HIT CRIME DRAMA "FLASHPOINT" RETURNS TO ION TELEVISION WITH ALL-NEW SEASON FIVE PREMIERING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16 AT 11:00PM ET/PT

NEW YORK (September 26, 2012) - How far can, and will, law enforcement go to keep the peace? What happens when peace doesn't feel the same as justice? That's the question faced by the Strategic Response Unit (SRU) on the new and highly-anticipated fifth season of Flashpoint, the popular crime drama, premiering on ION Television on Tuesday, October 16 at 11:00 P.M. ET/PT.

The thirteen, original one-hour episodes (airing Tuesdays at 11:00 P.M. ET/PT) follow Team One, an elite police unit that specializes in high-risk critical incidents and faces their toughest challenges yet. While trained in physical and emotional tactics to deal with extreme situations, they find themselves contemplating the very reasons they chose their paths as police officers. For Team One, the deeply personal journeys of the group pulsate through each episode, building to a powerful finale.

Flashpoint, a nail-biting cop drama, is an emotional journey into the tough, risk-filled lives of a group of police in the Strategic Response Unit. Members of a highly-skilled tactical team, they're trained in negotiating, profiling and getting inside the subject's head to understand the emotional breaking point (the "flashpoint") that triggered the crisis. The series stars an impressive list of talent, including Hugh Dillon (Durham County) as Ed Lane, team leader and lead sniper; Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars) as Gregory Parker, team sergeant and head negotiator; Amy Jo Johnson (Felicity) as Julianna "Jules" Callaghan, profiler and secondary negotiator; David Paetkau ("Whistler") as Sam Braddock, the young, hot-shot sniper; Sergio Di Zio (Just Buried) as Mike "Spike" Scarlatti, bomb tech and communications specialist; and Clé Bennett (The Line) as Rafik "Raf" Rousseau, Team One's newest diamond-in-the-rough recruit.

Flashpoint is produced by Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with CTV and ION Television. Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos serve as executive producers, and co-creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern helm the writing department. David Frazee is the Series Consultant.

About ION Television

A leading U.S. general entertainment network, ION Television combines high-quality programming and dependable distribution with an attitude of innovation and growth. Its "Positively Entertaining" network brand positioning features a formula of proven series, an expansive catalog of blockbuster movies and a commitment to introduce new original programming. ION Television is one of the fastest growing networks in the nation. A top 15-rated entertainment network among Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54, ION is the only entertainment network with double-digit growth three years in a row. For more information, visit www.iontelevision.com.