That's a wrap: Republic of Doyle finishes shoot for new season
The cast and crew of Republic of Doyle finished shooting in St. John's Thursday for the upcoming season of the CBC hit television show.
Creator and star Allan Hawco said he could only drop a couple of hints about what will be in store for Season 4.
"Well I promise this, you'll know what happened to Des and the poor car or what the future of Jake's ride will be by the end of episode one."
In the final episode of the third season, Jake Doyle, Hawco's character, saw his beloved Pontiac GTO blown up by some villains, and Des Courtney was shot in the stomach.
No spoilers revealed
The rest of the cast and crew are tight-lipped about what will happen in the upcoming season.
"I will be shot if I tell you anything," quipped Lynda Boyd, who plays Rose, Malachy Doyle's wife.
The producers invited a number of guest stars to keep the show fresh for the upcoming season, including well-known Canadian actors Paul Gross and Erin Karpluk, Angus Macfayden, who appeared in Braveheart, and Hollywood actor Luis Guzman.
Behind the scenes, Gander native and Hollywood film director Brad Peyton stepped in to direct a couple of episodes.
"Hollywood director, massive superstar, $80-million movies, coming home to work with us on the set is pretty big," enthused Hawco.
Show a popular draw
Hawco encouraged fans to pay close attention in the season premiere of Republic of Doyle on Jan. 6, because what happens in the first episode will travel all the way to the 2-part finale.
Hawco said that final episode will be a good setup for Season 5, which is already under development.
CBC has not yet made a decision on another season for Republic of Doyle. The network typically announces its next season in the spring.
Season 4 of Republic of Doyle premieres on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m./9:30 p.m. NT on CBC Television.
The show, which attracts 1.2 million viewers each week, brings $22-million in production activity into Newfoundland and Labrador, and employs 110 full-time workers.