Cuse was the creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer with Kerry Ehrin of the A&E series "Bates Motel", which premiered on March 18, 2013, on the A&E Network. The series was described as a "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film "Psycho" and follows the formative years of Norman Bates and his relationship with his mother, Norma, prior to the events portrayed in the Hitchcock film. The first season received critical praise, with Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates) being nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2013. The series followed Cuse and Ehrin's original plan to run for five seasons of 10 episodes each for a total of 50 episodes. An episode of "Bates Motel" in season 4, entitled "Forever," written by Cuse with Kerry Ehrin, made "The New York Times" list of memorable 2016 TV episodes and "The Hollywood Reporter"s list of the best 2016 TV episodes. For its final season, "Bates Motel" also won 2017 People's Choice awards for Favorite Cable Drama, and Favorite Actor and Actress for Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga. In the fifth and final season, Cuse himself appeared in a cameo role as a highway patrol officer.