TV Show Prequels To Our Favorite Movies, Ranked By Fans

Prequel To: Psycho

What It's About: This series zeroes in on the lives of Norman Bates and his mother Norma. After Norma's husband passes away, the mother and son move to a coastal Oregon town and start up the Seafarer Motel. While running the hotel, Norman's mental problems begin to escalate, leading to the dangerous behavior he exhibits in the movie. Meanwhile, Norma does her best to protect her son - and to protect others from him.

What Makes It Worth Watching: Bates Motel is a critically acclaimed series that has been nominated for numerous awards and has taken home a few. That alone is enough to assure its quality. It tells a deeply disturbing story of an unhealthy mother-son relationship, which does a great job of setting the stage for the film that comes after.

Prequel To: Raiders of the Lost Ark

What It's About: Each episode of this series is centered around an older Indiana Jones looking back on adventures from his childhood. Many of them involve Indy meeting with historical figures that range from Leo Tolstoy to Al Capone. These encounters are designed to educate a younger audience about history while also being entertaining. 

What Makes It Worth Watching: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles has won multiple awards, including six Emmy awards. It's critically acclaimed for a reason. It brings in much of the sense of adventure that can be found in the films. It also provides a lot of insight into Indiana Jones's character.

Prequel To: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

What It's About: In the book and film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Nurse Ratched is a hardened, cruel woman who torments the patients in the mental hospital where she works. This series shows things from her perspective: how she came to work at the hospital, what her overall goals are, and why she behaves the way that she does.

What Makes It Worth Watching: This series has excellent production values, with many of its scenes portrayed with lush details and excellent music. It's also emotionally complex. While Nurse Ratched is by no means a good person, the series makes it clear that she is, in fact, a person, and not just an enemy authority figure to be deposed. 

Prequel To: Star Wars

What It's About: There have been 12 movies in the main Star Wars canon, but there have also been a wide range of TV shows, some of which are prequels. One of the most well-known examples is The Clone Wars, which is set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It focuses on the conflict between the Republic and the Separatists, and brings in characters like Anakin Skywalker's protege Ahsoka. There's also Andor, a prequel to the film Rogue One, which focuses on a thief who joins the Rebellion. Others include Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Acolyte.

What Makes It Worth Watching: There are as many reasons to watch the Star Wars prequel TV shows as there are Star Wars prequel TV shows. When choosing one, you should focus on which aspect of the Star Wars universe most appeals to you. Let's say that you found yourself especially intrigued by the clone troopers. If that's the case, Clone Wars might be your best bet - especially if you want to watch The Bad Batch, which really digs deep into their background. 

Prequel To: The Dark Crystal

What It's About: Like the original film, this series deals with threats from the rulers of the planet of Thra - creatures called the Skeksis. In this case, the Gelflings must protect their planet from a terrifying blight called the Darkening, which is related to typically worshipped Skeksis. 

What Makes It Worth Watching: The Dark Crystal has a special place in the nightmares of many millennials and Gen Xers. This new series does an excellent job of capturing the dark fantasy vibes of the original film. But it's not totally self-referential - it builds on the mythology of the original while also creating a good experience for new viewers. 

Prequel To: Wet Hot American Summer

What It's About: Wet Hot American Summer is a parody of the teen sex comedies that dominated the ‘80s, ’90s, and early 2000s. While the original takes place on the last day of summer camp, this prequel begins on the first day. 

What Makes It Worth Watching: The original film already had an all-star cast, but the series also features the comedy of Chris Pine, Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig. If you're a fan of any of those actors, this series is one to put on your to-watch list. Other than that, it does a great job of combining parody and humor with the occasional meaningful and serious moments.