Release Order Recommended
0 / 7 watchedEverything in the order it aired, best for a first watch.
Continuity Order
0 / 7 watchedGrouped by timeline so the alternates do not clash.
Original continuity
Alternate pilot
Remake
Reboot series
About Psycho
Psycho starts with Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 motel classic starring Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Perkins returned for Psycho II in 1983 and directed Psycho III in 1986. Psycho IV: The Beginning aired in 1990 as a TV film mixing present day framing with childhood flashbacks.
Two alternates followed: a 1987 TV pilot called Bates Motel that ignores the sequels, Gus Van Sant's shot for shot 1998 remake, and the A&E series Bates Motel with 50 episodes from 2013 to 2017 starring Freddie Highmore as a young Norman. Each retells the start rather than continuing it.
Good to know
Release order is the cleanest first pass, since every version assumes you know the 1960 shower scene. The continuity order below groups the original four sequels together, then the one off pilot, the remake and the reboot series as separate tracks. Do not try to merge them into one timeline. Watch the 1960 film first, then pick a track.
