So Good It's Criminal: CTV's Hit Crime Drama MOTIVE Returns for Season 3, March 8

â€" Canada's hit crime drama MOTIVE returns on a new night, Sundays, following new murder-thriller SECRETS AND LIES â€"
â€" Kristin Lehman leads returning ensemble cast for third season, including 2014 Leo Award-winning actor Louis Ferreira, along with Brendan Penny, Lauren Holly, and Warren Christie â€"
â€" Blockbuster roster of Season 3 guest stars includes Dylan Walsh, Alexis Bledel, Chris Klein, C. Thomas Howell, Ally Sheedy, and six-time Emmy^® nominee Victor Garber in a recurring role â€"
â€" Nominated for nine 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Dramatic Series â€"
â€" First two episodes of Season 3 available now for media review on BellMediaPR.ca  â€"
â€" CraveTV^TM First-Look available March 7, the day before CTV's broadcast premiere, with Seasons 1 and 2 available now in their entirety â€"

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/1Etm88E

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2015 /CNW/ -Â CTV is set for a killer new Sunday night as hit original crime drama MOTIVE returns for Season 3, Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 8 on CTV and CTV GO. The third season continues with the program's signature "whydunit" format, revealing the killer and victim at the start of each of its 13 new episodes. And it arrives with an incredible list of guest stars: Dylan Walsh (UNFORGETTABLE), Alexis Bledel (MAD MEN), Chris Klein (WILFRED), C. Thomas Howell (GRIMM), Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club), Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Charles Martin Smith (Dolphin Tale 2), and more appear, joining previously announced guest stars Victor Garber (Argo, ALIAS), Jessica Lowndes (90210), and Luisa D'Oliveira (CRACKED), as a new set of murders unfolds for viewers each week.

CTV's top nominee for the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards, MOTIVE garnered nine nominations for the upcoming Awards, including Best Dramatic Series. The second season of the series was watched by an average audience of 1.3 million viewers, a 19% increase over Season 1. Viewers can catch up on the entire first two seasons of MOTIVE on Crave TV before catching the Season 3 premiere on March 7 - one day before its broadcast premiere - with the CraveTV First-Look for original Canadian scripted series. MOTIVE Season 3 episodes will also be available on demand following each broadcast at CTV.ca, CTV GO, and on CraveTV.

Set and shot in Vancouver, Season 3 of MOTIVE begins with Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman, THE KILLING), returning to the Homicide team after a six-month, self-imposed absence. A lot has changed for the team â€" Detectives Oscar Vega (Louis Ferreira, SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE) and Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny, THE ASSISTANTS), Sergeant Mark Cross (Warren Christie, ALPHAS), and Dr. Betty Rogers (Lauren Holly, NCIS) -- since then, and now Angie will have to find a way to fit in. In the six months since she left, Detective Lucas has begun giving orders, and is now the primary on key cases; Detective Oscar Vega has made a genuine effort to fill in the gaps Angie left behind; and he and Sergeant Mark Cross are getting along. But this season Vega will have more to focus on than just his work, facing a crisis that threatens not only his career, but his personal life as well. And viewers will see a new side of the always confident and charming Dr. Betty Rogers, when she comes up against a dangerous and threatening adversary. As Angie adjusts to the changes, she finds herself fixated on her first case back, and on one intriguing character in particular who will draw the team â€" and viewers -- in from the very first episode of the season.

"Homegrown hit series MOTIVE heads into another dramatic season, forming a powerful Sunday night pairing with murder mystery drama SECRETS AND LIES," said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. "Season 3 doubles down on suspense to keep viewers guessing at what is around every corner, from the premiere straight through to the finale."

**Media Note**
Photography for MOTIVE is available online at BellMediaPR.ca
Episodes 301 and 302are available online for media review.
For more information on the third season of MOTIVE download the Season 3 Press Kit.

For even more MOTIVE this season, viewers can head to CTV.ca to catch up on episodes and watch exclusive video content, including interviews with the cast. In a series of behind-the-scenes videos, series star Lauren Holly takes fans behind the camera for an insider's look at the morgue, writing room, special effects, and makeup used on the show, and more.

In the season three premiere entitled "Six Months Later" (Sunday, March 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, currently available for media review here), Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) finds herself in a new role within the Metro Police Department, away from Homicide. But news concerning her former partner, Detective Vega (Louis Ferreira), lures her back to help investigate a case involving his father and the death of a beautiful young socialite. A recovering addict, the victim's past points to a potential overdose as a cause of death. But as details emerge, it becomes clear her death was no accident. Victor Garber (Argo, Titanic), Jessica Lowndes (90210), Tony Plana (UGLY BETTY, Primal Fear), and Luisa D'Oliveira (CRACKED) guest star. More information on Season 3 can also be found in the Season 3 Press Kit on BellMediaPR.ca.

MOTIVE stars Kristin Lehman as spirited Detective Angie Flynn, Louis Ferreira as Detective Oscar Vega, and Brendan Penny as the team's eager young Detective Brian Lucas. The series also stars Lauren Holly as the team's lead medical examiner, Dr. Betty Rogers, and Warren Christie 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.

For Bell Media, Michele McMahon is Production Executive; Tom Hastings is Director, Independent Production; and Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks. Phil King is President â€" 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, MOTIVE, the record-breaking THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, and MASTERCHEF CANADA. 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 â€" THE SERIES, dramedy SENSITIVE SKIN, and the upcoming KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL, COLD WATER COWBOYS, 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 â€" Kristin Lehman
@TheLuigi_F â€" Louis Ferreira
@BrendanJPenny â€" Brendan Penny
@LaurenHolly â€" Lauren Holly
@HWarrenChristie â€" Warren Christie

Facebook:
facebook.com/ctv

Instagram:
@BellMediaPR

- CTV -

Source: Numeris (BBM Canada), S2 (Mar 6 â€" May 29, 2014) vs. S1 (Feb 3 â€" May 16, 2013)

SOURCE CTV