The official word from CTV:
Flashpoint Sets Sights On New Target: Summer’s Hottest Drama Moves to Thursdays at 10 p.m., Beginning July 24 on CTV
- New time-slot follows summer ratings powerhouse So You Think You Can Dance
- Episode 2 peaks with 927,000 viewers, wins time-slot, night and all key demos in Canada; captures 7.1 million viewers in the United States
- Flashpoint debut episode is #2 TV download on iTunes Canada
After dominating Friday nights for the past two weeks in a row, summer’s hottest drama is moving to television’s biggest night. CTV, along with U.S. broadcast partner CBS, announced today that Flashpoint will now air in the coveted Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET time-slot beginning this Thursday, July 24 (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). The gripping new original CTV and CBS co-production about an elite Toronto police team (SRU) will now air in the prime time-slot that also features the 9 p.m. lead-in of Canada’s #1 summer series, So You Think You Can Dance. A special encore broadcast of this Thursday’s Flashpoint (Episode 3) will air Sunday, July 27 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV.
“Flashpoint is firing on all cylinders,†said Susanne Boyce, President of Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “The audience – and buzz – continues to build on both sides of the border. It’s a testament to the outstanding ensemble cast and exceptional writing.”
In Canada, 908,000 viewers watched the second episode last Friday, July 18, making it the most-watched program of the night, more than double its next closest 10 p.m. competitor. Among key 18-34 and 18-49 demos, Episode 2 was up 55% and 16% respectively from its debut week. Friday’s success follows an impressive series premiere when Flashpoint debuted #1 in Canada and the U.S. on Friday, July 11.
In the U.S., Flashpoint once again finished #1 for CBS last Friday, repeating its status as the most-watched program of the night on American network television with 7.1 million viewers for the second straight week, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Flashpoint has experienced a strong showing on iTunes and online as well. Launched on July 14, the series is the #2 most-downloaded television series on iTunes Canada. It’s also been accessed on demand on CTV’s online video player on CTV.ca with tens of thousands of streams, on par with streams for hit shows such as Lost. Episode 2 of Flashpoint is available now on demand at CTV.ca.
In this Thursday’s broadcast, “The Element of Surprise†(July 24 at 10 p.m. ET), Jackson Brannigan (Erik Knudsen, Jericho, Saw II) has been clean and sober for 18 months, but his sister’s still hurting from the days he was using – and stealing from her. Desperate to repay her and win back her trust, he re-visits his past to collect from a dealer who owes him money … on the same day Parker and Team One stage a raid on the dealer’s headquarters.
Set in Toronto, Flashpoint is the first Canadian series since CTV’s Due South to air in network primetime in both Canada and the U.S. The 13-part series continues production in Toronto until August 25, 2008.
