A&E has a pair of -- pun ahead -- killer new dramas in development.
"Bates Motel" will revisit classic "Psycho" serial killer Norman Bates, during his disturbing formative years. The series, produced by Universal Television, will serve as a "Psycho" prequel, examining the life of Norman Bates from his childhood through to his teen years, giving viewers access to "the dark, twisted backstory," to learn how Bates' mama and her lover turned him into, well, a psycho.
Also on tap at the network now best known for reality fare like "Storage Wars" and "Dog the Bounty Hunter": "Those Who Kill," an adaptation of a Danish crime series. Fox21 and Ron Howard/Brian Grazer's Imagine Television will produce the drama, which revolves around serial killers and the two lead characters -- a police detective and a criminal profiler -- who track them.
Also read: 'Storage Wars' Is Officially the Most Popular Series in A&E History
The characters "possess a deep psychological understanding that connects them to the killer's victims and to the killer himself, driving them to pursue each case to the end of the line, again and again," according to A&E's description of the show.
The new series will expand on A&E's recent foray into scripted fare, which includes the breakout cop drama "The Glades" and "Breakout Kings," about former fugitives who help U.S. marshals catch current criminals on the run.
