‘Bates Motel’ Set to Return for 2 More Seasons, ‘The Returned’ Not So Lucky

A&E has decided to keep Bates Motel around for another two seasons, while saying farewell to freshman series The Returned.

It’s no surprise that the hit drama series will be returning, but the two season order makes for a nice extra addition. Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President and General Manager, A&E and Lifetime, announced today that A&E Network has ordered twenty episodes of the series.

“The vision of our incredible creative team has exposed the steady breakdown of the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates,” said Sharenow. “We are thrilled to bring fans two more seasons to witness the next stages of Norman’s transformation into the most notorious psychopath in cinematic history.”

New episodes of Bates Motel will begin production later this year and will air over two seasons, starting in 2016.

Unfortunately The Returned wasn’t so lucky. The series has been cancelled after its first season after sub-par ratings and little buzz. This was the second time a remake of the French drama has been cancelled in the states (see: Resurrection), so we’ll see if anyone else tries to repackage it in a way that gets viewers attention.

Let us know your thoughts on the return of Bates and the axing of The Returned in the comments below!

Photo Credit: A&E