ABC Adds Canadian Drama 'Motive' to Summer Schedule

The cast of "Motive"

ABC has picked up Canadian drama Motive to its summer lineup. The 13-episode thriller, from Dexter and Mentalist executive producer Daniel Cerone, joins Rookie Blue as another northern import for the network.

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Motive, a detective procedural that focuses on discovering the intent of the crime before identifying the criminal, gets its Canadian debut after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. It stars Kristin Lehman as Angie Flynn, a detective and single mom and her partner played by Louis Ferreira. Lauren Holly, Roger Cross, Brendan Penny and Cameron Bright also star.

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The series, a far less expensive option than ABC's scrapped plans for summer scripted effort Weird Desk, is one of several off-months dramas ordered by the broadcast networks. NBC recently handed out 13 episodes to hour-long dramedy Camp, from Deception's Liz Heldens, while CBS is prepping Stephen King's big swing Under the Dome, ordering the adaptation straight to series.

CBS also brought Unforgettable back to life for an abbreviated run, as it bulks up on scripted fare following the failure of a pair of unscripted entries last summer.

Initially developed by CTV, Motive is produced by Foundation Features and Lark Productions in association with Bell Media and distributed by NBCUniversal International.

Cerone is joined by Louise Clark, Rob Merilees, Erin Haskett, Rob LaBelle, Lindsay Macadam and showrunner James Thorpe as executive producers.

Email: Michael.OConnell@THR.com; Twitter: @MikeyLikesTV