Based on the series of books by Benjamin Black (John Banville), this three-parter was shown on RTE earlier this year, with the BBC co-producers picking it up this Sunday. Gabriel Byrne phones in his portrayal of the eponymous anti-hero, who embodies various genre clichès - i.e. his hard drinking isolates him from his family, his first name is never revealed, an unconventional working style makes him truculently difficult, and various skeletons fall out in the course of the series. Still, it's worth viewing for the atmospheric depiction of Fifties Dublin, and the actress who plays Phoebe is excellent.
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Quirke
I'm quite enjoying this, although the overall ambience is so sepulchral one almost starts blinking when a daylight scene come along.
Channel 5 are showing Jack Taylor at the moment. Comparing the two shows, I wouldn't want to be a supporting character in an Irish drama series. Borrowed time is putting it mildly. -
Quirke
I enjoyed the second one more, now I've got used to the mumbling and accept it for what it is, a superior detective series along the lines of Endeavour.Comment
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Quirke
his first name is never revealed
That touch when it comes to the leading characters in other programmes always annoys me, even though I can sit through entire episodes of Columbo and not give a stuff. I yearn for the day when the hero of the series, long called by his surname by all around him for so long, just cracks up and screams 'Julian, for christ's sake! My name is JULIAN!'Comment
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Quirke
So this isn't a dramatisation of the life of Pauline Quirke?
Starring Michael Sheen as the titular cockney sparra?Comment
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