While discussing the lack of humor in the latest television version of Great Expectations, Andrew Davies, renowned screenwriter and adapter (Bleak House and House of Cards for television, among many others) dropped a Byrne bomb!

Davies’s latest job for the BBC is set during a very different period. He is adapting the Quirke crime novels, written by John Banville under the pen name of Benjamin Black, which are set in 1950s Dublin.

Gabriel Byrne will play Quirke, an alcoholic pathologist with a complicated private life. Davies, who has also written film scripts including for Bridget Jones’s Diary, said he often turned down offers to adapt books.

To learn more about both the writer Benjamin Black and his character, Quirke, visit:

The author John Banville interviews his alter ego, Benjamin Black and a description of Quirke.

We are breathlessly awaiting more details on the timing of this series, of course. Very exciting news!

9 Comments

  1. Glad he’s a workaholic. We are getting spoiled!

  2. Is he coming back home to film this?

  3. *does the happy dance!* After reading the description of the character, and I’m not familiar with the books at all, I have to say Mr B just jumped off the screen at me! Figuratively not literally obviously..

  4. Sounds great!
    I have always loved the crime series from BBC very much. I think BBC are the best in the world at making tv series. And to see Gabriel walking around in Dublin in the 1950s sounds just right. Good for us that he stopped working as an ambassador and now has more time to work in front of the camera.

    • Yes. Walking around Dublin in the 1950’s. In a fedora. With a scarf. Perfect. According to the books, Quirke is quite the dresser. With very small feet. ;-)

  5. I was wondering if the TV series the Quirke stories will be aired in the US?

    • I wonder this, too. Hopefully PBS Masterpiece Theater or Mystery! will pick this up. They have run lots of BBC series in the past. Cross your fingers now! :-) Thanks for visiting, Care.

      • Whenever this gets aired in the UK I will try and find a working link so that you can all watch it. Since it’s BBC that shouldn’t be too hard. I hope!!! Same with Coup.

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