‘Bates Motel’ Will Be A&E’s Last Scripted Show

The Wrap recently announced that Bates Motel will serve as A&E’s last foray into the world of script television.

The move is not entirely shocking, considering A&E has not ordered a script series (or even a pilot) since 2015. Their last go at scripted television, Damien (which was, of course, based on the character from The Omen series), was canceled last year after only one season on the air.

Instead, A&E is turning to what series have really gathered a large audience to the network. Leah Remini’s new docu-series Scientology and the Aftermath has provided great numbers for A&E, becoming the network’s top-rated series premiere since 2015. A&E has since granted the docu-series a 10-episode second series.

To fill the void of scripted television, A&E has announced that it will be reviving their previous series Biography. The premiere episode of the rebooted series will describe the life of rapper Notorious B.I.G. with a two-hour feature documentary. Biography will also air in different formats for several networks including A&E, History, and Lifetime.

The finale for Bates Motel on Monday will serve as the last scripted program for the foreseeable future.  After this episode, the series will have completed five seasons about the characters behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, making Bates Motel A&E’s longest-running original scripted drama series–a title they are almost certain to hold for years to come.

Ashley Dize: I've been a nerd since I was a child, but I like to think I'm getting better as it as I'm getting older. I earned a degree in English with a minor in Film Studies from the University of Georgia in 2017, and am using my love of writing and television to share the stories of what's happening in the television industry.
Related Post