Flashpoint article list #01

[wraithfodder]

I decided, since I actually had some time to kill while the washing machine, well, washed, to poke around Google news, so I did a search for “Flashpoint CBS”, as searching for just flashpoint gets me a ton of non-Flashpoint (the show) articles. .There are some which are nice big articles, so I’ve noted to read “rest at link above”…So, all the Google news articles on the second season. Haven’t had time to poke through plain old Google. Do I really need another fandom? Hmm, thinking, thinking…

Jan 23— http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iK1Nu8pvHYD9xATD9GsUJw73D8JA
Top 10 television programs in Canada for the week of Jan. 12-18
#7 - "Flashpoint" (CTV, Friday) - 1,741,000

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/magazine/article/549130
Jan 23--On Flashpoint, the homegrown cop drama that's making waves in the U.S., Hugh Dillon's character realizes he needs to face his inner demons, and a retired sergeant threatens to commit suicide - inside police headquarters. (CTV, CBS)

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090123/ENTERTAINMENT10/901230322/1005/ENTERTAINMENT
Jan 23--Tonight's Might-See: "Flashpoint," 8 p.m., CBS.
Two crises tug at the unit. One involves a potential bomb inside an abandoned suitcase; the other has a retired cop burrowing into headquarters, gun in hand.
The latter story is rough emotionally and has moments that strain credibility. Still, it's written and acted with spare intensity. That's typical of "Flashpoint," a Canadian show that packs quiet ferocity.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Enrico-Colantoni-Talks-1002041.aspx
Enrico Colantoni Talks Emotional Side of Flashpoint
Jan 22--Excerpt:: CBS' hit series Flashpoint (Fridays at 9 pm/ET), which follows the lives of elite cops within the Strategic Response Unit, has returned for its second season after debuting with strong Friday-night ratings. Enrico Colantoni, who plays the SRU's Sgt. Gregory Parker, tells us what distinguishes his series, teases upcoming storylines and reveals what goes on when the cameras aren't rolling. Plus, Veronica Mars' dad dishes about the upcoming movie.
TVGuide.com: You guys tackle some extreme storylines. What situations can we expect in upcoming episodes?
Colantoni: Friday's episode is about the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on police officers. Then we're going to deal with some revenge situations that actually are specifically related to what happened during the pilot episode of last season. Recently, we've been handling a lot of domestic situations that vary in different locales — like the winter. [Laughs] People freak out over the snow! It just makes them do crazy things.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/21/if-cbss-flashpoint-can-hold-its-numbers-its-a-keeper/11261
If CBS’s Flashpoint Can Hold Its Numbers, It’s A Keeper
Jan 21--Flashpoint debuted at 9pm Friday for CBS after a string of losers for them in that slot and did pretty well. If it can hold those debut numbers (a big if), it will be a Friday keeper!

http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=47115
Jan 21 excerpt--CTV's local cop drama Flashpoint has delivered its highest audiences so far for the commercial Cannuck network, becoming the most watched Canadian drama in over a decade.
The series, launched last year by CTV in a 'reverse simulcast' deal with US network CBS, returned for a second season this January, to pull in 1.74 million viewers on its second episode. On CBS, the drama netted 10.4 million viewers, winning its timeslot as well as increasing its audience by 3%. The combined total has earned the drama its largest North American audience ever.
On CTV, Flashpoint also scored among younger adults, virtually doubling among 18-34s compared with the previous week, up 46% among 18-49s, and up 37% among 25-54s and all viewers (2 years-plus).

http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20090120/ratings.html
Jan 21 excerpt--Friday's audience topped a previous high for Flashpoint of 1.52 million set in September. And the program, which launched simultaneously on CTV and CBS last summer, continues to build an audience stateside. The Canadian export drew 10.38 million viewers for CBS on Friday night in reverse simulcast, up from 10.1 million a week earlier, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Flashpoint lost a sliver of the 10.5 million audience that tuned into lead-in Ghost Whisperer at 8 pm, but went up in the core 18-49 demo in its second week. That helps the drama solidify its position as part of CBS' crime series offerings this TV season alongside CSI and NCIS.

http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/573800
Jan 20--Flash of Brilliance: CTV's Flashpoint captured its largest-ever North American audience on Friday, with 1.74 million viewers on CTV and 10.4 million on CBS. The episode became the most-watched Canadian drama in more than a decade, beating its previous high of 1.52 million CTV viewers in September. It was the most-watched program in Canada on Friday night and was tops in its time slot in the U.S.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i30fd5ce301fd7727966785e3afb93f11
Jan 19 excerpt--TORONTO -- CBS' "Flashpoint" has caught fire for co-producer CTV, the Canadian broadcaster that created the cop drama.  "Flashpoint" delivered 1.74 million viewers Friday at 9 p.m. for CTV, up sharply from a week-earlier second-season debut of 1.27 million viewers, according to BBM Nielsen Media Research. That put the Canadian drama on par with ABC's "Desperate Housewives," which drew 1.64 million viewers on CTV this past week, and NBC's "ER" with 1.62 million viewers.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2009/19/c8679.html
Jan 19 except—from CTV press release--A detailed analysis of Friday's episode reveals that:

    -   FLASHPOINT delivered 34% more viewers than its 8 p.m. lead-in on CTV
        (GHOST WHISPERER, 1.3 million) and grew in its second half-hour.

    -   FLASHPOINT's audience doubled among A18-34 versus last week's episode
        and was up 46% among A18-49 and 37% among A25-54 and total viewers.

    -   FLASHPOINT was No. 1 in its timeslot in Toronto, Vancouver and
        Calgary.

    -   It was the best performance in the Friday @ 9 p.m. timeslot on CTV
        since February, 2005.

    -   In the U.S., FLASHPOINT (10.4 million) retained almost 100% of its
        lead-in GHOST WHISPERER (10.5 million), winning its timeslot and up
        3% versus last week.

http://www.film.com/features/story/what2watch-obama-swears-on-tv/25508520
Jan 19--Friday: Flashpoint (CBS, 9 PM): CBS is getting greedy now, bringing back summer's surprise hit in an attempt to lock down yet another night of rating's dominance. This week, Ed tries to prevent his depressed mentor from killing himself and others in the SRU. Flashpoint looks to be well on its way to becoming a true Walker Show. [http://www.film.com/features/story/girlfriends-las-vegas-walk-into/19210146]

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/community/programming-insider/column/e3if42f3145e3efa9c4e2cb7556fe4c3267
Jan 19--NBC kicked off the weekend with the launch of Howie Do It, a Candid Camera-like hour airing Friday at 8 p.m. Hosted by Howie Mandel, the show—which you can watch with your brain on pause—is a great way to end the week. Friday also featured the finale of Lipstick Jungle, which was never anything more than a D-level rip-off of Sex and the City, and the return of drama Flashpoint on CBS. In this economy it pays to shop around for Canadian product like Flashpoint, which fits like a glove out of Ghost Whisperer.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/17/friday-ratings-flashpoint-friday-night-lights/11051
Jan 17--CBS continues to dominate Friday nights, having the three most-watched programs on broadcast network television. Friday Night Lights made its broadcast network debut and unsurprisingly (at least to me) the numbers weren’t any more impressive than Lipstick Jungle’s were. Flashpoint won the hour resoundingly. I know, I know, people with DirecTV had already seen FNL, not to mention all the Internet downloading. But if you added up DTV and Internet downloading into last night’s broadcast numbers, Flashpoint still crushed it. Flashpoint doesn’t have the critical praise (at least not yet) and Internet loving that FNL gets, but it succeeds where it’s important. A lot of people actually watch it.
http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2009-1-17-tv-ratings-cbs-lights-up-friday-night
Jan 16--The Canadian transplant "Flashpoint" improved in its second week of new Friday episodes, not that CBS really needed it to win the night. “Flashpoint" did a 6.6/11 in the 8 p.m. hour, doubling up the 2.9/5 for ABC's "Supernanny" and FOX's "Don't Forget the Lyrics." The network season premiere of "Friday Night Lights" on NBC did a 2.8/5, drawing 4.54 million viewers. The CW's encore of "13 - Fear Is Real" didn't make a ripple.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/162150-TCA_CBS_Tassler_Says_Network_Television_Still_Works_.php
Jan 14 excerpt: TCA: CBS’ Tassler Says ‘Network Television Still Works’
Tassler also is looking to new sources for deals, citing the success of Canadian import Flashpoint, which she dubbed “a great experience for us.” “Flashpoint really opened the door for us to explore different business models,” she says. “As long as the creative content is there it gives us the opportunity to scour not only Canadian but other programming opportunities.”

http://www.kentucky.com/702/story/659337.html
Flashpoint (9 p.m. Jan. 16, CBS): This is one of the few summer shows that paid off for CBS. Now the series, which follows an elite emergency task force, is back for a second season, starring Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Just Shoot Me).

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/Showbiz/2009/01/15/8029346-sun.html
Jan 15--Tassler also spoke glowingly about Flashpoint, the CTV series that airs on CBS as well. But Tassler got a laugh from the crowd when someone asked if the Flashpoint arrangement has opened the doors for more partnerships with TV producers in foreign countries. "Canada isn't THAT foreign," Tassler said.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=b797982d-c527-4e7d-ab69-50072a3a323d
Jan 15--Flashpoint is no flash in the pan, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told reporters yesterday at the semi-annual meeting of the Television Critics Association. Flashpoint, the homegrown drama about an emergency response police team in Toronto, has proven to be both durable and well-received, Tassler said. The network initially bought Flashpoint from its Toronto producers as summer filler. Instead, it became CBS's most-watched drama during the off season. Earlier this month, CBS decided to rush new episodes onto the air rather than wait until summer. Flashpoint now airs Fridays on both CBS and CTV

http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/television/story.html?id=1176841
Jan 14 excerpt: Flashpoint inspires American interest in Canadian drama
Alex Strachan, Canwest News Service
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- Flashpoint is no flash in the pan, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler told reporters Wednesday at the semi-annual meeting of the Television Critics Association.
Flashpoint, the homegrown drama about an emergency response police team in Toronto, has proven to be both durable and well-received, Tassler said. The network initially bought Flashpoint from its Toronto producers as summer filler. Instead, it became CBS' most-watched drama during the off season.  (more at link above)

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=98365
Jan 14 excerpt--Some networks are laying off staffers in this economy, but Tassler says CBS is "incredibly lean." Since all senior CBS executives come from a production background, she said CBS keeps a major focus on costs. Tassler added that summer drama "Flashpoint" a Canadian production, has been a cost-effective show.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.WBwbladiary20090114142453/WBStory/WBwbladiary
Jan 14--The success of the CBS-CTV co-production Flashpoint has encouraged CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler to look at partnering with other "foreign countries" on future TV projects. "Well, Canada isn't that foreign, really," she said, correcting herself.  Filmed in Toronto with a nearly entirely Canadian cast, Flashpoint launched simultaneously on CBS and CTV last July and currently rates comparably with CBS's other popular crime dramas, including CSI and NCIS. "Flashpoint has been such a positive experience," she told press at the TV Critics Tour. "It's a terrific business model for us."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/canadian-class/2009/01/14/1231608762597.html
Jan 15 excerpt: ALTHOUGH I am no more excited by the prospect of watching another police drama than I am by the prospect of writing about another police drama, there are things to like about Flashpoint. … Written and created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern, who are better known as actors, it has an appealing modesty that survives its bouts of aesthetic over-excitement — the occasionally lurching camera, hammering soundtrack, the sentimental pop song laid over the last couple of minutes as the principals silently end a long, hard day. (bigger article at link above)

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20090113/flashpoint_ratings_090113/20090113/
Jan __ excerpt--New episodes of 'Flashpoint' return to #1 [CTV] The return of CTV's hit original series Flashpoint debuted #1 in Canada on Friday night.
Across Canada, the series delivered 1.27 million total viewers, winning both its time-slot and the night.* The episode was also #1 at 9 p.m. in each of Canada's three metered markets; Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Growing from its 8 p.m. lead-in (Ghost Whisperer), the audience also grew in its second half-hour, peaking at 1.4 million viewers.
In the U.S., Flashpoint finished with its biggest audience ever with 10.06 million total viewers, winning its timeslot and retaining 95% of its lead-in.** As a result, Flashpoint was the most-watched program in North America at 9 p.m. Friday night.
http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/569762
Jan 13--Flashy Return: CTV says 1.27 million Canadians watched the first show in the new season of Flashpoint on Friday night, making the Toronto-set police drama the most watched show in the country that night. In the U.S., where it runs on CBS, Flashpoint drew an audience of more than 10 million, making it the most watched show in North America at 9 p.m.

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272624535.shtml
Jan 11 excerpt-- TV News: Enrico Colantoni Talks Flashopoint - Cold Case and "Lost" Star Tania Raymonde Grateful
By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Enrico Colantoni is a man torn. He's thrilled with the success of his CTV/CBS series "Flashpoint," which returned to its second season this week. Colantoni notes that as a Canadian, he's particularly proud of the Toronto-set dramatic thriller about an elite team of crisis-managing police -- and the fact that "in Canada, specifically, the PR for these guys has just changed, because we paint them as humans." (rest of interview at link above)

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/10/friday-ratings-flashpoint-bright-for-cbs-lipstick-jungles-quiet-farewell/10585
Jan 10-- As is typical, Ghost Whisperer led all Friday viewing, but the season premiere of Flashpoint at 9pm averaged 10.06 million and a 2.2/6 (rating/share) among 18-49 year olds. While Flashpoint didn’t experience the drop off at 9pm some CBS shows have experienced at 9pm, it did have the worst performance in the 18-49 demographic of any CBS show last night, but still easily won the hour in both total viewers and the 18-49 demographic.

http://weblogs.redeyechicago.com/showpatrol/2009/01/flashpoint-digs-into-cops-psyches.html
Jan 09-- Flashpoint' digs into cops' psyches
CBS’ surprise hit from last summer returns for its new season with members of an elite police tactical unit working as bodyguards for a business mogul (Colm Feore) and his wife (Wendy Crewson).
I like this series. The task force is called upon each week to stop a hostage crisis, take down a sniper or some other tough job. The ace cast playing the officers includes Enrico Colantoni, Amy Jo Johnson, David Paetkau and especially Hugh Dillon.
As sniper Ed Lane, Dillon truly explores the emotional toll the job takes on his character's personal life. He makes the series more than just another cop drama.

http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2009/01/whats-on-tonight-howie-enters.html
Jan 09-- A rare Canadian import that did surprisingly well in its summer run, "Flashpoint" (CBS, 9 p.m.) returns with new episodes, starring Enrico Colantoni as Sgt. Gergory Parker, head of an elite police squad who tonight investigate a kidnapping. It comes between new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer" (CBS, 8 p.m.) and "Numb3rs" (CBS, 10 p.m.).

http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/564201
Jan 09 excerpt-- No local flash in the pan
TV vet Enrico Colantoni happy to work on Toronto-set Flashpoint, a hit here and in U.S.
The series – a very rare animal in that it airs on both sides of the border, premiering at No. 1 on CTV and CBS last summer and still drawing strong numbers – means Colantoni can chill out and reflect on the year ahead. "When you know you have a job to go to, the point is to relax and enjoy the time off, be a dad, go to Sea World, take a trip, cook a meal, watch a hockey game. That's the greatest part about being on a successful television show, you don't have to rush off and make a movie," he said. But while Colantoni is inordinately laid back as he contemplates the eight-month production schedule ahead, it is the opposite situation for co-producer Bill Mustos. CTV and CBS have increased the second-season order from 13 to 18 episodes; instead of programming the series as a summer vehicle again, they have directed the production team to have fresh episodes ready to air in February, to follow the last four unaired episodes from Season 1 (the first of which airs tonight). (rest at link above)

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20090109/ENTERTAINMENT10/901090342/1005/ENTERTAINMENT
Jan 09-- This show was one of the few blessings of last season's strike. CBS took a chance on a Canadian series and was rewarded with a smart thriller about decent cops in crises. there's a huge plus: "Flashpoint" uses deeply talented Canadian actors. Colm Feore (who also plays the president's husband in this season's "24") and Wendy Crewson play the mogul and his wife; superb actors are at the core of a show that has intelligence and taut emotion.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=792423c0-a1ea-45ee-8faa-1e467f5f32b3
Flashpoint packs wallop
Kidnap thriller gets best out of Crewson and Feore
Alex Strachan, Canwest News Service
Jan 09-- Flashpoint is back with new episodes starting tonight, and one thing is clear almost immediately. After just a handful of episodes, one of Canadian TV's most successful homegrown dramas of the past 10 years has a crisp snap and confident sheen rarely seen in this country. … The real reason Flashpoint has quickly rounded into form, though, and the real reason to watch, is how compelling and believable its core cast of characters and performers has become, in just 10 short episodes. Enrico Colantoni has an easygoing presence as fictional Emergency Task Force (EMT) squad commander Greg Parker. This is a deeply textured performance full of subtle underplaying. And actor-musician Hugh Dillon, as the squad's lead sniper and all-around go-to guy Ed Lane, is fast becoming one of this country's most resilient, thoughtful screen performers. In tonight's episode, Dillon channels Bruce Willis, in Willis's Last Boy Scout phase, as a reluctant, government-appointed bodyguard to a visiting VIP (Feore). Dillon has none of Willis's arrogance or just-watch-me acting ticks, though, despite crabby, Willis-like lines like, "I'm not here to judge." Dillon has Willis's star presence, but without the unwanted add-ons. Flashpoint has found a way to bust outside that box. It's not a terrific series but, for what it is, it's very good. No wonder CBS picked it up for simulcast in the U.S., where -- surprise! -- it's proven to a big hit with viewers. Go figure!  (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.winnipegsun.com/entertainment/tv/2009/01/09/7964956-sun.html
Jan 09 excerpt--Flashpoint flip-flop
Canadian cop drama returns to Friday slot

The producers of Flashpoint say there's nothing freaky about Friday.
The Canadian cop-drama series, which was a substantial hit last summer on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, returns tonight for a mid-season run of new episodes on CTV and CBS.
Flashpoint began with a Friday time slot last year, but its immediate ratings strength prompted a quick switch to Thursday, which usually is a far better night for attracting big TV audiences. Now it's back to Friday for Flashpoint, but co-executive producer Bill Mustos isn't freaked out about it.
"We actually really like it," Mustos said.
"On the CBS side, we have the fortune of being on a night that CBS wins handily. While a lot of the other networks have been suffering with quite low ratings, CBS has really bucked that trend with Ghost Whisperer (at 8 p.m. in most markets) and Numb3rs (at 10 p.m. in most markets). We feel fortunate to be in that 9 p.m. slot.
"It's very similar on the CTV side, with Ghost Whisperer being there at 8, then us, and then a new Steven Bochco drama, Raising The Bar, at 10."
REST AT LINK ABOVE

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/01/09/critics_corner/
Jan 09--This crime series, set in Canada and starring Enrico Colantoni, was somewhat popular last summer. So CBS has brought it back to test the winter waters, with a new string of episodes. I was underwhelmed by "Flashpoint," which follows a SWAT-like team that rushes into crisis situations to save the day. The first word that comes to mind: generic.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/swerve/story.html?id=2ba07d1f-6071-4fdf-8ad4-d154a19bb643
Jan 09--Flashpoint: Kidnapping, explosions: yup, it's a season premiere. The made-in-Canada cop show makes its return with an action-packed episode. Friday, CTV, Ch. 3, and CBS, Ch. 12, 10 p.m.

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090109/LIFE/901090301/-1/ENTERTAIN
Jan 09—A modest summer hit for CBS, "Flashpoint" (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) returns. Like "Stargate Atlantis," "Flashpoint" is a Canadian production. Enrico Colantoni stars as Sgt. Gregory Parker, the unflappable commander of a SWAT team. In tonight's episodes, they are assigned to protect a billionaire-turned-philanthropist (Colm Feore) whose less-than-idealistic past catches up with him in dramatic and unexpected ways. Get used to Feore. He's about to embark on an interesting role as America's first husband (to a female president, played by Cherry Jones) on a new season of "24," starting Sunday

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/012009/01092009/437564
Jan 09--Strike has given 'Flashpoint' a shot
BECAUSE she was a young acting and singing heartthrob early in her career, actress Amy Jo Johnson drew lots of attention when "Flashpoint" premiered last summer on CBS.
The show, which kicks off a second season of sorts tonight on the same network, has a solid cast.
But it's actor Hugh Dillon who makes this story about an elite police tactical unit something special.
As Ed Lane, one of the unit's principal snipers, Dillon gave transcending performances demonstrating the emotional toll the job takes on his character's personal life.
If it weren't for the writers' strike and the somewhat unique deal CBS worked out to air this made-for-Canadian television show, viewers probably wouldn't be seeing it for another stretch.
But because American broadcast networks still haven't fully recovered from the strike, with precious little in their production pipelines, "Flashpoint" is getting a second round on American television.
This critic welcomes the chance.
(REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/article962923.ece
Jan 09--SEASON PREMIERE Flashpoint, 9 p.m., CBS Some rich lady gets kidnapped. Possibly as collateral on that third mortgage.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hADEJmjx7bg-AeINR437Pc085UzA
Jan 09--'Flashpoint' returns, buoyed by successful summer run on CTV and CBS
…The producers and stars of the series agree that what sets "Flashpoint" apart from other police procedurals is its human element. While it is about an elite police squad called the Strategic Response Unit (modelled loosely after Toronto's Emergency Task Force), armed with all kinds of high-tech guns and gadgets, the series takes pains to show the toll the job takes on the people involved.
"The new road that we're trying to walk in 'Flashpoint' is the emotional road," says Mustos. When he was developing the series with executive producer Anne Marie La Traverse ("The Eleventh Hour," "Cold Squad"), they focused on how to break "Flashpoint" out from the many popular police procedurals already on the air.
Showing "the emotional side for the team as well as the person who finds himself at the centre of the crisis" was key, says Mustos. "We wanted to be going into an arena that was fresh for a police show, while at the same time offering all the fun bells and whistles that a tactical unit, a swat team, can bring to an hour of television."
Dillon is quick to credit writer/creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern with striking that emotional balance.
"They spend so much time with real cops and so much time with the actors," he said. "Every script I get is exciting - it's like reading a book."
Co-star Enrico Colantoni ("Just Shoot Me," "Veronica Mars") said he gets plenty of feedback from real cops who watch the series and are grateful "that we're not depicting anybody as super heroes. They cut, they bleed."
Some quibble with the details.
"They say, 'An attack guy isn't going to do it like that,"' he said. "And I go: 'You know what, we're telling a story, too. Ask your wife if she liked it."'
The fact that the series occasionally shows the SRU making the wrong call in an emergency also works for Colantoni. "Mistakes are always made in real life. I like it when our show deals with the mistakes."
As for his own approach to the series, Colantoni sums it all up in a nutshell.
"If I'm doing a comedy I try to find the drama in it, and if I'm doing a drama I try to find as many pratfalls in it. I'm not even kidding." (Rest at link above)

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/2009-Midseason-TV-Preview-Flashpoint-14499.html
Jan 08--Flashpoint is a CBS drama series that centers on a team of people working for the SRU (inspired by Toronto’s Emergency Task Force.) Their job entails rescuing hostages, busting gangs, defusing bombs and scaling buildings. They also have skills at profiling, negotiating and trying to get into the suspect’s head. Because the they work in such high-risk situations, the team, which includes Sgt. Gregory Parker (Colantoni), Ed Lane (Dillon), Jules (Johnson), and Sam (Paetkau), all have to know how to deal with each unique, stressful situation they encounter and work together as a team to get the job done.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090108_flashpoint
Jan 08--INTERVIEW: HUGH DILLON, ENRICO COLANTONI BRING "FLASHPOINT" BACK TO CBS
By Jim Halterman …Besides the emotional impact involved that the actors bring to playing these cops, their acting job also lent itself to training with certain weapons to maintain authenticity to the series. "The only thing I'll say about the weapons training that I found unique and interesting," Dillon said, "is they have a 360-degree shooting range and nobody's ever seen it on TV or at least I've never seen it. Which means you can shoot in any direction. You're in a room and you can shoot in any direction and I found that incredible."
Colantoni added his thoughts on the teamwork he's witnessed in his research. "I think more than weapons it's the philosophy of the teamwork. I know that S.W.A.T. teams in America don't have the cohesiveness; they don't have the team mentality. They're usually cops on a beat and they get called in, they show up and they work as a S.W.A.T. [team] as opposed to ETF which work together all day long and they train together and that's what they do. They wait for calls and they go out. The unity on the team is so spectacular and that plays into the trust element and the safety element."
Both Dillon and Colantoni said they've spent time with members of the ETF and have received glowing marks from them in regards to the stories played out in the series. "Personally," Dillon revealed, "I get a lot of the real guys the cops- calling me afterwards, kind of critiquing the show and the overwhelming response is, and I'm paraphrasing, I don't watch cop shows and I'm a cop but this show is spectacular. And these guys will point out any small little thing but they're pretty excited. The other thing is some of the real guys love the show because now their family and kids kind of get to see what they do."  (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/105359/flashpoint_interview.php
The Weapons Training of Flashpoint with Enrico Colantoni and Hugh Dillon
by Troy Rogers
Excerpt of larger interview:  After a successful first season on CBS, the cops of the SRU task force return for a second run of Flashpoint on CBS, as actors Hugh Dillon and Enrico Colantoni suit up to rescue hostages, take down gangs, dismantle bombs, and scale buildings on the side of elite law enforcement. Premiering January 9 at 9m, Flashpoint will see Dillon and Colantoni step back into their roles as Ed Lane and Sgt. Gregory Parker as the two tactical team members begin another round of negotiating, profiling and applying their psychological strategies to diffuse a new season of hair raising and life threatening situations.
Leading up to the second season premiere of Flashpoint, we scored a few brief minutes with Hugh Dillon and Enrico Colantoni to talk about the real E.T.F. and the weapons training they received for the show, which will undoubtedly be put to the test in season two.
THE DEADBOLT: Hugh, what surprised you about the E.T.F. before the season began?
HUGH DILLON: How human they are. That’s really it in a nutshell. They’re just decent people, very human. Before, all I ever saw were the uniforms and that’s it. (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/01/sepinwall_on_tv_flashpoint_sea.html
Jan 08 excerpt--Sepinwall on TV: 'Flashpoint' season two review
by Alan Sepinwall/The Star-Ledger
And then there are the columns where I'd like a mulligan - or, at least, where I'm grateful that the nature of series TV gives me the chance to revisit a show and revise my initial judgment.
Take "Flashpoint," the Canadian co-production that debuted in the summer and returns to CBS' lineup at 9 p.m. tomorrow. Back in July, I dismissed it as one of the lesser pop culture exports from our neighbors to the great white north, calling it "completely forgettable."
Only I didn't forget it. During the slow late summer months, I found myself watching more episodes than I skipped. And when I popped in a review screener with three episodes from the new season while I cleaned my desk, figuring I'd watch one episode at most, I found myself sticking around through all three - and not just because the Board of Health was on the verge of condemning my workspace. Is "Flashpoint" - about an elite unit of crisis-response cops in Toronto - ground-breaking, world-shaking television? No, but it's not trying to be. It's a straight-ahead genre show - old-fashioned, even by CBS crime drama standards - but if it's aiming low, it hits its target as accurately as its sniper hero, Ed Lane (Hugh Dillon).
And if there's one element that you wouldn't expect from such a noisy show, it's the quiet, intense performance by veteran Canadian hard-rocker Dillon. Though co-star Enrico Colantoni is more recognizable to American viewers, Dillon's the drawing card. Blue-eyed and bullet-headed, he looks like he could be Michael Chiklis' taller, better-looking kid brother. The "Flashpoint" producers have gotten very good at tempering the action with moments where Dillon gets to show the pain behind the eyes that are looking through the rifle scope in a familiar hostage situation.
 (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=262219
Jan 08--"Flashpoint," CBS' summer SWAT-team replacement series, returns to play with the prime-time big boys at midseason at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, on WBBM Channel 2. Friday being one of the weaker nights of television, that means "Flashpoint" won't face much more competition than it did last summer, when it was enough of a hit to merit a second go-round, but in fact any competition at all puts this simplistic cop show in jeopardy…. It's a nice, engaging series, a co-production of CBS and Canada's Pink Sky Entertainment, but at that it's something less than the morally complex and highly dramatic police programs U.S. viewers have grown accustomed to, from "Hill Street Blues" more than 25 years ago to "The Shield" this fall.
"Flashpoint" sets itself some very humble ambitions and sets up some very obvious conflicts to arrive at a quick and easy weekly conclusion. Not to disparage our neighbors to the north, but it's sort of like playing no-contact ice hockey with soccer-size goals. Even when it scores, it's not much worth celebrating.
 (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/arts/television/06bshow.html?em
Jan 05--FLASHPOINT (CBS, Friday) A second season for the low-budget Canadian police drama.  (my note: Low budget???)

http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/561563
Jan 05--The good news is the mid-season return of the addictive police procedural Flashpoint, a well-deserved ratings hit here on CTV and on CBS in the U.S. Led by Canadians Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars) and Hugh Dillon (Durham County), the superior cop series showcases our own gleaming metropolis – on this rare occasion, representing itself

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/01/04/this-week-in-tv-jan-5-11.aspx
Jan 04--Flashpoint  Programming execs must have made a New Year’s resolution to correct weak Friday night lineups, because I have never seen a stronger roster. Flashpoint was a breakout hit both in Canada and the States. The series depicts the Strategic Response Unit team (inspired by Toronto’s Emergency Task Force) and in this episode, the SRU handles a VIP protection shift at a downtown hotel that goes horribly awry when a philanthropist’s past catches up with him. Colm Feore and Wendy Crewson guest star. (CTV, CBS, 9 p.m.)

http://news.therecord.com/arts/article/465465
Dec 31 2008--Borders have come down for Canadian TV
Excerpt: Flashpoint star Enrico Colantoni says he's excited that Canadians are showcasing their talent on a major platform they've rarely had access to.
His CTV show, about an elite team of Toronto-based hostage negotiators, was picked up by CBS in the summer and became the first Canadian series since Due South in 1994 to air in network prime time in both Canada and the United States.
"It's only been on nine times in the United States so they still don't know it's a Canadian show,'' Colantoni said recently, referring to Flashpoint's summer debut, when it scored strong ratings on both sides of the border.
"It's coming back in January, (and) not in the summer -- it's coming back with other heavy-hitter shows. I think this year we're going to get the recognition factor way up.'' (REST AT LINK ABOVE)

http://weblogs.redeyechicago.com/showpatrol/2008/12/flashpoint-music.html
Dec 30 2008--CBS’ sleeper hit from last summer, “Flashpoint” returns at 8 p.m. Jan. 9. I’ll post a review soon, but first I wanted to share a couple of musical finds from the episodes I was sent to view.
The new eps feature some terrific songs by two wonderful folk artists.
First up is Kim Taylor (right), an Ohio songwriter and performer whose “I Am You” is used in the Jan. 9 episode called “Eagle Two.” I love it, but couldn’t find it anywhere online, so I e-mailed her rep, who told me the song hasn’t been released yet, but will be posted on Taylor’s MySpace page and Web site soon. You can listen to it here first though.

   

Comments

[annieb1955.livejournal.com]

Bless you for these, and you've got my absolute favorite guy as your icon.

I know... I don't need another fandom either but it's hard to resist, isn't it? I'm just waiting to see S2 ep 3 now.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I don't see Flashpoint as being a fandom like SGA...at least not yet, but it's *very* close. It's a show I love watching, I like the characters (Ed, in particular), and well, it's made in Canada, and they're not trying to disguise it. :)

[yellow-freshia.livejournal.com]

The fact that you already posted this list after searching for the articles says you already have been sucked into the void! It's Canadian and it's... well Canadian. What more do you need? LOL

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this might be Due South all over again ;) hmmm, who is that in your icon? Looks familiar...

[yellow-freshia.livejournal.com]

It's Christopher Plummer.