Production Underway on Season 3 of CTV's Hit Crime Drama MOTIVE

- 13 episodes now being shot on location in Vancouver -

- Key cast members return for third season, including Kristin Lehman, Gemini Award-winner Louis Ferreira, Brendan Penny, Lauren Holly, and Warren Christie -

- Six-time Emmy^®-nominated actor Victor Garber (Argo, ALIAS) joins the MOTIVE cast in a recurring guest role -

- Jessica Lowndes (90210) and Luisa D'Oliveira (CRACKED) also set to appear as guest stars this season -

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/1tX4cBp

VANCOUVER, Sept. 16, 2014 /CNW/ - CTV announced today, in association with Foundation Features and Lark Productions, that production has begun on Season 3 of the original Canadian crime drama MOTIVE. A 2014 Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Dramatic Series, MOTIVE's second season saw an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, a 19% increase over Season 1. Shooting in and around Vancouver through February 2015, MOTIVE's 13 new episodes will join CTV's upcoming mid-season lineup.

Acclaimed six-time Emmy Award-nominee Victor Garber (Argo, ALIAS) is set to join the cast this season in a recurring guest role as a victim's father. Jessica Lowndes (90210) and Luisa D'Oliveira (CRACKED) are also set to appear as guest stars this season. Starring Kristin Lehman as Detective Angie Flynn, the hit crime drama also stars Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE), Brendan Penny (THE ASSISTANTS), Lauren Holly (NCIS), and Warren Christie (ALPHAS).

**Media Note** Photography for MOTIVE is available online at BellMediaPR.ca

"MOTIVE's momentum keeps building, and with another season full of unexpected twists and turns, viewers are going to continue to be drawn to MOTIVE," said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. "We look forward to again working with the incredible ensemble cast and amazing crew in Vancouver, and are thrilled to welcome the incomparable Victor Garber, as well as Jessica Lowndes and Luisa D'Oliveira to the series this season."

The dramatic Season 2 finale of MOTIVE saw Angie's past and present fatally collide when her involvement in a new trial about an old case called everything she stood for as a detective into question. With Sergeant Cross (Christie) at the centre of it all, and the personal toll he paid as the price in the end, viewers were left wondering if Angie was calling it quits as a member of the homicide team. The third season picks up six months later - with a burnt-out Angie having left the homicide team. But a case with direct personal implications for her beloved partner Detective Oscar Vega (Ferreira) draws her back into the fold.

MOTIVE stars Kristin Lehman as spirited Detective Angie Flynn, Louis Ferreira (SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE) as Detective Oscar Vega, and Brendan Penny (THE ASSISTANTS) as the team's eager young Detective Brian Lucas. The series also stars Lauren Holly (NCIS) as the team's lead medical examiner, Dr. Betty Rogers, and Warren Christie (ALPHAS) as Sergeant Mark Cross.

MOTIVE is produced by Foundation Features and Lark Productions in association with Bell Media. Executive Producers are Daniel Cerone (DEXTER, THE MENTALIST), Louise Clark (CORNER GAS, HIGH MOON), Rob Merilees (Capote, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus), Erin Haskett (THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER), Rob LaBelle (MENTAL), Lindsay Macadam (Battle in Seattle), and Dennis Heaton (CALL ME FITZ, Fido), who also serves as the Season 3 Showrunner. Daniel Cerone is the series creator. The series is distributed internationally by NBC Universal International, and the second season just finished airing on ABC in the U.S.

For Bell Media, Michele McMahon is Production Executive; Trish Williams is Director, Independent Production, Drama; and Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is President - CTV, Sports, and Entertainment Programming.

About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, MOTIVE, and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, the record-breaking, Canadian-produced complementary version of the hit international series. New to CTV in 2014 are hit international format MASTERCHEF CANADA and multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT, one of the most-watched new comedies of the season. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the three-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, the most-watched original series in Space history BITTEN, Bravo's most-watched new drama 19-2, TRANSPORTER - THE SERIES, dramedy SENSITIVE SKIN, and the upcoming KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter:
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
@MotiveTV
@kristinlehman1 - Kristin Lehman
@TheLuigi_F - Louis Ferreira
@BrendanJPenny - Brendan Penny
@LaurenHolly - Lauren Holly
@HWarrenChristie - Warren Christie

Facebook:
facebook.com/ctv

- CTV -

Source: Numeris (BBM Canada), 3/6/2014-5/29/2014, final data

SOURCE CTV

Tonia Addison, CTV Networks, 416.384.2194 or tonia.addison@bellmedia.ca