‘Flashpoint’ producers say they want CTV cop show to end on a high note
Posted May 1, 2012 05:31:14 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO – The producers of CTV’s cop drama “Flashpoint” say they want to end the homegrown hit on a high note and give fans an “explosive” series conclusion.
That’s why Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos said Tuesday that they are ending the Toronto-shot procedural with a fifth and final season this fall.
“Every creative producer knows in their heart of hearts, in their gut, when it’s time to end a series on the creative level,” said La Traverse.
“And we’ve been talking about this for a very, very long time, Bill and I, and we really felt that this was the right moment to do it.”
“Flashpoint” stars Hugh Dillon and Enrico Colantoni as members of an elite Toronto police force.
It debuted in July 2008 on CTV and CBS, when it was the first Canadian series since “Due South” to air in network prime time on both sides of the border.
CBS later dropped the series from its lineup and it now airs in the United States on the specialty network ION Television.
La Traverse dismissed reports the show had been cancelled, insisting CTV wanted the show to go on.
Production on the final 13 new episodes is underway and expected to wrap at the end of June.
La Traverse said the cast and crew were told Tuesday that the series would end.
“It was an emotional day,” she said.
“When you’re involved in a television series you never know when it’s going to end but I think everybody really understands that we’re working on a really special season this year and everyone’s really proud of the work that we’ve done.”
“Flashpoint” has won 11 Gemini Awards, including best drama series, best writing, best direction and best actor.
Musto said they began talking about ending the series six weeks ago.
He said roughly half of the episodes had been written by the time they sat down with writer-creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern.
That allowed them to “feather in” storylines into the second half of the season and map out a satisfying ending, he said.
La Traverse said “there’s an organic creative life to everything.
“People choose to go on for many, many years to produce and make television shows beyond their prime and we think this is our prime.”
