Bates Motel

Bates Motel reimagines Norman Bates' adolescence and the relationship with his mother, Norma, before the events of Hitchcock's Psycho. After Norma's husband dies she buys a rundown motel in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can try a fresh start. The pair struggle to adjust to small-town life while old wounds, hidden secrets and new threats surround them. As the motel becomes a focal point for local crime and personal tensions, Norman's fragile psyche and Norma's fierce protectiveness shape a tense, slow-burning atmosphere. The show mixes family drama with mystery elements, letting characters make choices that have heavy emotional and moral consequences, and it focuses on relationships, suspicion, and escalating danger around the motel.

Created by Anthony Cipriano, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, Bates Motel premiered in 2013 as a contemporary prequel to Psycho, updating the classic story to a modern setting while keeping the original's psychological tension, and it ran for five seasons.

The series received multiple award nominations, with particular attention to Vera Farmiga's performance as Norma and Freddie Highmore's as Norman. Critics and awards panels highlighted the acting and the show's atmosphere, earning recognition across television award circles and several acting nominations throughout its run and ensemble recognition.

Over its run Bates Motel reintroduced Psycho's characters to a new generation, influencing TV portrayals of psychological horror and parent-child dynamics. Farmiga's Norma and Highmore's Norman entered popular culture as definitive reinterpretations, and the motel setting became an instantly recognizable television image, often referenced in genre discussions.

Critics generally gave Bates Motel strong reviews, reflected in an average user vote around 8.06 out of 10. Reviewers praised the lead performances, the show's tense mood, and its writing. Central themes include family bonds, control, secrecy, identity and mental health woven through crime and mystery elements.