It was another touchdown for CTV’s original programming slate last night as, despite an 11p.m. ET start time, 1.23 million viewers tuned in for the post-SUPER BOWL premiere of its new original drama series MOTIVE. The debut becomes the #1 Canadian series premiere of the 2012/13 broadcast year. With 4.2 million viewers tuning in to some or all of the new Canadian crime drama, MOTIVE tackled its competition by more than doubling ELEMENTARY’s audience head-to-head (548,000; Global), and kicked off its debut season as the most-watched program of the night, next to the SUPER BOWL. Following a massive promotion and publicity campaign, MOTIVE held steady throughout the delayed broadcast and scored big among both men and women, with a 6.5 rating for M18-34 in Toronto and a 5.2 rating for F18-34 in Vancouver.
An encore presentation of last night’s premiere episode airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV Two, and on Saturday, Feb 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV in addition to the CTV Mobile channel. MOTIVE is also currently available on demand across CTV’s digital platforms: CTV.ca, the CTV App, and through video on demand partners.
Next week, MOTIVE settles into its regular time slot with an all-new episode, entitled “Crimes of Passion” (Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV). When a teenaged girl is killed in a hit-and-run accident, the first clues point Detectives Flynn (Kristin Lehman) and Vega (Louis Ferreira) toward the girl’s disgruntled ex-boyfriend. Passion is a strong enough motive for murder, but Angie believes the boyfriend is innocent. She takes a different tack, which reveals a connection between the victim and an eminent prosecutor in the midst of a mayoral campaign. Turns out that passion may well be the motive, and the underpinning of a secret double life.
MOTIVE is produced by Foundation Features and Lark Productions in association with Bell Media.
