Motive is a Canadian police procedural television drama series created by Daniel Cerone and inspired by Columbo which follows working-class single-mom Detective Flynn in her investigation of crimes, with each episode also revealing the killers and victims at the start of the show in order for viewers to try and guess the motives for the crimes.
It's not a "whodunit", it's a "whydunit", a question faced by spirited female Vancouver homicide detective Angie Flynn (Kristin Lehman) as she begins to piece together the clues from the crime.
How are the victim and killer connected? What is the motive? As the mystery unfolds, the audience navigates a complicated maze of clues alongside the detective and her team.
In the series' signature teaser, viewers meet the killer and the victim in two separate opening vignettes. This surprising format challenges both the lead character and the audience to solve the mystery each week.
While Angie sets out to piece together a murder plot, viewers spend time with the killer both before and after the crime, giving them the opportunity to delve inside the mind of a criminal, and understand their motive.
Flashbacks to the killer and victim amplify the tension and reveal their shared backstory. The narrative focuses on the unique cat-and-mouse element of the series as Angie closes in on the killer, and the evidence needed to solve the crime.
Motive's disarming and street-smart lead character Angie Flynn doesn't suffer fools or authority figures lightly. Leading criminals and co-workers alike down the garden path, they soon realize that taking this sexy and sassy force-of-nature at face value is a major mistake.
Viewers will be entertained by Angie's character, intrigued by her investigation, and emotionally invested in both.
Motive stars Kristin Lehman (The Killing, Judging Amy) as Detective Angie Flynn, Louis Ferreira (SGU Stargate Universe, Rookie Blue) as Detective Oscar Vega, Lauren Holly (NCIS, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences) as Dr. Betty Rogers, Roger Cross (24, Arrow) as Staff Sergeant Boyd Bloom, Brendan Penny as Detective Brian Lucas and Cameron Bright (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2) as Manny Flynn.
Motive was created by Daniel Cerone (Dexter, The Mentalist), who executive-produces the show along with Louise Clark, Rob Merilees, Erin Haskett, Rob LaBelle, Lindsay Macadam and James Thorpe.
Developed by CTV, the series is produced by Foundation Features and Lark Productions in association with Bell Media, and distributed by NBCUniversal International.