After airing for two summers on ABC, the US network decided not to pick up the Motive TV show for a third season, effectively cancelling it for American viewers.
However, the series is produced in Canada and the CTV network renewed it for a third and fourth season anyway. The fourth season has just completed filming and will begin airing on March 22nd.
The fourth season cast includes Kristin Lehman, Louis Ferreira, Brendan Penny, and Lauren Holly. Guests will include Jon Heder, Will Sasso, and Tommy Flanagan.
It’s now been revealed that the police drama is ending and there won’t be a fifth season.
Here’s the press release:
Killer Ending: Final Season of CTV’s Hit Crime Drama MOTIVE Premieres March 22
– Season 4 of original Canadian drama wraps production today in Vancouver –
– Season 4 guest stars include Jon Heder, Will Sasso, and Tommy Flanagan –
– CraveTVTM First Look available March 21, the day before CTV’s broadcast premiere, with Seasons 1-3 streaming now –VANCOUVER (February 12, 2016) – CTV announced today that multiple Canadian Screen Award nominee MOTIVE is set to face its last round of investigations, as the series returns for its fourth and final season Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT beginning March 22 on CTV and CTV GO, following a CraveTV First Look starting March 21. Wrapping production today in Vancouver, the final season brings the story of the series’ dynamic homicide team to a powerful conclusion as they continue to explore what drives the motive behind the murder in 13 unforgettable new episodes. MOTIVE was nominated last month for nine Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Dramatic Series.
In the final season, each member of the homicide team faces pivotal choices about their future, as they set on a course of deciding what they want their legacies to be. Canadian Screen Award nominee Kristin Lehman (THE KILLING) returns as Detective Angie Flynn, who leads the team through a season of big change and evolution: Detective Oscar Vega’s (Louis Ferreira, BREAKING BAD, SGU STARGATE UNIVERSE) new role as Staff Sergeant means adjustments for everyone; Angie and Detective Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny, THE ASSISTANTS) develop a deeper bond; Dr. Betty Rogers (Lauren Holly, NCIS), who is personally involved with Vega, must now mind the boundaries of her personal and professional relationship; and new detectives are introduced to the team.
Building on its roster of incredible guest stars throughout the series, Season 4 of MOTIVE continues to showcase a fantastic line up of seasoned actors with appearances from Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite); Will Sasso (SHAMELESS); and Tommy Flanagan (SONS OF ANARCHY), who guest stars in a recurring role as Interpol Agent Jack Stoker.
“We’re proud to have had the privilege of bringing this compelling and innovative crime format series to CTV audiences for the past three seasons.” Said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Programming, CTV Networks and CraveTV.
“MOTIVE is primed to leave an indelible mark on the Canadian television industry and its creative family here at CTV,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “Both clever and cinematic, each episode is exceptionally well-written with smart performances from its ensemble cast. Lark Productions, Foundation Features, and the series’ creative team led by showrunner Dennis Heaton have delivered a dynamic final season.”
“We are grateful to our broadcast partners at CTV for four incredible seasons of MOTIVE,” said Executive Producers Louise Clark and Rob Merilees. “Thanks to the exceptional talent and efforts of our writers, cast and production team, we are thrilled to conclude our finest season to date. Season 4 builds towards its conclusion with even more compelling performances and intriguing cases.”
MOTIVE also stars Victor Zinck Jr. (THE 100) and Karen LeBlanc (CRACKED), who join this season as new detectives on the series’ homicide team.
In the Season 4 premiere, entitled “The Vanishing Policeman” (Tuesday, March 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO), while Detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) and Staff Sergeant Vega (Louis Ferreira) adjust to his new role, the suicide of an officer with whom Angie and Detective Brian Lucas (Brendan Penny) worked on a crime scene turns the team’s investigation into a hunt for a cop killer.
CTV’s top Canadian Screen Awards nominee for two consecutive years, MOTIVE once again garnered nine nominations for the upcoming CSAs, including Best Dramatic Series and Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. Season 3 was watched by an average audience of 1.2 million viewers, a 15% increase over Season 1, landing the series among the Top 4 most-watched Canadian dramas last season. All past episodes of MOTIVE are streaming now on CraveTV™.
MOTIVE is produced by Lark Productions and Foundation Features in association with Bell Media. Executive Producers are Dennis Heaton (CALL ME FITZ, Fido), who also serves as the Season 4 showrunner; series creator Daniel Cerone (DEXTER, THE BLACKLIST); Louise Clark (CORNER GAS, HIGH MOON); Rob Merilees (Stone of Destiny, Brain on Fire); Erin Haskett (THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER); Rob LaBelle (MENTAL); Lindsay Macadam (Brain on Fire); and Ben Brafman (PERSON OF INTEREST, DEFYING GRAVITY). The series is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal International.
For Bell Media, Michele McMahon and Kathleen Meek are Production Executives; Tom Hastings is Director, Drama, Independent Production; and Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. Mike Cosentino is Senior Vice-President, CTV Networks and CraveTV. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.
Source : Numeris Sep. 22, 2014 – Sep. 13, 2015, final data.
What do you think? Do you like the Motive TV show? Would you like to see the complete series air in the United States?
I love watching, “Motive.” It’s smart, funny, focused, and full of subtitles that makes a television show exciting to watch. I implore the creators to shop this show elsewhere. I will really miss it.
Another quality show left behind. I hope the series finds a new home. I will watch!
I love this show! It’s so smart. Always keeps me guessing. Please someone pick up this series!
Too bad, it was cancelled. Just a great Canadian cop show. I like each character. Angie was the best. Especially with the cop from Interpol, It would be a great show to have them as a team in the UK.
Love this show. It is so good. Why cancel. ABC does not want it. That is fine. We can still have it in Canada surely.
Love this show. Why cancel it. If ABC does not want a great show that is fine. We can still have it in Canada surely.
I love the show. Very refreshing from the regular police dramas. Loved the fact that the group all got along well and worked well together. Didn’t like the female police chief. She was far too bitchy. Please renew this show!
I stay up late on Sunday nights just to watch this show on USA network. Hope you’ll be able to keep it on for a while. I’ll even watch reruns. Very sorry to see it go.
Love the show, very sorry to see it end. However do not however like Angie’s new haircut for this season, it totally took something away from the show. Just way to severe of a cut. Made her look to tough. Why would you do that? Did not like Vega being attracted to the coroner, absolutely no chemistry there like there was between Vega and Angie.
I enjoyed the show but I can see why it didn’t have mass appeal. So often when they cast a character in an “non-traditional ” gender role and they over do the “correction”. Just because Flynn is female cop she doesn’t have to act like an adolescent male. Too macho and the male characters were “too soft”. Even the coroner was caricature like. Predictable. It’s too bad. The women were too tough, the men too soft, they should have mixed it up a bit. People are just people, gender doesn’t define one’s temperament.
Love the show how will I watch last season then
I ADORE this show! So terribly sad to see it end. I loved how Vega and Flynn were such close friends, without being romantically involved. I’m getting sick and tired of the shows that have to take this route. I loved seeing how the Victim and the Killer ended up being connected
Hard of hearing so use closed captioning. Fonts of c.c on this show need to be larger for us old folks.
Otherwise it’s worth while watching.
I love this show! It’s different than current tv dramas, a little throwback to Columbo without the humor, but still one of the best. How do we save a good show?
Really disappointed that the sexual tension between Angie and Vega, the most compelling part of the show, has taken a back seat to Vega’s contrived attraction to the coroner. My loss.