CBS' "Flashpoint", Fridays 10pm.

[firehawk12]

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/flashpoint/

So, this was a show that was picked up during the writer's strike, but the strike didn't last long enough. I guess they had to air it though, since they signed a contract.

It's about Toronto's ETF unit, which is basically their version of SWAT. (Although, it's called "SRU" on the show). So, as you can tell, it's basically a police procedural... although the emphasis is on the aftermath of a case rather than on the case itself.

I'm kind of curious to see what Americans think about it... I'm just watching it right now and they avoid any overt "Canadianisms" that I can notice. They don't even say "Toronto" as far as I can tell.

Oh, incidentally, this first episode is very loosely based on a real incident that happened several years ago, with a man holding his ex-wife hostage in one of the busiest locations in downtown Toronto in the middle of the day.

 

[eastman23]

I watched it last night (on CTV, the original network ). It was... okay. Not great, just okay. I'm going to stick with it for a while to see how it develops.

And you're right, I don't recall them saying Toronto or even showing a Canadian and/or Ontario flag in the background (which Canadian shows typically do - see "The Border" for an example). There was one shot of the city which obviously indicated it was in Toronto since the CN Tower was quite prominent.

[edit]
Oh, and what's up with characters in Canadian TV series (The Border, now Flashpoint) being former members of JTF2? Our supposedly secret special ops force is becoming less secret all the time.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I saw it too and thought about starting a thread. I enjoyed it and also plan to stick with it to see how it goes. I didn't know it was on CBS as well until I looked on the IMDb after the show was over. The thing that surprised me the most though was seeing Amy Jo Johnson as a cast member in a Canadian series. She was the pink Power Ranger a while back.

 

[Starbreaker]

I'll watch if it can compare to Standoff.

 

[jkladis]

I was just in Toronto where I first started seeing these spots and stories. It was confusing at first because of the National ambiguity while at the same time the local enthusiasm shown in media coverage. Looks like a good show.

 

[Aragorn]

Doesn't CBS have a hit with Swingtown? I wonder how this'll bode for other summer shows on the big networks.

FYI, Amy Jo Johnson is 37.

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

I watched it,it's going to have to grow on me. I'll give it a couple more episodes before I give up.

 

[firehawk12]

[edit]
Oh, and what's up with characters in Canadian TV series (The Border, now Flashpoint) being former members of JTF2? Our supposedly secret special ops force is becoming less secret all the time.

It's the Canadian version of SAS in terms of popular use now. Seems like writers are finally dipping into that well.
I'm pretty sure no one would have used or even heard of CSIS or JTF2 until Afghanistan... if this was the 90s, that guy would have transferred over from the RCMP or something.

 

[witchie]

It was okay. A little heavy at times. I'll watch it if Psych is boring, but it's definitely not must-see.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I watched it as well and thought it was pretty good. I do like the fact that it's set in Toronto yet that fact isn't shoved in the viewer's face, aside from one quick establishing shot of the CN Tower, the Toronto street cars and a "24" newspaper box. Sharp-eyed viewers can spot the Canadian flags on the unit's uniforms too.

 

[Star Wolf]

I watched it as well and thought it was pretty good. I do like the fact that it's set in Toronto yet that fact isn't shoved in the viewer's face, aside from one quick establishing shot of the CN Tower, the Toronto street cars and a '24' newspaper box. Sharp-eyed viewers can spot the Canadian flags on the unit's uniforms too.

It wasn't my eyes that caught it, the uniforms and rank insignia seemed odd, but then I've seen a couple of shows about Pittsburgh police and their badges and stuff were odd. And the Shield deliberately puts the badges on the wrong side to throw the viewer off.

It was my ears that caught it. When I heard 'constable' I said to myself 'oh Canadian'. Before that it was the infamous 'Metropolitan' police force. Even Enos from the Dukes of Hazard joined them.

Funny thing I've just been watching the first season of Adam-12 they had a show about the emotional reaction of the rookie Reed killing in the line of duty. Funny thing on the same disk another episode has his training officer Malloy showing 'command pressence' by holding down suspects with an empty weapon after he just killed. Like on most cop shows Malloy showed no remorse except when they made the episode about the remorse over killing But its a character driven show we will see if we care about them. Hostage standoff of the week or even drug stash raid of the week gets old fast. Waco or the SLA shootout is a once in a lifetime event. Or once a year on Third Watch.

 

[mostly_nameless]

I caught this tonight and was amazed at how boring they could make a hostage situation.

Do Canadians really grill their own cops like criminals after a police shoot? And, why did they take his clothes?

I probably won't watch another.

 

[firehawk12]

The SIU investigates all officers who discharge a firearm. I must imagine that American police investigate their own officers as well.

 

[Aragorn]

A really cool short-lived show about hostages and hostage negotiators was The Kill Point on Spike TV with Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo. Although the length of time they dragged it out over was pretty weak.

 

[Star Wolf]

The SIU investigates all officers who discharge a firearm. I must imagine that American police investigate their own officers as well.

Yes we do, most police shows would mention the IAB or IAD depending upon the jurisdiction. As I was saying about the almost 40 year old Adam-12 episodes we just don't make that the point of the show until you get to the episode where that is the point of the show. It certainly wouldn't be done in the first episode. Its like you want to show a firefight and cool para military stuff but then you are embarassed that you like it.

 

[Barbados Slim]

Watched it. Not watching it again. Pretty boring, dumb SWAT team members, like the girl who can't wait 30 seconds for an elevator key or the newbie with his flesh-colored beard pulling something out of his jacket or the perimeter guy who let's a teen boy through into the hostage kill zone.

I'll call it for this show: Sierra One...Scorpio! Scorpio!

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

Watched it. Not watching it again. Pretty boring, dumb SWAT team members, like the girl who can't wait 30 seconds for an elevator key or the newbie with his flesh-colored beard pulling something out of his jacket or the perimeter guy who let's a teen boy through into the hostage kill zone.

I'll call it for this show: Sierra One...Scorpio! Scorpio!

I guess if it all went down with no mistakes it wouldn't even be worth watching. The things that happened are all plausible and add to the story.

 

[Star Wolf]

Watched it. Not watching it again. Pretty boring, dumb SWAT team members, like the girl who can't wait 30 seconds for an elevator key or the newbie with his flesh-colored beard pulling something out of his jacket or the perimeter guy who let's a teen boy through into the hostage kill zone.

I'll call it for this show: Sierra One...Scorpio! Scorpio!

I guess if it all went down with no mistakes it wouldn't even be worth watching. The things that happened are all plausible and add to the story.

Since they seem to be going for realism either in real life the officer made the decision to take the stairs or for TV to show the she was bad assed she had to hump her gear up the steps since she wasn't going Rambo and blowing a squad away to save the team. There is a reason crime lab commander blows away more people a year then the entire Miami police department. There is a reason they say his show has taken over the BayWatch title as the most watched show on earth.

 

[Base_Delta_Zero]

Watching with a family of cops, this show was quickly revealed to be a comedy in cop drama's clothing.

It couldn't have been more ridiculous if it tried. Everything the cops did was wrong. The first officer fucking instigated the hostage situation when he didn't instanly blow away the guy who drew down on him. What was he waiting for? A bullet to enter his own skull or a hostage to be taken? Oh, wait.

And the "for reals? I can shoot him?" bullshit leading up to the kill shot. The sniper could have dropped that piece of shit at any moment, especially when he repeatedly took the gun away from the hostage's head to point it at his fellow officers...who were standing...out of cover. WTF?

And how the hell did someone breach the perimeter? Every cop in the city was there and some guy slow-mo 30 second countdown game winning touchdown runs his way in? Weak.

The whole "shoot investigation" was bullshit. The shot's echoes barely faded and here comes IAD and there they go raping the sniper in a back room with a broom handle. Gimme a fucking break. Who the hell was that plainclothes douche who couldn't handle the hostage situation but somehow takes charge of "securing" the sniper? The shit he pulled, he'd be lucky not to get his teeth knocked out of his head.

The only thing they got remotely right was an officer being seriously affected by being forced to use his weapon. Course they tempered it with the Pink Ranger and Secret Agent JTF2 super-sniper sexual tension and yet another gruff black CO. Nothing against skin color here, but is there some unspoken rule that "realistic" cop shows have a hugely disproportionate percentage of gruff black COs who bark orders and occassionally reveal sparks of humanity? That shit is spoofed for a reason.

And lastly, we get the son standing with the father's corpse. Guess his mom was a real bitch. If my dad had just killed my mom and then been killed by the police, I'd be standing over my mom's corpse after I'd pissed on my father's and shook the cop's hand who blew him away.

Canadian cops can't be this stupid, no matter what their hats look like.

Having ranted all that...I give it a B...

...kidding. It fails - F

 

[shivkala]

The review I read said Enrico Colantoni is the only bright spot of this show. It was his guest-spot on Stargate SG-1 that really showed me what a great actor he is (and how we was wasted on Just Shoot Me). Veronica Mars futhered this opinion.

Then, I was watching Galaxy Quest today and marvelling at how he and Tony Shalhoub really made the movie for me on this airing. I guess it's a sign of good acting when it took this, my third full viewing of the movie to really notice that it was him as Mathesar.

I share that review's hope that his role in this show and its airing on CBS catches someone's eye and gets him cast in another quality show (like Veronica Mars), though, for his sake, with higher ratings (or, you know, they could just bring back Veronica Mars!).