Republic of Doyle: Season One

St. John's in Newfoundland is the unusual locale for this CBC-aired series about the father-and-son private investigator team of Malachy Doyle and ex-cop Jake, who work on seemingly pedestrian cases (the search for a girl's biological father, an investigation of a cheating spouse) that inevitably turn into more complicated affairs. The whodunits are interwoven with plenty of domestic drama, involving such narrative threads as Jake's relationship with his former spouse (and potential new one in the form of a pretty police inspector), the unwelcome intrusion of the scheming ex-husband of Malachy's second wife, and the abrupt return of Jake's rowdy older brother. Viewer response will largely depend not so much on the plots, which are frankly rather bland, but rather on reactions to the characters. Seán McGinley's commonsensical Malachy is easy to like, but Allan Hawco's Jake sometimes comes across more like an unpleasantly smug lothario rather than the charming Jim Rockford–type rascal he's clearly meant to be. As the bonus “making-of” featurette points out, the show is designed as a semi-lighthearted throwback to the years of Magnum P.I. and the various Quinn Martin procedurals, but whether it hits the mark will be a matter of taste—although in Canada, where a sixth and final season is being produced, it has certainly garnered stellar ratings. Compiling all 12 episodes from the 2010 debut season, other DVD extras include episode commentaries. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)