`Republic of Doyle` Season 2 is a Go

St. John’s, Newfoundland, the oldest city in North America, became a little more star-studded (and probably a tad more exciting) this week when the hit CBC original series Republic of Doyle began shooting there on Monday. More than 100 cast and crew gathered in the historic city to start work on season 2.

Republic of Doyle is a comedic-drama that takes a peek into the lives of a not-so-everyday family with problems trying to make it all work as they run a very uncommon family business – a gumshoe racket in St. John's – out of a very full house. The hit show stars Allan Hawco (ZOS: Zone of Separation), who is also a writer and an executive producer and plays the lead character of PI Jake Doyle, Sean McGinley (The Running Mate), Lynda Boyd (Sanctuary), and Rachel Wilson (Total Drama Island and Saw VII). Republic of Doyle been described as a “modern-day Starsky & Hutch” and debuted in January of this year.

"The people of St. John's have been fantastic," Rob Blackie, one of Republic of Doyle's producers,
told the CBC News. "We end up down in people's homes and people's workplaces and the streets of St. John's, and the people here have been extremely, extremely gracious. A lot of that generosity from the people of St. John's and Newfoundland generally allows the show to be what it is."

Thirteen episodes of the show were ordered for season 2, which is one more episode than last year. The renewal was announced just two months after its debut.

Republic of Doyle premieres on the CBC in January 2011.