The TV landscape is filled with buddy shows. Buddies who live together (The Big Bang Theory), buddies who hang out together (How I Met Your Mother), even buddies who take down bad guys together (Flashpoint).
But CBC and Allan Hawco have put a twist on the formula with Republic of Doyle.
Firstly, the buddies in this offbeat drama are a father-and-son private investigation team; Hawco is the bestubbled Jake while the flaxen-haired Sean McGinley (Braveheart) plays Dad Malachy.
Together, the Doyles delve into murder, arson, robbery and other assorted oddball crimes while interacting with madcap characters who are as unique as the setting of Republic of Doyle.
Newfoundland serves as the backdrop, the province’s ruddy rock spires, pine trees, wooden homes and secluded bays playing as much a character in the show as the actors uttering the lines.
“The very conception of the show, for me, was that it be set in St. John’s, because I’m from there, y’know?” Hawco says on the line.
“And then it became really important to me that it not be a caricature of the city, and that the city not be rammed down people’s throats. I wanted viewers to just be eased into this place and these people who are of this place. Canada has got these great pockets of gems all over the country; sometimes it’s hard to remember that because we’re all so spread out.”
In fact, with the grittiness of St. John’s and the surrounding area, the muscle car the Doyles rip around in, and the humour that’s so prevalent in Episode 1, you can’t help but compare Doyle to detective TV series of the past, such as The Hardy Boys, Magnum, P.I. and The Rockford Files.
Hawco says the Files comparison is especially apt, since that’s what he grew up watching and was influenced by.
“[Co-creator] Perry [Chafe] and I watched The Rockford Files when we were kids, and I used to watch it with my dad,” Hawco chuckles.
“It kind of started as an inspiration and then grew into its own thing. What’s scary is that I can’t think of a show that this is like. It’s either really good or really terrifying.”
Hawco, a native of Goulds, N.L., graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada and has been seen in ZOS: Zone of Separation, H2O and Trojan Horse. He created, writes, produces and stars in Doyle, and says wearing all of those hats was exhilarating.
“I had such a great support system. I was surrounded by experienced people in the field who helped me move through those uncharted waters,” he says.
“I’d be jumping from take to take, to finance meetings, talking about going into meal penalty or not … that level of hands-on producing was really exciting for me.”
In the debut episode, “Fathers and Sons,” fellow Newfoundlander – and Canadian comic – Shaun Majumder (24, This Hour has 22 Minutes) guest-stars as Benny, Jake’s childhood buddy who has been jailed for murdering his boss.
Of course, there are twists and turns to the storyline, which serves as the perfect way to introduce Jake’s ex-wife, Nikki (Rachel Wilson), Malachy’s live-in girlfriend Rose (Lynda Boyd, Falcon Beach), and cop and Jake’s love interest, Leslie (Krystin Pellarin, The Tudors).
The back-and-forth sniping between Jake and Malachy is reminiscent of the best in buddy series, complete with eye-rolling, gritted teeth and clenched jaws and fists.
But at the core, the duo love each other (as all family members do, no matter how grudging it may be), and presents a unique series for CBC.
“They’re like best friends. It’s kind of like a dream relationship between a father and a son,” the actor laughs. “It’s the relationship a dad wishes he had with his son when he’s 30. They’re like best buddies.”
The Republic of Doyle debuts Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBC
Will you watch? greg@tvguide.ca
Follow Greg on Twitter
