A&E calls time on drama

Bates Motel has now concluded

US cable network A&E is returning to its unscripted roots and will move away from drama programming following the end of Bates Motel earlier this week.

The network has aired scripted series for almost a decade but has ordered no recent shows, having previously aired the likes of The Adromeda Strain, Longmire and The Glades.

Psycho prequel Bates Motel, produced by Universal Television, ended with the conclusion of its fifth season on Monday.

It is now instead focusing on unscripted efforts such as Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath and prison hit 60 Days In, as well as the forthcoming return of factual series Biography.

The move, which has already seen Gabriel Marano, A&E’s senior VP of scripted, move to A+E Studios, is part of A&E’s attempt to narrow the focus of its brand as audience fragmentation continues apace.

Parent company A+E Networks, however, says it remains committed to scripted programming via the Studios business and on other channels such as History and Lifetime, with shows such as Knightfall Six and Roots among recent international launches.