TV Jots

Who Knew Canadian TV Is So Good?

Talk about a change of heart. I remember the pilot episode of CBS’ new police procedural Flashpoint very well, not because it Wow!-ed me, but because I fell asleep twice in the first twenty minutes before finally giving up on it. The boredom was overpowering.

Thankfully, I was recording the episode while watching. Yet, it still took three more attempts over the weekend to finally make it all the way through the hour. And I would have left the show behind after that if I didn’t know first episodes often are not the best way to judge the merit of an entire series.

So, after sticking with Flashpoint since the beginning, I’m now glad to report it really has been doing an increasingly better job of keeping me entertained. Each week, more familiar guest stars appear, and they’ve all contributed to the show’s development a great deal.

It’s the plots, however, that have been winning me over the most as they grow more accomplished from episode to episode. Last week’s “Attention Shoppers,” which focused on a poor teenage girl attacked in a mall by a group of female ganbangers from her neighborhood, was among the best hours of scripted television I watched all week, right up there with my summer staples Burn Notice, The Closer, Eureka, Monk, Psych, and Stargate Atlantis.

Thanks, CBS, for this Canadian import. I hope the series gets a second season to continue recruiting fans. And if you’re not watching or ditched the show early because of its initial sluggishness, give it a try (again); you might be surprised how much Flashpoint has improved.