
cotton tee emblazoned with the Wikipedia article on Hudson & Rex ↗.
Hudson & Rex is a Canadian police procedural television series based on the Austrian–Italian drama Kommissar Rex. Played by John Reardon, Detective Charlie Hudson is a policeman in the Major Crimes Division of the St. John's Police Department in Newfoundland. Played by Diesel vom Burgimwald and several of his relatives, Hudson's K-9 partner Rex is a German Shepherd dog who is a "highly trained, law enforcement animal" and is not a pet.
The Canadian television series premiered on Citytv on March 25, 2019. Filming began in October 2018 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Season two premiered on September 24, 2019. In June 2020 it was announced on Breakfast Television that season three would begin production in July 2020, ensuring to work within provincial public health guidelines in respect to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Season three premiered on January 5, 2021. Season four premiered on October 21, 2021. Season 5 was released in October 2022. The popular series made another successful run for season six. Hudson & Rex was renewed for a seventh season on June 12, 2024, which began airing on January 14, 2025.
Diesel vom Burgimwald was the original canine star who played Rex in Canada in seasons 1–6, and episodes 1 and 2 of season 7 until his unexpected death in August 2024. His nephews, Dillon and Dante, and a cousin, Dreamer, took over the leading role of Rex starting in season 7, episode 3. German Shepherds Izzy and Iko, also nephews of Diesel, had already been acting as stunt doubles for Rex's action scenes, and will continue to do so in season 8. Reardon did not appear in most of season 7 while he recovered from tonsil cancer. He was replaced by a new detective, Mark Hudson (Luke Roberts), for season 8.