Josephine Jobert

From a media release:

CBC announced today that its original police procedural SAINT-PIERRE will be renewed for a second season with filming in Newfoundland and Saint-Pierre et Miquelon beginning this spring. The series is produced by Hawco Productions for CBC and CBC GEM in association with FIFTH SEASON, which handles global distribution.

Throughout its first season, SAINT-PIERRE was CBC’s #1 most-watched new series of the year and one of the top Canadian drama series nationwide.* The first season is currently available to stream for free on CBC Gem.

SAINT-PIERRE is the creation of Allan Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford and Perry Chafe, with Hawco and Lord-Stafford as Showrunners. French star Josephine Jobert (Death in Paradise) and Canadian star Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle, Caught, Jack Ryan) lead the cast playing Arch and Fitz, with James Purefoy (Rome, Sex Education, The Following), Benz Antoine (Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin’), Erika Prevost (The Boys, Dare Me) and Jean-Michel Le Gal (Paris Paris, Accused) rounding out the stellar team.

After the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector, Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick, digs too deeply into a local politician’s nefarious activity, he is exiled to work in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon – the French Territory nestled in the Atlantic Ocean. Fitz’s arrival disrupts the life of Deputy Chief Geneviève “Arch” Archambault, a Parisian transplant who is in Saint-Pierre for her own intriguing reasons.

As if by fate, these two seasoned officers — with very different policing skills and approaches — are forced together to solve unique and exciting crimes. Although the islands seem like a quaint tourist destination, the idyllic façade conceals the worst kind of criminal activity, which tend to wash up on its beautiful shores. At first at odds and suspicious of each other, Arch and Fitz soon discover that they are better together.

“We are thrilled to continue this journey and explore even more of the world of SAINT-PIERRE and these two characters, Arch and Fitz, that we’ve grown to love so much,” says series creators Allan Hawco and Robina Lord-Stafford. “We are bursting with ideas for new storylines and can’t wait for audiences to see what’s next.”

Ava Knight, Director, Acquisitions at FIFTH SEASON, said: “We’re delighted audiences and buyers can soon return to Saint-Pierre’s shores for more fun and mystery with our brilliant leads, played by Allan Hawco and Josephine Jobert. Following season one’s formidable success, we look forward to now bringing both instalments to new homes globally.”

SAINT-PIERRE is executive produced by Janine Squires, Erin Sullivan, Robina Lord-Stafford, Perry Chafe, John Vatcher and Hawco.

For six seasons, Allan Hawco’s Republic of Doyle entertained viewers on CBC. The fast-paced detective drama was set in and around St. John’s and spotlit the unique island community through the eyes of Jake Doyle and his co-workers, friends, lovers and enemies.

Now Hawco is back and spotlighting another island community.

Debuting Monday at 9 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem, Saint-Pierre—co-created by Hawco, Robina Lord-Stafford and Perry Chafe—boasts the humour, heart and unique environs that are Hawco’s bread and butter.

At the centre of the series is its two lead characters. Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick (Hawco) finds himself banished to Saint-Pierre et Miquelon—the French territory of 6,000 nestled in the Atlantic Ocean—after digging too deeply into illegal activity surrounding a local politician (played by Eric Johnson), who happens to be married to Fitz’s ex-wife (Vanessa Matsui).

Once on the island, Fitz is partnered with Deputy Chief Genevieve “Arch” Archambault (Joséphine Jobert). There are some fish-out-of-water moments for Fitz in the first episode—he not only suffers from sea sickness (bad news when you’re working on a small island) and a fear of heights—not to mention struggling with the language barrier (luckily, Fitz understands French better than he speaks it). Rounding out the main cast are Benz Antoine, Erika Prevost, Jean-Michel Le Gal and James Purefoy as the big bad in Season 1.

Much of Monday’s debut sets up the people and their world. And what a world it is! Quaint, brightly painted wood homes dot the coast of Saint-Pierre while older stone buildings stand sentry inland. French flags wave everywhere, and croissants and seafood are plentiful. Hawco revealed during a recent interview that he was on a location scout for fellow CBC/Hawco Productions project Son of a Critch when he visited the island, and knew it should be the setting for his next series. He had written two pilot projects and Saint-Pierre was the perfect fit for one.

“One [idea] was very close to what this show is, the very notion of these two partners who were thrust together by fate, and unwilling partners who didn’t know they needed each other until now,” he says.

Eagle-eyed fans of Death in Paradise will quickly identify Jobert, who portrayed Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell from 2015 to 2024 on the veteran British series. The chemistry Jobert has with Hawco is instantaneous and undeniable and is a huge part of why Saint-Pierre works so well.

“She’s my favourite type of person and actor,” Hawco says. “She’s prepared. She’s also totally flexible to go with anything in the moment. She’s practical about what the technical requirements of the job are while keeping a fluidity and an absolute freshness and spontaneity to her work. No ego, no status, no judgment. She’s generous with the crew. She understands people’s jobs, she respects them. She’s a true angel. She’s an absolute unicorn.”

Saint-Pierre airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Images courtesy of CBC.

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