Republic of Doyle

As a native Newfoundlander, my opinions on this show have to be coloured by that rather important fact, but I have tried to divorce my feelings for my home from my review of the program.

As is plainly written on the Republic of Doyle web site, this show is cut from the same mould as The Rockford Files and Magnum PI. It's mostly a comedy with just enough mystery plot to hold the whole thing together. If you are expecting CSI on the East Coast, you will be disappointed. However, if you are looking for interesting characters that are true Newfoundlanders, with all the irreverence, dry wit and lust for life that the term implies, then this show will definitely entertain you.

Shot in and around St. John's, Nfld, on admittedly the largest number of nice weather days I've seen in a row, Republic takes full advantage of the visual variety of both the city and the surroundings. Dramatic shots of steep hills and brightly coloured houses backdropped by the harbour make even unlikely car chases appear really dramatic. I've driven those streets. Car chases on those hilly, narrow and winding streets is a fast way to a trip to the hospital. Still, they look like a lot of fun, and that's the point of it all, so it works a treat.

The strength of the series, though, is the characters and their interactions. For a brand new series, the recurring characters have a sense of solidity and reality that usually takes several seasons to achieve. The humour is appropriate to the place and people. As a Newfoundlander, I "get" the humour; I can only hope that others find it just as amusing. The other thing that reads very true is the dialogue. Having listened to a great many people butcher both the accent and the common terms of speech, it is refreshing to find dialogue that really could be heard on the streets of the city on any given day.

All-in-all, this is an hour of your life that you will be glad you spent in Newfoundland. If you can't get "Republic of Doyle" where you live, check out the CBC web site where you can watch the episodes online.

I came to this show late, after friends praised it to me.

I'm so sorry I didn't start watching it from the beginning.

The thing with me was that it was a CBC television production. Although I love CBC radio, the majority of CBC TV shows have been ... well ... weak. There have been a few exceptions, of course, but that hasn't been the way to bet.

This show is one of those exceptions. It's light, humorous, well written, and most of all, entertaining. It's just flat out entertaining. The plots are fun and interesting and there are just enough twists to keep us guessing, and to offer a surprise every once in a while.

The actors do a great job and are all very likable. I think that may be one of the main reasons that the show does well. I heard that they scored 1.2 million viewers on the last episode. That's an impressive number.

I'm not a Newfoundler so I don't think I'm biased, although I am from Nova Scotia so I know buckets full of people from The Rock. From my outsider experience, the dialogue and the attitudes they show towards each other are very accurate.

I honestly believe Newfoundlanders are the friendliest people on earth, and you get a taste of that from this series.

Bravo to CBC for putting this on and bravo to the writers and cast for a good, enjoyable, TV show.

If you had said last season that this show was a little cheesy, I would have agreed. I mean, Jake is right out of the 70's in so many ways. He hasn't really grown up but the show has grown up around him this season in my opinion. The characters are deeper, the plots more complex and interesting, and a lot of the lame situations have been benched in favour of better material.

Do Newfoundlanders really talk like that? And what's with the brightly coloured houses? Where can I get a GTO like that? Little glimpses of maritime Canada I suppose.

If you're looking for realism and big-budget effects, you won't find satisfaction here. But this show is good fun and a reliable source of entertainment. Good work!

I've never visited the province of Newfoundland and Labrador but I consider the entire population to be my friends. I've always been intrigued by the populace due to their unique accent/dialect, their music, their food such as fish and brewis and their booze. I've watched a lot of NTV and have learned a great deal about their province. These are hardy, tough and determined people living on a rock where Canada's worst weather occurs. They love to fight. The idea of an action comedy-drama show set there is a brilliant idea.

Allan Hawco, the star, co-creator, executive producer, head writer and showrunner of Republic Of Doyle, plays Jake Doyle, a PI in St John's, NFLD&L. Doyle is a fearless man who isn't afraid to die in the line of fire for justice. He is aided by his father Malachy (Sean McGinley) and his step-mother Rose (Lynda Boyd), who usually go online to dig up dirt on his targets. He also has Des Courtney (Mark O'Brien), a stammering youth who helps/hinders him. There's also Katrina Doyle (Marthe Bernard), a cute-as-a-button, Janet Wood-type who works for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

Unlike Magnum P.I., RoD is more like typical T.V. as an entire season of story lines occur throughout its run. It's a deft mix of drama, comedy and action in the streets of the capital city. It's unique to see crime fighting take place in a smaller city like St. John's than in, say, New York, L.A. or Toronto.

If you're obsessed with Newfoundland like I am, this show is a must- watch. Even if you're not, it's much better than 85% of T.V. today and it's just only hitting its prime. It's a fun romp every time I watch. I also have to commend Mr. Hawco on his taste in women as he hires knockouts on his show. Only in RoD could some beautiful lady in a mini-dress be the mastermind behind a mad bomber.

Newfoundland and Labrador is taking over, people.

Just watched the very last episode in the final season and the series gathered momentum from the beginning to the end. I got very attached to the characters and will miss them which showed that the characters were well developed. The stories were good as well. Sexual tension between the pairs was irritating along the way but in the end that was satisfying. The stand out acting came from Jake and Des although the whole cast was very good and convincing in their roles. Des provided much of the humour. The island setting was beautiful and colourful. The very last episode and even the few before that were riveting and the series ended on a very good note.