It’s been known for a few weeks that the ‘Bates Motel‘ would premiere sometime in March, but now A&E has given the official word that the series, which was more inspired by the movie ‘Psycho’ and not a prequel as first thought, will be airing on the network beginning March 18.

At the Television Critics Association press tour, executive producer and creator Carlton Cuse explains:

“We did not want to do an homage to ‘Psycho’, we wanted to take these characters and setup as inspiration. The mythology that you think is what dictates the relationship between Norma and Norman is not what it’s going to turn out to be.”

‘Bates Motel’ promises to give viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ became the serial killer we’ve come to known in the film ‘Psycho’ and how his psyche began to unravel during his teenage years through his relationship with his mother, Norma.

“This is a tragedy, it’s a fantastic dramatic form,” Cuse told reporters. “We want the audience to fall in love with these characters, particularly Norman. That tension of knowing what their fate is and how they get there was something we thought was really telling… We know he’s a tragic figure.

I love ‘Titanic’ and the idea that you’re rooting for Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to survive despite the fact that you know they’re not going to — that’s the feeling we’re going for here. … The specific way in which their tragic fate plays out will be of our own invention.”

The 10 episode series will begin with Norman finding an old notebook in the motel that documents the brutal story about a girl’s torture as well as of a woman that was chained up in the basement of the motel. Cuse teased at the press tour, “The murder and coverup of Keith in the pilot, the book in the pilot, and there’s some other things that come up that I don’t want to spoil.”

One thing that is for certain is that the ‘Bates Motel’ will certainly cause much debate on what caused Norman to become a serial killer. “We all know where he’s going to end up — but is that because of his upbringing?” Freddie Highmore who plays Norman muses. “Is it nature vs. nurture? Or is it because they moved to this dodgy town? Or is it because of intimate relationship between Norma and Norman? If I had had the upbringing Norman had, would I have been slightly different?”

TV viewers will soon be able to ponder that question themselves when ‘Bates Motel’ begins its first season on A&E on Tuesday, March 19 at 10pm.

Source: THR