unsure, mostly because we have no idea as to whether or not people pay any attention to what is on the road. At least it is something a little different than just buying up ad space websites.

From just a strategy standpoint, what we find the most fascinating about this promotion is that it is actually Vera Farmiga (Norma) who is front and center while Freddie Highmore (Norman) is in the background. Does this mean that the studio has more faith in Varmiga’s chances than they do Freddie? It may sound cynical, but that’s exactly what it means to us even though we personally feel that Freddie Highmore is the stronger of the two. It may also be because the Actor in a Drama Series category is stacked, in between Damian Lewis, Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Hugh Bonneville, Jeff Daniels, and newcomer to the race Kevin Spacey from “House of Cards.” This is quite a bit for any one person to take on, though we still consider him a dark horse that deserves some real consideration.

The “Bates Motel” finale airs tonight on A&E, and if you want more scoop on what is set to happen, don’t worry! All you have to do to find out is just head on over to the link here.

Photo: A&E