Bates Motel premiered on Monday night and the series opener scored a ratings record for the A&E network . The show has been doing a press blitz over the last few weeks in order to make sure that it was hauling in as many viewers as possible and it appears that approach has paid off.
The series actually even released a six minute look at the show before it premiered on network TV in order to try and wet the appetites of people who might be willing to tune in. Mama Bates, Vera Farmiga also took herself on a goodwill press tour that included the Rachel Ray show .
All of this advance press appears to have worked as the show debuted with more than 4 million viewers. That number makes it easily the highest watched show on the A&E Network.
Bates Motel beats the show that had held that mark, Breakout Kings by a pretty decent margin. The best news for the network is that it was quite popular when it came to the adult demographics. According to the network, 2.4 million adults between 18-49 took in the series premiere.
When talking about adults 25-54 the show drew in around 2.5 million people . President of A&E Bob DeBitetto talked about the excitement at his network about the show. DeBitetto said that the show represents the “very best of quality storytelling with an incredible cast”
The series stars Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as the iconic and severely unbalanced Norman Bates. There were plenty of people who wondered whether the show would work since it is cast as a prequel but is also set in modern times.
The show opens with the pair purchasing a roadside motel and or course, dubbing it the motel name we all know and love. Bates Motel will explore the relationship between Norma and Norman as well as how they interact with the people in the town surrounding the motel who will have plenty of demons of their own.
