crw1 It'd be a lot more palatable if they didn't continually light up and dwell, linger, on cigarette smoking. Surely financed by a tobacco group. 'Authentic' they say. I say, if the story was any good, it wouldn't need that so-called (smoking-justifying) 'authenticity'. Ruins it for me.

yelofneb-63037 For anyone who is Irish, who grew up in the 1960-70's, the Quirke series is like getting a flashback to the time that our parents came of age. For all of us, there was a dark overhanging gloom that we had nothing to do with but had to fight against. That dark gloom is aptly described here.Lately, a whole lot of attention is given to the impending retirement of Daniel Day-Lewis. He is a great Irish actor but I haven't even seen the last three movies that he has been in. Gabriel Byrne, on the other hand, is the actor whose work I do follow. He has mastered the role of the Everyman, faced with all of the sorrow and joy of life, and the negotiation in between. I have never seen him in a role that disappoints, and he is certainly worth watching in the Quirke series.I wish that the series could be continued, especially because Irish social history needs that kind of exploration, with exactly the kind of character that Gabriel Byrne delivers in the Quirke series.I'm giving it 10 out of 10 because it's a great work that has no reliance on anything but the acting performances delivered. It's as if everyone involved had sat down together and agreed about exactly what to do. That kind of intimacy is usually only possible with stage performances. Somehow, the cast and crew of Quirke have managed to achieve that.There is no reason to not watch all three episodes of Quirke, against a multitude of reasons to sit, watch and study. You'll be glad that you can say that you saw it.

theredmare Another top notch offering from the BBC. (2 episodes in) Wonderful, atmospheric settings and unusually artistic cinematography, a gripping back story and marvellous, marvellous acting. A very good insight into life in Ireland in the 50's also.Quirke, the outstanding Gabriel Byrne in one of his better efforts ever, is an alcoholic pathologist in Dublin in the 1950's. Quirke, an orphan of unknown parents, was adopted into the wealthy Griffin family. A family where not is all what it seems, and where people love and hate each other at the same time, and harbour secrets, some of them quite terrible. (like a lot of real families). While Quirke tries to help find out what happened to bodies who used to be people with the help of a jaded garda inspector, we unravel his past life episode by episode, and watch his life unravel as well.It is compelling stuff, I can only highly recommend it. Preferably from the start. While produced by the BBC, it's an all irish cast and location. It looks a million dollar, it's original, the characters are interestingly complex, and it's just very, very good.It feels very much like the Maigret series with Bruno Cremer, only better (!). Note that the solving of the mystery is only a part of the drama, most of it revolves on the interplay of the family, their problems and their secrets, and the telling of life in a Ireland 60 years ago, with its obedience to the catholic church, treatment of women etc...therefore you can enjoy it even if you aren't fond of murder mysteries. It is nearly an anticlimax to come to the end and have the murder solved (sometimes rather too conveniently - hence the 9 instead of 10 - very small complaint) , so engrossed are you in the actual story in its entirety - you want it to go on!Do not expect CSI or NCIS, it is as far removed from those shows as possible.I did not read the books, so that I have no idea how accurate is the adaptation, but I can guarantee the story is perfectly clear and simple to follow, unlike some adaptations that require former knowledge of the written medium to understand anything at all.I also highly recommend it in HD with a good sound system. The terrific atmosphere deserves that.Contains smoking and drinking. [;-)]Edit: Episode 3 is a straight 10/10. Very emotional, and even improved from the other two on all fronts, if that was possible. Classic television in the making. - I just read the first two episodes were adapted by Welsh screenwriter Andrew Davies and the third by Irish playwright/director Conor McPherson. Now it makes sense and it actually shows.

sluggr-2 I kept watching, just hoping it would get better. Three A-list principals, it just has to be good, right? IMHO, the writing was on par with a Quincey MD episode, the acting was either forced or flat, and the writing, editing, and directing abrupt. Just because it had the atmosphere of Foyle's War or The Bletchley Circle did not make it so. Glamour and style do not make up for a lack of substance. There were so many blatantly obvious hints about the "event which might be considered by some a twist" that by the time it arrived all I could say was "well duh-UH!" In fact, twist is too strong a term, as is reveal. Think of this as being on the opposite end of the spectrum from an Inspector Morse.