On CTV, the police drama was a big hit, averaging 1.4 million viewers a week. On CBS, it did a decent job on different nights, finding a steady 10 or 11 million viewers a week and winning its Friday night slot.
Then came an opportunity for CBS to acquire a show it has more of an ownership stake in - NBC's "Medium" - bumping "Flashpoint" into mid-season status. Worse, CBS still has not made a decision to pay its share of production costs beyond the nine original unaired episodes it still has on the shelf.
CTV went out on a limb in June and announced it would order a third season of 13 episodes. But without a major American partner, there is some question as to what that show would look like and if it could even go forward.
"Flashpoint" may be a victim of the new TV math. A fifth season of "Medium" just has a bigger upside for CBS. They cash in on back-end revenues from future syndication and DVD sales. "Flashpoint" is three or four years away from cracking the magic 100 episode barrier.CBS could ask for an extension on the decision beyond October, a delay which would allow them to more fully assess which if any of their new fall shows might fail. If that were to happen, having "Flashpoint" on the bench - a series that consistently won its timeslot in households and has already established a fan base -would be a competitive plus.
It is no plus for "Flashpoint" producers Mustos and Anne Marie La Traverse, however, to stick with CBS into November or December if CBS only sees the series a short-term solution. Its currency as a property to shop elsewhere goes down every month it stays off the air.
Mustos mused at the press tour party that the versatility of "Flashpoint" might actually work against it. CBS sees it as a proven if unspectacular draw it can slap in on any night to plug a hole. It is like the utility hockey player who can jump over the boards and win face-offs, kill penalties and doesn't come at a superstar salary. You'd rather have the player on your bench than on that of your opponents.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Flashy, but not too Flashy
BILL BRIOUX has a typically well-summarized account of the pickle Flashpoint finds itself in. As the man said, "An interesting problem to have..." but still:
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9 rumbles:
Now is (way past the) time to start talking about how the show has done internationally.
You don't pine after the prom queen surrounded by a bunch of sharky jocks when the cute girl with the glasses who knows the Martian Manhunter's real name wants to take you out to the parking lot.
"Now is (way past the) time to start talking about how the show has done internationally."
Meaning - find out who bought it. Sell them on Season 3 now and move forward.
Denis:
I swore after I got attached to Blood Ties and saw it go that I'd NEVER get attached to another Canadian show and damned if it hasn't happened again. I got attached to Flashpoint and now it seems like it's happening all over again. Why can't american networks listen to the viewers, are they deaf. Of course you know that's a rhetorical question. I guess I should get out my black veil and start mourning Flashpoint now and prepare myself to see it go.
Networks like lifetime and CBS encourage people to turn off theif TV sets and start reading books again.
M. Cunningham speaks wisdom, I think.
Cunningham speaks truth.
And the reality is that networks see all series they don't own as utility players.
There will always be another show that's momentarily hotter, cheaper or made by somebody they owe a favor.
That's the game. It's surprising that Mustos doesn't know that.
That's what happens when you're such a cheap date. If the US were investing millions - or even half the cost - into the show, they wouldn't be so quick to cut it. But it costs them pennies - so why not throw those coppers at the next bright, shiny object that comes along. There's a long line-up outside those US network doors.
Deborah -
The point is you shouldn't be depending on the nice, shiny US of A with the big sweater. It will only dump you for the new captain of the Football team. It doesn't even know Hockey.
You should be investing your time elsewhere. Have we all learned nothing from John Hughes?
Cunningham,
I didn't say I was investing my time exclusively in the US, just that Canadians should stop whining about what happens to their shows when they work with partners from elsewhere.
We are always dependent on some other entity for financing as the Canadian broadcasters do not pay enough to finance a one-hour drama out of Canada. $1.2 million an episode doesn't cut it anymore - that was the magic number of license fee, CTF and tax credit. Today, that leaves a $200,000 gap, minimum. The only broadcaster forced to pay more is CBC, who cannot attract other money and is forced to fill regional requirements. So, to fill their schedule, they rely on British supposed co-productions, like The Tudors, which is a Showtime drama. Or how about CTV's Defying Gravity, a Fox International drama where Fox is in for $900,000 an episode.
It's all about the broadcasters saving money. What is the best deal to be had? Whether it's a US or international partner, doesn't matter as long as it's cheap for all involved.
And just because Canada never cancels a show mid-run, doesn't mean other countries are so timid or uncaring about viewership or waste of money.
That's the nature of the business. In the past week, I've been fielding calls from Europe and Singapore, looking for ways to partner and spread the wealth. The US is just another partner.
In an amusing turn, I know of an American CanCon show that went down because a Canadian network cancelled it.
It's always a struggle and a major juggling act.
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