Flashpoint came back with guns blazing Friday night, scoring a record 1,883,000 viewers for the third season launch. That is CTV only, out of simulcast. Carumba!
The Toronto-based cop show, starring Enrico Colantoni and Hugh Dillon (gamely flanking some press weasel at last June’s ad upfront, above) was part of a big night for CTV. The Broken Business Model network saw Ghost Whisperer scare up 1,719,000 at 8 and Medium return large with 1,463,000 at 9. It all added up to another huge night for the 11 p.m. CTV National News, with 1,329,000 counted on the commercial scale.
In the U.S. on CBS, relocated Medium proved a good fit behind Ghost Whisperer, building on that show’s lead. Slipping was Numb3rs at 10. Unless they reached a deal with the producers on an extension, CBS has until Oct. 1 to re-up Flashpoint. If Numb3rs continues to decline, and CTV’s big night is any indication, CBS could do worse than make it a Ghost-Medium-Flash Friday. Just sayin.’
Global drew 573,000 Friday for Dollhouse, another 678,000 nationally for Numb3rs according to BBM Canada PPM overnight estimates.
City managed solid numbers for the launch of its new Wednesday night comedies. Cougar Town with Counteney Cox Arquette drew 480,000 nationally, with The Jay Leno Show still a factor with 500,000 viewers at 10. The funniest show of the new season, Modern Family, is off to a slower start with 272,000 City viewers across Canada. It opened much stronger proportionally Stateside, drawing 12.74 million ABC viewers last Wednesday.
Over on A channel, Law & Order–starting a record tying 20th season (tying Gunsmoke for longest-running prime time drama)–arrested 825,000 viewers.
Saturday saw the 35th season premiere of Saturday Night Live welcomed by 437,000 viewers at 11:35 on Global. Hockey Night in Canada pulled 1,031,000 for a Toronto-Detroit pre-season tilt.
