Created by Allan Hawco, Perry Chafe & Malcolm MacRury
“Why are you such an arse, Jake Doyle?”
— the eternal question
At last! The Rock gets some P.I. love!
MALACHY and JAKE DOYLE are a father-and-son team of P.I.s working St. John’s, Newfoundland in Republic of Doyle, an endearingly quirky television show that consistently delivered the private eye goods.
Now, steady–it hails from Canada. Or more specifically, Newfoundland, that storm-tossed hardscrabble outlier province of fishermen, loggers, wisecrackers, bushwhackers, drinkers, winkers, yarn-spinners, musicians, actors, brawlers, trawlers and artists. This is about as far as you can get from Hollywood and still be in North America.
Jake, the son, is played by the show’s creator/writer and one of its executive producers, Allan Hawco. He and his long-suffering father (played by Irish stage vet Sean McGinley), are both ex-cops, and they run the agency out of Malachy’s home — when they’re not taking verbal pot shots at each other.
Jake’s the eternal rowdyman–an affable rogue and failed prodigal, the rough-around-the-edges son with a good heart and a dreadfully bad sense of restraint (or timing) when it comes to women. And that includes his (possibly) crazy ex-wife Nikki and attractive Constable Leslie Bennet of the Newfoundland Constabulary. Meanwhile, Mal is a by-the-books sort of guy; an old-fashioned law-and-order man trying to come to terms with a world (and a son) he doesn’t quite understand.
It helps that Hawco is an avowed fan of the genre. There are loud echoes of such beloved seventies P.I. TV fare as The Rockford Files and Magnum P.I., and the connections are more than reinforced by the old-school Pontiac GTO that Jake drives, the occasional references to other P.I. shows from that era, and even the choice of guest stars. (I mean, big extra points for Stuart Margolin, of Rockford fame).
The producers and writers worked hard at getting St. John’s right, and pretty much nail it, from the gorgeous scenery and the Celtic-adjacent soundtrack and theme song (courtesy of Great Big Sea) to the pub culture and the crayon box clapboards.
“We wanted the story lines to flow naturally out of the city. We wanted it to be believable and no one could say ‘that would never happen in St. John’s… It’s a fun show, without making a charicature out of the city. It has a sense of humour about itself,” Hawco told CBC News.
As for the father-son relationship, Hawco says “They’re very hard on each other and pretty cutting,” he said. “But it’s always clear that Malachy is looking out for his son, and Jake would do anything for his father.”
Except, maybe, find a nice girl and settle down. Or pay for the next round at The Duke, their local.
Of course, this being a CBC production, there’s a healthy dollop of family drama woven (injected?) into the show, as the fractious Doyle clan–including Rose Doyle (Malachy’s wife), Tinny Doyle (his granddaughter) and Des Courtney, their sk8r boi apprentice–argues and bangs heads but ultimately stand up for each other, helped along by a refreshing saltiness in the language and a casual earthiness to the male/female relationships that despite the family trappings, this ain’t no kids’ show.
Hey, did ya hear the one about the Newfie who…
THE EVIDENCE
- “That’s an astute observation, Banacek.”
— Jake tries to put Dad in his place, in “Fathers and Sons” (January 6, 2010) - “When are you going to grow up, Jake?”
— Leslie - Jake: “You’ve got a second shot at life here. Figure out what you want to do with it. You’re old.”
Malachy: “You’re stupid.” - Jake: “I need a coffee.”
Malachy: “You need a kick in the arse — not a coffee.” - “Alright, alright, get your naked arse off Jimmy’s face.”
— Jake in “The Common Wealth” (February 17, 2013) - “Okay, before you get all… shooty, maybe we should just, we should talk about this.”
— Jake tries to reason with a gunman. - “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get some sleep in a room not filled with three hundred hairy-arsed men.”
— Jake, recently released from prison (“No Rest for the Convicted,” October 22, 2014) - “Sometimes I think the universe is a real arsehole.”
— Ernie - “Jake, what’s Des doing fighting with a naked man?”
— “True Lies” (November 12, 2014) - Malachy: “You’re a good man and a great son and I love you.”
Jake: “Should we kiss now?”
Malachy: “Shut up.” - “Who’s this dick smack?”
— Jake
TELEVISION
- REPUBLIC OF DOYLE
(2010-14, CBC)
Created by Allan Hawco, Perry Chafe and Malcolm and Malcolm MacRury
Writers: Allan Hawco, Perry Chafe, Kerri MacDonald, Malcolm MacRury, Avrum Jacobson, Jesse McKeown, John Callaghan
Directors: Mike Clattenburg, Steve DiMarco, Robert Lieberman, Larry A. McLean, Jerry Ciccoritti, Philip Earnshaw
Starring Allan Hawco as JAKE DOYLE
and Sean McGinley as MALACHY DOYLE
Also starring Lynda Boyd as Rose Miller
Rachel Wilson as Nikki Renholds
Krystin Pellerin as Leslie Bennett
Marthe Bernard as Tinny Doyle
and Mark O’Brien as Des Courtney
Guest stars: Russell Crowe, Gordon Pinsent, Stuart Margolin, Shannon Tweed, Shaun Majumder, Enrico Colantonias- SEASON ONE | Buy on DVD…Watch it now!
- “Fathers and Sons” (January 6, 2010)
- “The Return of the Grievous Angel” (January 13, 2010)
- “Duchess of George” (January 20, 2010)
- “Blood is Thicker Than Blood” (January 27, 2010)
- “Hit and Rum” (February 3, 2010)
- “The One Who Got Away” (February 10, 2010)
- “The Woman Who Knew Too Little” (March 3, 2010)
- “The Tell-Tale Safe” (March 10, 2010)
- “He Sleeps With the Chips” (March 17, 2010)
- “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Doyle” (March 24, 2010)
- “A Horse Divided” (March 31, 2010)
- “The Fall of the Republic” (April 7, 2010)
- SEASON TWO | Buy this season on DVD
- “Live and Let Doyle” (January 12, 2011)
- “Popeye Doyle” (January 19, 2011)
- “A Stand Up Guy” (January 26, 2011)
- “The Son Also Rises” (February 2, 2011)
- “Something Old, Someone New” (February 9, 2011)
- “The Ryans and the Pittmans” (February 16, 2011)
- “Crashing on the Couch” (February 23, 2011)
- “Sympathy for the Devil” (March 2, 2011)
- “Will the Real Des Courtney Please Stand Up?” (March 9, 2011)
- “The Special Detective” (March 16, 2011)
- “Don’t Gamble with City Hall” (March 23, 2011)
- “St. John’s Town” (March 30, 2011)
- “Family Business” (April 6, 2011)
- SEASON THREE | Buy this season on DVD
- “Streets of St. John’s” (January 11, 2012)
- “Head Over Heels” (January 18, 2012)
- “Hot Package” (January 25, 2012)
- “Rusted Steele” (February 1, 2012)
- “Dead Man Talking” (February 8, 2012)
- “The Dating Game” (February 15, 2012)
- “High School Confidential” (February 22, 2012)
- “Two Jakes and a Baby” (February 29, 2012)
- “Mirror, Mirror” (March 7, 2012)
- “One Angry Jake” (March 14, 2012)
- “Live Wire” (March 21, 2012)
- “Con, Steal, Love” (March 28, 2012)
- “Under Pressure” (April 4, 20012)
- SEASON FOUR | Buy this season on DVD
- “From Dublin with Love” (January 6, 2013)
- “Blood Work” (January 13, 2013)
- “Identity Crisis” (January 20, 2013)
- “Carlotta’s Way” (January 27, 2013)
- “The Heroin” (February 10, 2013)
- “The Common Wealth” (February 17, 2013)
- “In Brigus” (February 24, 2013)
- “Multitasking” (March 24, 2013)
- “Retribution” (March 31, 2013)
- “Gimme Shelter” (April 7, 2013)
- “The Devil Inside” (April 14, 2013)
- “Return of the Kingpin” (April 21, 2013)
- “What Doesn’t Kill You” (April 21, 2013)
- SEASON FIVE | Buy this season on DVD
- “Bon Cop, Bueno Cop” (October 2, 2013)
- “The Overpass” (October 9, 2013)
- “Firecracker” (October 16, 2013)
- “Gun for Hir2” (October 23, 2013)
- “The Works” (October 30, 2013)
- “Missing” (November 13, 2013)
- “Hook, Line and Sinker” (November 20, 2013)
- “Young Guns” (November 27, 2013)
- “Major Crimes” (December 4, 2013)
- “Brothers in Arms” (December 11, 2013)
- “Frame Job” (January 8, 2014)
- “Sleight of Hand” (January 15, 2014)
- “Welcome Back Crocker” (January 22, 2014)
- “If the Shoe Fits” (January 29, 2014)
- “Expansion” (February 5, 2014)
- “Buried” (February 5, 2014)
- SEASON SIX
- “Dirty Deeds” (October 15, 2014)
- “No Rest for the Convicted” (October 22, 2014)
- “Smash Derby” (October 29, 2014)
- “The Driver” (November 5, 2014)
- “True Lies” (November 12, 2014)
- “The Pint” (November 19, 2014)
- “When The Whistle Blows” (November 26, 2014)
- “Body of Evidence” (December 3, 2014)
- “Judgement Day” (December 10, 2014)
- “Last Call” (December 10, 2014)
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- Detectives Who Aren’t That Smart
Interesting piece from Maclean’s on Allan Hawco and his influences . Turns out Republic of Doyle is as outright an homage to The Rockford Files as you can get. - Get Yer Motor Runnin’…
Some Hot Wheels of Some Hot Eyes - The GTO: 1968-2012
Upon the demise of Jake’s beloved GTO at the end of Season Three, the CBC obigilingly ran an obituary. - The Republic of Doyle 2014 Wall Calendar | Buy this calendar
At the time it was released, it had been a while since a TV P.I. show had spun off an actual calendar, so this is sorta cool, in a geeky kinda way. Plus it was a Canadian show, so presumably they had Thanksgiving correctly listed in October… Plus plenty of room to schedule your appointments with Jake and Malachy at the Duke.
