Flash, Dance and Blades Put CanCon on Top

Another big weekend for Canadian TV as six home grown, non-news shows cracked the million mark. Among the success stories:
Saturday’s Leafs/Vancouver game drew 2,306,000 Hockey Night in Canada viewers in a clash of two of Canada’s top market hockey clubs (all figures BBM Canada overnight estimates).
The season finale of So You Think You Can Dance Canada waltzed off with 1,689,000 viewers, with Lethbridge, Alta.’s Tara Jean Popowich (above, left) crowned as the nation’s latest dance queen.
Flashpoint led all Canadian scripted shows with 1,560,000 Friday night viewers on CTV. It was also the most-watched show–American or Canadian–on the night.
Battle of the Blades scored another 1,553,000 viewers Sunday with greying Lanny McDonald sitting in the guest judges chair.
TSN’s Saturday afternoon B.C./Sask. CFL tilt tackled 1,165,000 viewers. Sports fans also stuck around for HNiC‘s Game Two Saturday (1,119,000).
Another four CTV newscasts, evening and national, cracked the weekend million mark, with CTV’s Friday Evening newser hitting close to 1.5 mil.
Just outside the million mark, CBC pony drama Heartland continues to gallop, winning 906,000 family viewers. Other Canadian PPM numbers from a busy weekend: The Ron James Show (584,000 Friday on CBC), Stargate Universe (389,000 Fri., Space), Toronto-lensed sci-fi kids show Aaron Stone (three shows between 362,000-371,000 Sun., Family) and Global’s The Guard (346,000, Fri.).
Beating them all was CTV’s simulcast of CBS’s Amazing Race Sunday (2,619,000 “commercial”). Desperate Housewives drew 1,353,000 the same night. CBC’s well-placed Sunday afternoon movie Monsters, Inc. scared up 836,000 viewers. YTV found 473,000 Charlie Brown Halloween fans Friday, and Saturday Night Live scored 333,000 on Global.