LOS ANGELES — "Flashpoint" may be much more than a U.S. flash in the pan.

CBS is so pleased with last Friday's premiere ratings for their Canadian-produced drama that -- if it continues to perform beyond expectations -- they could extend the series beyond the existing 13-episode summer order.

That was confirmed Friday by Nina Tassler, president, CBS Entertainment, who was speaking to reporters attending the semi-annual Television Critics Association press tour.

"Flashpoint," a rare, cross-border co-production between CBS and CTV, drew 8.13 million viewers on CBS last Friday night, scoring an additional 1.1 million Canadian viewers on CTV.

The police drama easily won its time slot in both countries, ranking as the fifth most-watched show across Canada last week.

"Flashpoint" follows the adventures of an elite police task force. Set in Toronto, it stars Enrico Colantoni and Hugh Dillon.

It is one of a handful of Canadian-produced shows to find places on U.S. network schedules in the wake of the 100-day writers' strike last winter.

Tassler says casting beyond the U.S. borders for content is not simply a strike "aberration" but part of the new economic reality of television. Her network plans to continue to look to "foreign" broadcasters for future CBS shows.