A&E wants 20 more episodes of 'Bates Motel'

A&E Network says it has ordered 20 more episodes of the acclaimed drama series Bates Motel, which stars Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore as Norma and Norman Bates.

The announcement was made Wednesday by Rob Sharenow, executive vice president and general manager of A&E and Lifetime.

"The vision of our incredible creative team has exposed the steady breakdown of the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates," Sharenow said in a statement. "We are thrilled to bring fans two more seasons to witness the next stages of Norman's transformation into the most notorious psychopath in cinematic history."

New episodes of Bates Motel will begin production later this year and will air over the show's fourth and fifth seasons, starting in 2016. The series is billed as a "contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho and provides viewers with an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates unravels through his teenage years."