Republic of Doyle
Republic of Doyle is a Canadian comedy-drama television series set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which aired on CBC Television from January 6, 2010, to December 10, 2014.
The show stars Allan Hawco as private investigator and former police officer Jake Doyle and Seán McGinley as his father, retired police officer Malachy Doyle. They partner as private investigators with Rose Doyle, Malachy's second wife, played by Lynda Boyd, in St. John's. Krystin Pellerin stars as Constable/Sergeant Leslie Bennett, with Mark O'Brien as Desmond "Des" Courtney, who works with the Doyles, and Marthe Bernard as Katrina "Tinny" Doyle, Jake's niece and Malachy's granddaughter. Their cases involve them in all sorts of dealings – not all of them on the right side of the law.
The show was renewed on April 4, 2014, for a sixth and final season.
Cast
Main
- Allan Hawco – Jake Doyle
- Seán McGinley – Malachy Doyle
- Lynda Boyd – Rose Miller Rose Doyle
- Krystin Pellerin – Leslie Bennett
- Rachel Wilson – Dr. Nikki Renholds
- Mark O'Brien – Desmond "Des" Courtney
- Marthe Bernard – Katrina "Tinny" Doyle
- Bob Cole – Voice of the Republic
Recurring
- Steve O'Connell – Sergeant Daniel Hood
- Sean Panting – Walter McLean
- Shawn Doyle – Carl Maher
- Michelle Nolden – Allison Jenkins
- Jonathan Goad – Christian Doyle
- Krista Bridges - Kathleen Doyle
- Lola Tash – Sloan Daniels
- Rick Roberts – Mayor William Cadigan Clarke
- Jonathan Keltz – Grayson Mann
- Patricia Isaac – Monica Hayward
- Nicholas Campbell – Martin Poole
- Paul Gross – Kevin Crocker
- Gordon Pinsent – Maurice Becker
- Victor Garber – Garrison Steele
- Alan Doyle – Wolf Redmond
- Scott Grimes – Jimmy O'Rourke
Characters
- Jake Doyle – Jake is a 30-year-old man living with his father Malachy because his ex-wife Nikki kicked him out. A former cop, he works as a private investigator with his father, Mal, and his father's wife, Rose. He is over-protective of his 16-year-old niece, Tinny. He is the second son and youngest child of Mal Doyle and his late wife Emily Ann. He drives a 1968 Pontiac GTO and wears a black leather jacket, both of which figure prominently and iconically throughout the series. After years of pursuit, in Season Four he and Leslie Bennett become a couple. He also discovers in Season Five that he has a sixteen-year-old daughter, Sloan. Near the end of the series Sloan reveals to Jake that it was all a scam and she forged the DNA test and isn't actually Jake's daughter. In the series finale Leslie reveals to Jake that she is pregnant and after being shot by Inspector Pickard and she is in the hospital it is revealed to Jake that she is going to have twins.
- Leslie Bennett – Leslie is an Inspector in the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary who is friends/lovers with Jake and gives him information to help with his cases. Leslie is Jake's source of distraction from his cases and personal life. She and Jake have feelings for each other, but seem to show them the wrong way, making their relationship complicated. From season four onwards their relationship has been growing stronger, until a secret from her past resurfaces. At the end, she is the mother of two of Jake's children, with another baby of theirs on the way.
- Malachy Doyle – Malachy, known as Mal or Skipper and Poppy, is a private investigator with his son, Jake in their business "Doyle and Doyle." He is 56 and has 3 “grown” children: Christian, Kathleen and Jake. He also has a granddaughter named Tinny, who is living with him while her mother is away working in Alberta. His wife Rose lives with him, his granddaughter, and his youngest son Jake. He pokes fun at Jake's somewhat 'unsuccessful' relationships with women. He has since discovered he has a second granddaughter.
- Rose Doyle – Rose is Mal's wife, stepmother to Jake, Christian, and Kathleen, and step-grandmother to Tinny and Sloan. She works as the office manager/secretary for Doyle and Doyle. She seems to have a love/hate relationship with her husband's granddaughter Tinny and his son Jake, which has evolved over the series into motherly affection. Rose's criminal ex-husband, Martin Poole, keeps turning up.
- Nikki Renholds – Nikki is Jake's ex-wife. Nikki was a physician at a St. John's hospital. Nikki helped out with different cases in the first few episodes. She has since remarried, moved away, and has a son.
- Katrina 'Tinny' Doyle-Courtney – Tinny is the daughter of Kathleen Doyle. She lives with her grandfather, Mal or Poppy as she calls him, Uncle Jake and grandfather's wife, Rose. She is 16 and can't stand her grandfather and uncle's over-protective nature. She has a love/hate relationship with her grandfather's wife, Rose and one of the employees and main characters, Des Courtney. Tinny has since become a Constable with the Constabulary, and has begun dating Des. She is now Katrina 'Tinny' Doyle-Courtney after marrying Des.
- Des Courtney – Des is the fashion-challenged and delinquent graffiti artist who tags the town and Jake's beloved Pontiac GTO until Jake brings him to heel – and into the employ of Doyle and Doyle Investigations. He is 19 and has a crush on Tinny, leading Jake to dislike him. His real name is Pierce Redmond, and he is the son of the infamous, yet equally as dopey, Jody Redmond. Not wanting to be associated with his father, Des conceals his identity. He has grown from a delinquent to a valued member of Doyle & Doyle, specializing in the technological side of investigations. After a failed relationship with a medical student and surviving getting shot, he has begun dating Tinny. He is now married to Tinny Doyle-Courtney.
- Walter McLean – Walter has been Jake's best friend since kindergarten and his wing-man that used to be right behind Jake in a fight. Walter was Jake's lawyer in his divorce from his wife Nikki. Walter appears only sporadically. In season three he becomes romantically involved with Tinny's mother Kathleen. The status of their relationship is unknown, but presumed to be over.
- Allison Jenkins – Allison is the crown attorney and has all the things that turn Jake's head. What was once strictly professional turned into a romantic relationship, which ended when she realized Jake's feelings for Leslie were stronger than his feelings for her. She appeared briefly in season four.
- Sloan Daniels - Initially believed to be Jake's sixteen-year-old daughter that he had with high school flame Ellen Daniels, Sloan spent her time in group homes before meeting the Doyles. In "Whistleblower" her half-sister arrives and reveals to the Doyles that she is not Jake's daughter after all and was simply conning them. She is responsible for bankrupting the Doyles, and eventually attempts to turn herself in to the police to make things right before Jake stops her. She leaves to go to Gander to live with her aunt.
- Kevin Crocker - Jake's former partner on the force, and Tinny's biological father. Crocker was dismissed from the force for the presumed murder of a call girl, and has been on the run ever since. In Season Four he discovers that he is Tinny's father, much to Jake's initial dismay.
Production
Other producers include John Vatcher, Rob Blackie, Perry Chafe and Michael Levine.
In 2013, Republic of Doyle aired a fictional crossover with another CBC Television crime drama, Murdoch Mysteries. With the two shows set over 100 years apart, Hawco appeared on the November 25, 2013 episode of Murdoch Mysteries as Jacob Doyle, a 19th-century ancestor of Jake Doyle, while Yannick Bisson appeared on the January 29, 2014 episode of Republic of Doyle as Detective Bill Murdoch, a 21st-century descendant of his regular character Detective William Murdoch.
Season synopses
Season One
Premiering on January 6, 2010, the show introduces Allan Hawco as Jake Doyle and Sean McGinley as Mal Doyle as a father and son pair of private investigators. The debut show also reveals relationship complications with Jake and his ex-wife Nikki and his new infatuation: Leslie, the Inspector who works at the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. While Jake tries to improve his relationship with Leslie, he discovers he may have impregnated his ex-wife, but soon discovers the positive pregnancy test he found in her garbage can did not belong to her. After he realizes he is free from the burden of having to deal with child-support, his relationship with Leslie develops as Nikki's relationship with her new boyfriend grows. However, Leslie soon begins to decide whether her relationship with Jake will prove beneficial in the future. As Jake finalizes his divorce with Nikki, his relationship status with Leslie improves to good friends. Yet Leslie's focus quickly shifts to her new title as Sergeant after being promoted to the position. Jake realizes he has other problems too; his mischievous older brother, Christian, makes an unexpected visit to his house, greeting him in the kitchen. After Christian offends Jake, their relationship swiftly intensifies. The last episode of the season shows the characters’ struggle to keep their republic strong as their relationships fall apart.Season Two
Season Two begins with Rose, Mal's partner, dealing with the consequences of his recent heart attack. Meanwhile, Jake and Leslie take initiatives to move past the hiccups in their relationship and move on from one another. Tinny, Jake's niece, embarks on an investment in order to raise personal funds, meanwhile, Mal discovers a secret that Rose has kept from him; her mother stole her engagement ring. Jake learns what Leslie sees their relationship as. As the season progresses, so does Tinny's income business along with the amount of friends she makes. Jake as well as the viewers are introduced to Allison, the crown attorney. Meanwhile, Mal and Rose experience issues in their marriage but are quickly able to recover and move forward. As Mal's relationship with Rose strengthens, so does Jake's relationship with Allison when they move past the boundaries of friendship. Des, an admirer of Tinny yet an enemy of Jake, exploits Tinny's business yet saves it in the process. Adding to the drama, Jake finds himself bailing his delinquent brother out of jail and finds himself dealing with issues concerning money. Like all his previous relationships, Jake ill-manages to maintain his relationship with Allison. When Jake receives a new job offer, his relationship with Allison struggles even further. Meanwhile, the relationship of Des and Tinny becomes more intimate. After further complications with Allison, Jake decides to break up with Allison.Season Three
In the opening episode of Season Three, the viewers are informed that Tinny travels to London. However, it is revealed by Des that her trip did not go smoothly but Des promises to keep the hiccup a secret. Jake finds himself interacting with Nikki again by doing a favor of which he is not fond. Jake struggles to avoid Nikki and win back the unimpressed Allison. Rose gets in trouble with the police for carrying a gun. Tinny is bothered by the quickly growing relationship between Des and Chandra, a university student of medicine. Kathleen, a newly introduced character that serves as Jake's sister, is helped with her mothering issues by Rose. The two begin to progress in their friendship. Des finds himself in a precarious position—choosing between Tinny and Chandra. He decides to break up with Chandra and pursue a romance with Tinny. Kathleen faces parenting issues at home. Des attempts to impress Jake by helping him in an investigation using his various connections, while Allison jeopardizes the safety of the Doyle household with a mistake from her past. Mal becomes tied up in complications with his former wife while Tinny obsesses over her death and Kathleen experiences troubles in their relations as a result of a poor decision in Kathleen's history. George, an unappreciated individual in the Republic, bothers Kathleen by scamming her, but Jake comes to the rescue and saves her from his tricks. The season ends with Tinny discovering the identity of her father, which is not revealed to the viewers.Season Four
The season kicks off with relatives from Ireland paying the Doyles a visit a bringing some drama along with them. As in the previous season, Tinny still tries to unravel hidden secrets about her dad and succeeds in doing so; she discovers her mother, Kathleen conceived her with a current prisoner, Kevin Crocker. Tinny attempts to associate with Crocker by revealing her true identity as his daughter. Jake tries to redefine his relationship with Leslie by reintroducing her into his world, and by doing so, he is able to once again gain her trust, as well as her affection. However; disaster strikes and Jake searches for the missing Leslie, who disappeared as a result of working a precarious case. Jake soon comes to the rescue, and saves Leslie from her kidnapper. Soon after the major incident, Leslie is hit by personal issues regarding family: her father dies. Meanwhile, Tinny's relations with Crocker grow and Jake is troubled by the fact that Tinny is spending so much time with the con. Jake takes another hit after being kidnapped as his kidnapper nearly takes his life by burning him to death. After being hit by a car in a parking garage, the medication used to mend Jake's injuries from the incident, gives him some peculiar dreams. The season comes to an end with Crocker and Jake being forced to collaborate in order to save the kidnapped Tinny.Season Five
After the wild adventure Jake took in the previous season by saving Tinny, his rescue mission leads to his kidnapping. The Doyles have been anxiously searching for him for the past two months and Tinny risks her career as a police officer and becomes unprofessional by involving her personal life in her police work and helping Jake. As a result, Tinny gets suspended. Meanwhile, Des overcomes his sorrow over losing Tinny. Jake experiences more complications in returning to St. John's, but eventually makes it home safe with the help of his niece. Jake and Leslie's relationship heats up with Jake nearly impregnating her. When Leslie is being followed and nearly gets shot, Jake is extremely worried for her safety but soon finds out her pursuer is actually her long-lost husband. Jake and Leslie try but fail to smooth their relationship with the shocking news. Leslie and Jake are finally forced to define their relationship and decide not to see each other due to the recent complications, even after Jake confesses his love. After Des hooks up with a troubled young woman, Sloan, he must avoid Tinny. Jake finds it hard to avoid Leslie when he gets tied up in her ex-husband's business. Meanwhile, Tinny gets the chance of her career on a big case. To make matters worse for Jake, Nikki pays him a visit. The season ends with Jake being tried and arrested for murder but is then kidnapped by one of Leslie's pursuers; the kidnapper forces Jake to make several unwarranted missions.Season Six
After being accused of murder, Jake must confront his enemies as he comes to terms with what happened to Leslie and try to clear his own name in the process. Leslie goes back to work a couple episodes in, but with conditions, and she must meet with the force therapist. Sloan gets into trouble and Jake must bail her out by making a deal with Vick Saul. Even though she was not cleared by her therapist after having a panic attack on duty, Leslie lends a hand to the Doyle clan to try and clear Jake's name before it is too late. When Leslie's past disobedience on the force comes to light, she must work harder than ever to save her job. Jake's murder conviction comes front and centre as the season comes to a final close with all the Doyle family trying to clear his name.Episodes
Reception
Ratings
Awards and nominations
Canadian Cinema Editors Awards
Canadian Comedy Awards
Canadian Screen Awards
Gemini Awards
Home media
has released all six seasons on DVD in Canada.On September 6, 2016, eOne will release Republic of Doyle- The Complete Series on DVD in Canada.
Acorn Media has released the first two seasons on DVD in the USA.
In Region 4, Beyond Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons on DVD in Australia.