BEVERLY HILLS, CA–Apparently Charlie Sheen has left Two and a Half Men. Critics seemed pretty worked up at Wednesday’s CBS executive session, demanding entertainment president Nina Tassler do some sort of pennance for Sheen’s excesses. In past press tours she always stuck up for the dude. This time she just kept saying things like, “who could have predicted we would have been here six months ago?” Tassler is good at this kind of bulls#*! My Dad Says.
Critics wanted to know why Sheen’s replacement, Ashton Kutcher, wasn’t at press tour. Her excuse that he was too busy on the set of the sitcom did not go over well in the room. Tassler kept saying “moving forward” and “outstanding” and basically bobbed and weaved like Sugar Ray in his prime.
So what about Flashpoint, I asked Tassler in the scrum. In past press tours, Tassler always hedged on the Toronto-lensed cop series, letting her Canadian partners hang in the wind until the day in October when CBS had to pick up their option on the series. This time she was less ambiguous. “I don’t think so,” she said when asked if CBS plans to extend their involvement with the CTV series beyond this current summer order. Basically, it sounds like Flashpoint is finis at CBS.
This news comes on the same day it is announced that Flashpoint earned more Gemini nominations than any other Canadian-produced TV show. Still, it was clearly a bigger hit in Canada than in the U.S. All that Canadian money made the series a cheap summer bench player for CBS, but it was not trending up Stateside. CBS is probably ready to gamble that they can get more viewers with even cheaper reality fare next summer.
When I spoke with executive producers Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos in June they seemed resigned to finding a new partner to replace CBS. U.S. cable network ION is already involved in the series.
For more on Tassler, Sheen and Flashpoint, follow this link to my full CBS executive session report at Toronto.com.
3 Comments
Is ION being blocked from the Toronto area market (over the air)? I just saw a Rogers’ Omni ad touting post transition channels including 51. Wiki states ION as 23 yet still listing three subchannels at 51.
Earlier this year the CRTC also granted a niche fm radio station a local position at 98.7, which will interfere – as tested out last summer – with Kiss 98.5 from Buffalo’s market, leaving Rogers’ own Kiss brand T.O. station free and clear. And full powered unlike Z103.5.
p.s. I still cannot find any converters in Toronto – other than the terribly reviewed Access model, finally reaching local store shelves.
“When I spoke with executive producers Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos in June they seemed resigned to finding a new partner to replace CBS. U.S. cable network ION is already involved in the series.”
* ION isn’t a cable network.
* ION is replacing CBS as the American involvement with Flashpoint.
* All of your querying and ranting about CBS not picking up Flashpoint when they already sold it to ION makes you look really out of the loop and petty. This news which you still don’t seem to comprehend regarding ION was made public over SIX MONTHS ago. CBS’ last broadcast of a new episode of Flashpoint is 15 days from now and then maybe they will toss in a repeat or 4 until the new stuff comes on.
Wasn’t ranting, just reporting. CTV would much rather be in business with CBS–and count all those simulcast viewers–than ION. Losing CBS means less viewers, less production money for this series.