Thoughts On: BATES MOTEL (S3), COMMUNITY (S6), GOTHAM (S1) & THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (S1)

BATES MOTEL (season 3, so far)
Not sure why I still watch this A&E series, because you can feel the writers struggling to think up new ways to keep the plates spinning. My patience with Norman Bates' evolution into the orphaned, cross-dressing psycho from Hichcock's seminal movie is wearing thin, and even Vera Farmiga's enjoyable screwy performance as Norma Bates is starting to grow tiring. She's great in this role, sure, but still a small oasis in an artistic desert.

SDCC 2014's Saturday panels: AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, THE SIMPSONS, TRUE BLOOD + Bonus BATES MOTEL

Yesterday was the third day of San Diego Comic-Con, and below are fan-filmed videos of four panels for AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D, THE SIMPSONS, TRUE BLOOD, and (as a late bonus from Friday) BATES MOTEL.

A&E's BATES MOTEL: was the first season worth checking in for?

Warning: spoilers for season 1, which hasn't aired in the UK (at time of writing).

I reviewed the pilot of A&E's Bates Motel, which had promise but didn't 'wow' me, then recorded an audioboo after episode 4 to admit things were improving. Now the entire first season of 10 episodes has aired in the US, so I thought I'd pitch in with some cumulative thoughts. Firstly, the show does itself no favours with its association to Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho, and I still don't quite understand why A&E couldn't have ordered an original serial killer/mystery drama that doesn't sit in this shadow. Still, considering its iconic pedigree, I don't think Bates Motel is a bad show or a lazy cash-in; occasionally it's even pretty good, at least as something unchallenging but fun to watch.

Universal check into BATES MOTEL

The UK's Universal Channel have purchased the rights to A&E's Bates Motel; the Psycho-inspired TV drama starring Freddie Highmore as infamous would-be serial killer Norman Bates, alongside Vera Farmiga as his kooky mother. The show debuted in the US to 3 million viewers, and has already been renewed for a second season.

This is a good purchase for Universal, joining its US line-up of Law & Order, CSI and Major Crimes. It should help draw more viewers their way, but this likely means the chances of Bates Motel finding a big British audience just decreased. I guess this is what happens when there are so many potential imports and only a finite number of channels. On the upside, lesser-known channels like Universal can get their hands on a decent TV show; but the downside is those shows tend to escape mainstream attention. To an extent this also happens to bigger players like subscription-only Sky Atlantic, but Sky have enough budget to make everyone aware they have Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire on their books. Hopefully Universal will put some marketing muscle behind Bates Motel.

Audioboo: BATES MOTEL - episode 1-4

Embedded below is my latest boo, this one offering brief thoughts on A&E's Psycho prequel BATES MOTEL (having now watched the first four episodes). I think these recordings are getting better as I get more confident with them, but it could be my imagination.

Some people appear to enjoy them anyway, and have been very encouraging. The fact they're easy to do has a definite appeal, too. I'm still contemplating exactly how best to use them, but it's likely they'll be embedded in my Doctor Who reviews, and used to briefly cover TV shows I struggle to find time to write about, but am watching weekly.

(I'm also going to buy a proper microphone.)

TV Review: BATES MOTEL, 1.1 – 'First You Dream, Then You Die'

There have been previous attempts to recapture the magic of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, the master of suspense's esteemed 1960 film adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel: three direct sequels of fading quality, a failed TV pilot from 1987, and 1998's controversial shot-for-shot colour remake by Gus Van Sant. You can now add A&E's psychological drama Bates Motel to that inglorious list, which has the peculiarity of being a prequel to the original story set in its future. It can't be a true prequel if Norman Bates (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory's Freddie Highmore) is seen using an iPhone, so it's perhaps best to see Bates Motel as something new exploiting Psycho's untold back-story and brand cachet.

Teasers: A&E's BATES MOTEL

A&E's TV prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's seminal Psycho has really sneaked up on me. I was aware Bates Motel was being made, but it had gone so quiet that I'd totally forgotten about it. If you don't already know, this show will tell the story of a younger Norman Bates (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory's Freddie Highmore) and his mother (Up in the Air's Vera Farmiga), in the days before the former famously knifed Janet Leigh to death in a shower.