Flashpoint debuts July 11

From a media release:

One Moment Changes Everything: High-Stakes Drama Flashpoint Targets CTV, July 11

• Stars Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, Amy Jo Johnson and David Paetkau
• First series since Due South to air in “reverse” simulcast in the United States
• New episodes available post-broadcast on iTunes and at CTV.ca

Explosive scenarios, defused in a flash! Follow the exploits of a highly-skilled tactical team trained to get inside the heads of the most dangerous suspects, in the world premiere of the new CTV Original Series Flashpoint, airing Fridays at 10 p.m. ET, beginning July 11 on CTV and CTV HD East/West (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Flashpoint will also be available on demand on iTunes and the CTV Video Player at CTV.ca following its television broadcast.

Picked up by CBS for “reverse simulcast” with CTV, Flashpoint is a drama which depicts the emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of cops in Toronto’s Strategic Response Unit (SRU), trained to rescue hostages, bust gangs, defuse bombs, climb the sides of buildings and talk down suicidal teens. Set proudly in Toronto, the 13-part series will become the first Canadian series since CTV’s Due South to air in network primetime in both Canada and the U.S. Flashpoint continues production in Toronto until August 25, 2008.

“Flashpoint is an edge-of-your-seat drama full of excitement, with well-written, beautifully performed characters and a sleek look,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “We’re looking forward to sharing this compelling series with a North American audience.”

Flashpoint Timeline:

• 2005 – Project originates from CTV’s Writer-Only Development Program
• 2006 – CTV brings on Anne-Marie La Traverse to produce
• July, 2007 – Flashpoint pilot shot along with three other productions as part of CTV’s Pilot Production Program
• December, 2007 – CTV picks up pilot with financing in place for Pink Sky Entertainment (Anne Marie La Traverse) and Avamar Entertainment (Bill Mustos), to be produced solely for CTV.
• January, 2008 – CBS becomes production partner in series
• April 17, 2008 – Production begins in Toronto.
• July 11, 2008 – Flashpoint becomes first Canadian series since Due South to air in network primetime in the United States

Starring Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars), Hugh Dillon (Durham County), Amy Jo Johnson (Felicity) and David Paetkau (Whistler), Flashpoint follows a unique group of cops that can do what ordinary police officers can’t. Members of a highly-skilled SWAT team (inspired by Toronto’s Emergency Task Force), they’re trained in negotiating, profiling and getting inside the subject’s head at the very emotional breaking point (the “flashpoint”) that triggered the crisis. They’ll do whatever it takes to defuse the situation to try to save lives – all in a day’s work.

It takes years on the street, intense physical conditioning and elite marksmanship to make it in the SRU. They handle state-of-the art equipment – sniper rifles, snake-cameras, robots, flash-bangs, night vision and Tasers. But beyond all of the cool gadgetry, the most important weapon in their arsenal is human intuition, a gift for words and an ability to read emotion.

“We have produced a high-adrenaline drama series that will take viewers on an emotional journey while keeping them on the edge of their seats,” said Executive Producers Anne-Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos. “We’re thrilled that Flashpoint will soon be seen across North America and beyond.”

Flashpoint stars an impressive list of talent, including Enrico Colantoni as Gregory Parker, the team sergeant and head negotiator; Hugh Dillon as Ed Lane, team leader and lead sniper; Amy Jo Johnson as Julianna “Jules” Callaghan, sniper and rappelling expert; David Paetkau as Sam Braddock, the newest sniper on the team; Michael Cram (Stargate: Atlantis) as Kevin “Wordy” Wordsworth, who specializes in close quarter combat; Sergio Di Zio (Just Buried) as Mike “Spike” Scarlatti, explosives and tactical toys expert; Mark Taylor (Doomstown) as Lewis “Lou” Young, specializing in less lethal solutions; and Ruth Marshall (Degrassi: The Next Generation) as Dr. Amanda Luria, the forensic psychologist.

Each episode of Flashpoint will be made available on demand on The CTV Broadband Network at CTV.ca following its television broadcast on Saturdays beginning July 12 at 9 a.m. ET. Episodes will also be made available the day after broadcast from the iTunes Store in Canada. Flashpoint joins other original CTV programs on iTunes including Corner Gas, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Instant Star and Robson Arms.

In the series premiere “Scorpio” (Friday, July 11 at 10 p.m. ET), Ed Lane’s the best sniper and the toughest cop on SRU Team One. So when an enraged gunman takes a hostage in a public square at rush hour, it’s Ed who ends up in position to take the lethal shot from a nearby rooftop. Parker struggles to pacify the volatile gunman, but the situation escalates when it looks like he’s about to kill again.

In the second episode entitled “First in Line” (Friday, July 18 at 10 p.m. ET), Jack Swanson’s (Henry Czerny; Mayerthorpe, The Tudors) teenaged daughter desperately needs a heart transplant to survive. When he is told that a heart is finally available, he races his girl to the hospital, only to find the heart’s been allocated to someone else – a bureaucratic screw-up that could cost his daughter her life. Distraught, Jack turns a policeman’s gun on a surgical team, forcing Ed and Jules to face the chilling possibility of a lethal solution.

Flashpoint is produced by Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV and CBS Paramount Network Television. The series was co-created and written by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern. Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos serve as executive producers. Tassie Cameron is co-executive producer and head writer. Louise Clark and Virginia Rankin are the CTV production executives working with the series. Louise Clark is Vice-President, Program Development for CTV. Susanne Boyce is President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. Alchemy TV and Tele Munchen are the international distributors.

Photo courtesy CTV: Enrico Colantoni stars as Sgt. Gregory Parker in Flashpoint.