I waited to post on the first episode until I could get it on iTunes and watch it again. I have to admit that I was impressed. Not that it looked particularly amazing, but it looked better than I feared it would.
Some of the Newfoundland-isms were a bit forced, and many of the Canadian actors sounded like they were struggling with the accent. Shaun Majumder was great, although I find him difficult to take in a serious role. Allan Hawco was right on, considering he's from here and I think Sean McGinley is from Ireland, which means he shouldn't be having any issues with the accent.
I'll give the show a few episodes to come into it's own. CBC has ordered six for the first season, and I really hope it gets taken up for a second season. After seeing St. John's in the show, I can't believe so little has been set here before. This city has a lot of personality, and it feels like a lot of it is coming out in Republic of Doyle.
First episode is free on iTunes for Canadians, and it's also available at
cbc.ca. Not sure where to find it for you non-Canadians, but I'm sure it's out there somewhere.