Republic of Doyle's star Allan Hawco was also the show's executive producer, showrunner, co-creator, and head writer, giving him unusually broad creative control over the series.

The series was filmed on location in and around St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, using the city as its central setting and backdrop.

In 2013, Republic of Doyle staged a fictional crossover with the CBC period crime drama Murdoch Mysteries, despite the two shows being set over 100 years apart.

For the crossover, Allan Hawco appeared as Jacob Doyle, a 19th-century ancestor of his character Jake Doyle, in the November 25, 2013 episode of Murdoch Mysteries.

In the reciprocal crossover, Yannick Bisson appeared in the January 28, 2014 episode of Republic of Doyle as Detective Bill Murdoch, portrayed as a 21st-century descendant of his regular Murdoch Mysteries character William Murdoch.

The show's guest cast over its run included a notable range of well-known actors in one-off or recurring roles, such as Russell Crowe, Victor Garber, Enrico Colantoni, Luis Guzmán, Rick Mercer, and Gordon Pinsent.

Jake Doyle's 1968 Pontiac GTO and his black leather jacket became iconic, recurring visual elements featured prominently throughout the series.