NBC orders ‘The Listener’

NBC said Friday it has ordered 13 episodes of “The Listener,” a drama about a young paramedic who can read people’s thoughts and act on them, produced by Canada’s CTV network.

This was the second time in three days that a major U.S. network has ordered a Canadian-produced series for its prime-time lineup. CBS announced Tuesday it had ordered 13 episodes of “Flashpoint,” a police drama also produced by CTV.

The moves come at a time when the networks are unable to order new scripted series from homegrown talent because of the ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America.