Pardon the noun that is now a verb in the title of this posting, but that is how technology goes! And the UK went for Quirke in a big way Sunday night as the premiere episode, Christine Falls, aired on BBC One.

Now I am not saying everyone was positively engaged by the show. Some were, some were not. The majority of Tweeters, for awhile at least, were VERY negative about the show, primarily because of the poor sound quality, apparently a common problem with the BBC. Some could hear just fine but had difficulty with accents and what they referred to as “mumbling.”  And a few could not see through all the Dublin fog. Many of the tweets were really humorous, some were heart-felt, and others were just incredibly frustrated! smile

Here is an edited stream for #QUIRKE from Sunday night’s tweets, just to give you a flavor of how the UK reacted to the show, the sound problems, and of course, Gabriel Byrne. I have put these in a kind of subject order (sound quality, too much darkness, Gabriel, the show itself, etc.), so the tweets are not in order by time. If you want to see the entire Quirke stream as it appeared on everyone’s computer screen, search #QUIRKE in Twitter and then head down to May 25 to see the results.

A side note:

Twitter is great. Really. It is. It provides a place for people to be, very quickly, whatever they are at that moment: philosophical, snarky, critical, enamored, judgmental, funny, frustrated, pissed off, angry, appreciative, respectful–whatever! You will see all of these aspects of real people in the moment as they experienced Quirke. I think it is great. Social media ties us together at times, even somewhat trivial times, such as watching a television show. See what you think.

And thanks to everyone in the UK for sharing your thoughts about Quirke! BRILLIANT!

I’ve put an heart by the tweets that made a special impression on me…

Enjoy!

Finally!

anticipation

Mrs C @MrsCordial  ·   #Quirke toonight looks absolutely brilliant – just my kind of Sunday night viewing.

Grania Ni Mhaille @OiseauNocturne3  ·   I see #Quirke starring #GabrielByrne starts tonight. I love Gabriel. Absolutely stellar actor & brilliant man. Does us Irish proud!

lindseygrieve @lindseygrieve29  ·   I am looking forward to watching #Quirke @BBCOne this evening. Looks excellent. The brilliant Gabriel Byrne looks no less sexy in his 60’s!

Alistair Hann @Pro_Copywriting  ·   Looking forward to #Quirke on BBC tonight. The books by Black/Banville are about as good as genre fiction gets.

AK @akurmston  ·   I’m hoping #Quirke turns out to be good as there is bugger all else on TV tonight uneasy

50b @novamberry  ·   Oh yes, Sunday nights have just got better. Gabriel Byrne on my tv tonight

heart Dee @kitsonde  ·   I’m just about to watch a programme about an Irish pathologist who has a problem with drink, sigh. #Quirke

heart Joanne Mehaffy @jomehaffy  ·   Gabriel Byrne is on the TV @BBCOne #Quirke no idea whether this will be good but Byrne is on the TV and that is all I need to know

graciado @graciado  ·   Gabriel Byrne. Hurrah. All is well with my Sunday night. #Quirke

Em Bell @EmBlueBell  ·   90 minutes of Gabriel Byrne on a Sunday evening #perfect #Quirke

Sally Brown @sal_brown  ·   Cast to swoon over, script by Andrew Davies, Gabriel Byrne in a broad-brimmed hat – high hopes for #Quirke

heart Jan @janwiththeplan  ·   #GabrielByrne SQUEEEE #Quirke

sound problems

Matt Fisher @m_j_fisher  ·   Dear @BBCOne – just a hint. If we can’t hear the dialogue, it’s rather difficult to follow the plot! Again… #mumble #Quirke

Deb @555Debsie  ·   Brilliant another new drama from @BBCOne & I can’t hear #Quirke #mumble #hearingproblem

Sue Simmonds @sue_simmonds  ·   Another sound problem? I’VE GOT THE VOLUME ON MY TELLY VERY LOUD @BBCOne #Quirke

heart Matt Bonsall @MBonsall  ·   Mum and I have resorted to making up what we think they should be saying since we can’t hear it #Quirke

Avenot @MariaErrington  ·   Thank heavens it’s not me going deaf. Twitter has lit up like a Xmas tree complaining about the sound quality on #Quirke. Come on BBC!

heart TangoMango @TangoMango9  ·   @BBCOne I love Gabriel Byrne but can never understand a word he says. #Quirke

Image from Steve @SpectorSteve

Jojanneke v.d. Bosch @Jojanneke  ·   @nnmrht @BBCOne I love #Quirke. Sound could be better though. #mumbling Love Gambon & Byrne.

TheInvisibleWoman @TheVintageYear  ·   I’ve decamped to #Fargo where I can hear what people are saying. And this despite the presence of Gabriel Byrne. #Quirke

heart Gary Shewan @gpshewan  ·   Gave up, changed channel, forgot to turn volume back down – now wide awake and teeny bit deaf #quirke

heart Sharon HollandTaylor @actonituk  ·   Well #Quirke is beautifully shot. I SAID ITS BEAUTIFULLY SHOT! Just in case you didn’t hear it the first time #mumblingagain

heart Ivy Arch @ivyarch  ·   “Hmshumlble fmumflvl fshlmnfshll” #Quirke

Simon McCarthy @smomccarthy  ·   #Quirke I don’t agree that they are mumbling/muttering. Sure, it’s quiet, but I’m finding it very clear with little background noise/music

neil warner @wooliferkins  ·   Has the world gone deaf? No issues with sound #Quirke

lighting or the lack thereof

heart Lisa Rodrigues @LisaSaysThis  ·   #Quirke might be really good. But we can only guess because apparently they had very little light in the 1950s

heart Claire Stokes @maudie43  ·   Darker, mumblier … #Quirke

Richard Waters @RichardPWaters  ·   #Quirke Ah the 1950’s when it was perpetually dark and everyone mumbled.

Tim Mc Garry @Tim_Mc_Garry  ·   Irish economy still in doldrums. They can’t afford a light or a microphone #Quirke

John Mulholland @johnmulholland2  ·   Funny how everything used to be a muddy brown colour. #Quirke

heart Jane Waring @warijan  ·   Was it really that dark in the 50s? #Quirke

Yes, it’s pretty dark. Even inside…

John Search @JohnCSearch  ·   @bbc Diction Dharlings !! And it’s always Lights, first, then Camera Action in case you’ve forgotten! #Quirke

Lisa Rodrigues @LisaSaysThis  ·   @randallwrites #Quirke I don’t know how you can tell in all the gloom. Presumably electricity still to be invented?

Ela Farrell @elafarrell  ·   Stop mumbling and switch the light on #Quirke

aquamarine_jo @aquamarine_jo  ·   Now I understand the Dublin gloom – Boston has ALL the lightbulbs! #Quirke

heart Wyn Emanuel @WynfordE  ·   I think it was Philip Larkin who said colour was invented in 1963 #Quirke

Andrew Kirk @misterTAkirk  ·   Aaawwww lighten up twitter and enjoy the moodiness #quirke

positive responses to the episode

Stephen Sandford @stsandford  ·   Ah! Gambon AND Byrne… on a Sunday night… Wonderful! #Quirke

Debbie Joyce @DEBSYDOODAH  ·   #BBC1 first episode of #Quirke, love it already

Nigel Plebeian @NGT67  ·   A good start for #Quirke . It is tense and dark with good 50s atmosphere and a great lead actor.

Adrian @AdrianShephard4  ·   #Quirke love it. Well done BBC.

Erasmo Recchioni @Erasmo2058  ·   #Quirke I’m going to stick with it. #EireNoir

heart Darren Greenidge @Darrengreenidge  ·   I’m rather enjoying #Quirke on @BBCOne. Whilst all the other #noir canon on lately is dark & brilliant, this is murky, seedy & edgy

majella kavanagh @kavanag  ·   #Quirke exposing the church again. Loving it.

razy Daisy  @golddaisychains  ·   Oooh the drama of #Quirke , I’m gripped!!!

heart Jan Bullock @maymay22  ·   People this is paced considered drama . Not everything has to go at 100 mph and involve a car chase and shoot out. #Quirke

CarOLINe MORGAN @heartsincamelot  ·   THAT WAS AMAZINGGG #Quirke @BBCOne

William Charlton @CharltonW  ·   Well #Quirke on BBC just had me captivated for an hour and a half. My god what great acting, drama and cinematography

gordonmichaelsutton @oppositejohn  ·   Superb #Quirke #bbc

majella kavanagh @kavanag  ·   #Quirke bloody bloody right/amazing/true love it xx

heart Richard Lusmore @MisterSlush  ·   #Quirke. Brilliant. #thatisall

Jean @tweetyjeanie  ·   Well I thought that #Quirke was excellent! Superb acting, great drama! #BBC1

JJ @jeanniejuno  ·   Marvellous new drama with the talented #GabrielByrne – best so far this year. #Quirke. Excellent cast – gripping tale.

Anne-Marie @AnneMarieJames  ·   In love with #Quirke already well done BBC

heart Jojanneke v.d. Bosch @Jojanneke  ·   Oh come on, grumpy tweeters! #Quirke was well acted, the styling raw and deliciously vintage Bushmills dark and there was lovely eye candy.

heart Craven Maven @Craven_Maven  ·   People do no EN-UN-CI-ATE everything in real life, why should they on a TV programme? #quirke

Sue @SierraUniEcho  ·   What an excellent drama #Quirke was & with the excellent Gabriel Byrne as the eponymous ‘hero’ #IrishNoir

heart Thomas Urbye @ThomasUrbye  ·   #quirke brilliant comment by my Dad: “most tv is people just shouting at each other, good to see something that requires proper attention!”

heart Derek Farrell @Derek_I_Farrell  ·   #Quirke on BBC1 tonight was as good as the books. And that’s saying something. Just two things: #NotEnoughSmokingOrSmog

Chad battleheart @Chadbattleheart  ·   Just watched #Quirke and really enjoyed it. Slow, brooding and with potential galore really looking forward to next week!

heart Matthew Booth @HolmesBooth  ·   #Quirke Brilliant. Gabriel Byrne superb. Justice done to the books. Excellent drama.

heart Mared @maredtm58  ·   Enjoyed the first episode of #QUIRKE last night. Excellent performance from the smoldering Gabriel Byrne, dark atmospheric drama. #LOVEIT

negative responses to the episode

Kirstie McCrum @kirstiemccrum  ·   Huh. Even my love of Gabriel Byrne isn’t holding this up #Quirke

Gordon Hunt @glhunt31  ·   It’s creepy. We know that because the music is creepy. Or possibly just very annoying. Yes, that’s it. #Quirke

jo sangster @slinkypop  ·   @tweekersbaby @DublinJo #Quirke I’m not really listening to them! I’m enjoying this twitter feed more than the dingy drama!

heart Paul Wheeldon @PaulWW66  ·   #Quirke is a loner who gets drunk, smokes like a chimney, walks in the rain, asks awkward questions and presumably solves problems. The End.

heart Gordon Hunt @glhunt31  ·   “I’ll take it slowly” says #Quirke – For our sake, not a lot more slowly or the plot will be going backwards…

Alistair Canlin @alcanlin  ·   PLEASE! WILL SOMETHING HAPPEN! ANYTHING! #Quirke

Edwina @Wightrose  ·   Really, the effort of trying to understand the dialogue at this time of evening is getting too much. Bed with a good book methinks! #Quirke

heart Barbara Scott @LilithCrane  ·   As noir as a muffly noir thing in a bag #Quirke

Alistair Canlin @alcanlin  ·   “Can’t be easy for you, waiting for the end” Gabriel Byrne perfectly sums up the thoughts of the audience #Quirke

Bob Dutton @BobD1966  ·   #Quirke When they write these drama’s do they know what people want to watch. Have they seen Breaking Bad ?

heart Alistair Canlin @alcanlin  ·   Just. Ten. Minutes. Left. Might. Feel. Like. Three. Months. Though. God. This. Is. Dreary. #Quirke

heart Joanna Halpin ‏@MizJoanna   .   #Quirke has sent my moggy to sleep. Even though he loves Gabriel Byrne.

This is a sleeping Moggy…

Steve Fitton @Stephen_Fitton  ·   #Quirke on #BBC1 – mind numbingly dull….. feels like it’s been on for about 3 days…. shouldn’t give other half access to the remote…

* Brian Long @ThisBrianLong  ·   Well, I thought #Wallander was a bit on the bleak side but #Quirke …I’m afraid I lost the will to live with that.

Yes, there are many more positives than negatives listed, but that is due to the positives hanging around and actually watching the entire episode! smile

Gabriel Byrne

heart Emma Anthony @emmaeanthony  ·   Gabriel Byrne is ageing like a delicious fine wine… #Quirke

heart Lorraine Keown @lorrainekeown  ·   They don’t make men like Gabriel Byrne anymore #Quirke

heart Claire @pixiepippi  ·   Gabriel Byrne’s still got it. #Quirke

Oh yes, he does.

Jan Bullock @maymay22  ·   Currently experiencing all the feels for Gabriel Byrne in #Quirke

Kathleen Donnelly @gypsyteacher1  ·   #Quirke Love Gabriel Byrne. Happy to comfort him at this stressful time…

Jeff Howells @JeffHowells72  ·   I reckon old Bill Nighy has a rival for the ladies in Gabriel Byrne #catnip #Quirke

annemarieflan @annemarieflan  ·   Well despite the various grumbles I’ve stuck with #Quirke coz Gabriel Byrne can generally do no wrong IMO.

Laura Thomson @LAThomsonTweets  ·   @BBCOne pulled it out of the bag tonight w/ #Quirke.Fab cast, great story, sadly all too familiar.Brilliant to see Gabriel Byrne on screen.

heart Adrian Knight @AdyKnight58  ·   What a joy to see Gabriel Byrne in action again. Absolute class, very atmospheric, beautifully shot. Love it. #Quirke

Jon Millington @jonmillington  ·   When I grow up I want to be Gabriel Byrne looking like he’s never slept ever #Quirke

Elly Copp @EleanorCopp  ·   I am long term Gabriel Byrne fan but his hair looked like a hat in tonight’s #Quirke

Dorothy Langman @Bluebeatbabe  ·   @gypsyteacher1 Yes I made the link too.I thought GabrielByrne gave a nuanced performance~it is #dark but that was1950’s Dublinn #IrishNoir

heart Sharon Hunt @SJHunt2  ·   @HolmesBooth @Sophiemorme I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gabriel Byrne be anything but superb in a role.

heart jhg @johngreenhill2  ·   @BBCOne Congratulations – Gabriel Byrne stand up and take the applause you were outstanding!!!!!!!

other actors and characters

Sarah Kutschera @NotSoWittyUN  ·   Dumbledore AND Harry Potter’s Mum are in this. Or rather, y’know, Michael Gambon & I don’t-remember-her-name-sorry #Quirke

rnoyes @rnoyes  ·   Fran the man as Brendan Behan! #Quirke

heart like, emily  @emily_mcfreak  ·   Dumbledore pretending to be a muggle in #Quirke. #astoundingperformance

heart Aisling Franciosi @AisFranciosi  ·   Hope you’ve tuned into #Quirke on BBC1 (pretty please)

We did! And you were great!

Louise Kiely @louisekiely  ·   “@TaraBreathnach: Loving #Quirke on #BBC2, stylishly shot, great Irish actors, hooked on the story #winner @louisekiely @Nick_Dunning” Yay!

Sheila McWade @SheilaMcWade  ·   Great to see such brilliant Dublin actors in #Quirke as Pat Laffan and Deirdre Donnelly. Gabriel Byrne looks so ‘at home.’

heart Sarah Kutschera @NotSoWittyUN  ·   Maester Luwin looks a bit unwell. #Quirke

Steve Clough @S_Cat  ·   Nice to see Donald Sumpter finally get a role that perfectly suits him in #Quirke. He always looks hours from death.

heart Rachael @Rachaels91  ·   Dumbledore’s alive!!!!! #Quirke

heart richard sunbury @Finesse1967  ·   Geraldine Somerville improves with age …had a major crush when younger #cracker #panhandle #Quirke

NJ.ColinedMerlined @ToffeesNat  ·   Once More,Brilliant SMASH.such Incredible Acting!:)♥xx #Quirke @AisFranciosi @Nick_Dunning #GabrielByrne @BBCOne

smoking and drinking

Ian @amgrumpy  ·   Actors please don’t smoke and mumble at same time! #Quirke

Christine May @poliauntie  ·   Gabriel Byrne is a great drunk though #Quirke

Sarah Kutschera @NotSoWittyUN  ·   Did they even have the window open in that scene? I’d be opening windows with all that smoke. #Quirke

maura brennan @maurabr  ·   I don’t think they had filter tip cigarettes in that era … #Quirke #BBC1

heart Miles Evans @milominder  ·   Hope Gabriel Byrne solves this before his liver packs in. #Quirke

trending

Stella Kuru @Byrneholics  ·   Gabriel Byrne Update: #QUIRKE is trending on Twitter in the UK! Turn up the volume, write & complain to @BBCOne re: sound & keep watching!!

heart Trendinalia UK @trendinaliaGB  ·   186 users and 204 tweets (131 RTs) in 7 hours made #Quirke a Trending Topic in United Kingdom. #trndnl

#Futures UK @HashtagFutures  ·   The trending history of #quirke is interactively charted at http://hashtagfutures.co.uk/tags/profile/23975 … #Futures UK

Hope you enjoyed these! I sure did. Look for more Quirke Twitter recaps for Episode 2: The Silver Swan and Episode 3: Elegy for April as the episodes air.