The tv schedule is available for 17 June and guess what! The Flashpoint season 4 premiere is NOT there as had been announced. It is a repeat of the season 3 finale. What the fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If ever there was cause to hate CBS (and there has already been cause in plenty) pushing back the Canadian season premiere of a Canadian show because they, the American broadcaster, don’t like it is just unacceptable. Get back to your own country or dare i say i am just pissed off enough by all of this shit from CBS over the years to take it as an invasion and declaration of war.

It is time to show CBS just what it means to bear arms. Tell CTV you are tired of them letting a foreign broadcaster dictate the broadcast of a domestic show. Normally there are campaigns to send things to a network to get them to renew a show. Perhaps we should gather at our local CTV stations armed with rifles, tear gas, and a negotiator and show “Canada’s Number 1 Network” that it needs to realise it is not bound to foreign dictators. We can’t actually do that but that is probably what it would take to get CTV off their ass. CTV, stop the simulcasting, put the fourth season of Flashpoint on Tuesdays in advance of CBS. Let them keep the show on Fridays or force them to move it to Tuesdays with you. It is time to stand up for yourself as a Canadian entity and stop bending over and being CBS’ bitch.

CTV, seriously look at the historical ratings data. When you show Flashpoint in advance of CBS the Canadian ratings are always better than when you simulcast new episodes. O wait, you already acknowledge that in the press release announcing season 5. So, what the hell? We viewers are not looking for a repeat of an episode that we already own on DVD when it is taking the place of a new episode in the broadcast schedule.

For further evidence of how this works i refer CTV back to their own medical crime drama set in Toronto, The Listener, which has no American broadcaster and which was renewed 3 days ago for a 3rd season. Also announced was the 18 episode 5th season of Flashpoint. If CTV can make The Listener work without having an American broadcaster involved then surely they can do the same with Flashpoint, which does about 40% better in total viewers and surely commands higher advertising fees. Both shows have large international distribution. CBS is on the outs with Flashpoint so how about you stop kissing their ass and show them you can do it without them.

This issue isn’t unique to Flashpoint. The season 2 premiere of rookie blue was scheduled for 16 June until ABC decided it would be better to put on 23 June due to potential conflict with the NBA playoffs.  It is one week. And the announcement went out many, many weeks in advance. Global confirmed their change with plenty of notice. Such is not the case with Flashpoint. CTV & Bell have decided to let most of their fans know when they check their online, print, or DCT guide and find it is not season 4 like they were expecting.  That is what i did tonight. That is disrespecting your viewers. That is the shit that has me endorsing file sharing as reciprocal disrespect.  Or you can go the more legal  route and import the first three seasons in full from Australia, or buy the first two seasons at your local Best Buy and just get season 3 from Australia. Unlike the US ‘season 3′ the one from Australia is really the full season 3 and not part of season 2 and part of season 3.  (This is one of those other reasons to hate CBS.)

UPDATE : Apparently the producers of Flashpoint have announced the change in broadcast on various social media. I can’t find it on @Flashpoint_TV or facebook.com/CTV.Flashpoint That still doesn’t absolve CTV from refusing to issue an update.