CTV looks to have another homegrown hit on its hands, as the series premiere of action drama Flashpoint grabbed a boffo 1.1 million viewers in the challenging Friday 10 p.m. timeslot. The show aired in simulcast with CBS, where the Toronto-set cop drama reached over eight million Americans and won the night.

Executive producers Bill Mustos and Anne Marie La Traverse tell Playback Daily the numbers are ‘extraordinary’ for the Friday timeslot, and add they’re especially pleased the show grew its audience in the second half-hour.

‘That’s really what you want…because the networks’ promotional campaign can bring the audience to the show, but then the show has to grow its viewership. We were really happy that pattern existed both on CBS and CTV,’ says Mustos, who produces through Avamar Entertainment.

La Traverse, who produces through Toronto’s Pink Sky Entertainment, celebrated her birthday on Monday as the Canadian numbers were released. ‘The idea that on Friday night something like 9.2 million people saw the show is just the most incredible gift,’ she says.

The second half of Flashpoint, about members of a police task force, grew to 8.2 million in the U.S. and 1.2 million in Canada. An encore episode on Sunday at 10 p.m. drew 625,000 viewers, peaking at 647,000 on CTV. (All numbers 2+.)

The show arrived amid a substantial print, web, TV and billboard campaign from CTV, where execs are understandably pleased.

‘To be number one in North America underscores, yet again, the talent in this country,’ commented programming boss Susanne Boyce in a release. The 13-part series is the first homegrown, since CTV’s Due South in the mid-’90s, to air in primetime in both Canada and the U.S.

Flashpoint is entering production on its 10th episode this week and will wrap towards the end of August. The producers say it’s too early to think about a second season.

‘We’re taking it one broadcast night at a time and keeping our fingers crossed,’ says La Traverse, adding, ‘We really hope people will come back.’

Episode two, airing Friday at 10 p.m., guest stars Henry Czerny (The Tudors, Mayerthorpe) as a distraught father who takes a surgical team hostage in order to get a heart transplant for his daughter.