Universal Channel checks in to Bates Motel

Universal Channel in the UK has acquired Bates Motel from sister Comcast company NBCUniversal International Television Distribution.

The series, which is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s seminal 1960s horror Psycho, is currently airing on A&E Network in the US, where it premiered on March 18 to strong ratings.

“Bates Motel is among the most-distinctive and talked-about new dramas to emerge from the US this year, and we are extremely proud to be the channel opening its infamous doors to UK viewers,” said Universal Channel’s channel director James Newton. “Reinventing one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history [Norman Bates], we’re confident the show will take Universal Channel to a whole new level.”

Universal Television, another company from the Comcast Communications stable, produces the show.