A Nero Wolfe Mystery

Witty dialogue, accurate representation of original characters. Something to watch without all the smarmy content that is on much of TV. There is humor, mystery and an excellent ensemble cast. Timothy Hutton is the perfect Archie Goodwin and we are able to see how well he inherited his father's light touch with humor.

This series is one of the bright spots of television broadcasting. An intelligent and engaging action detective show with a fabulous ensemble cast. Each episode is a sparkling adaptation of one of the 74 popular mystery novels or novellas written by Rex Stout and featuring the 1/7th of a ton, brilliant, orchid loving, gourmet detective Nero Wolfe and his free wheeling and wise-cracking assistant Archie Goodwin. The best screen adaptation of a detective book series since William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man series in the 30s and with much of the charm and sophistication that made Nick and Nora Charles so beloved. Don't miss Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin and the other denizens of the brownstone on 35th Street in NYC, home of the world's largest and greatest detective.

I was begining to wonder, with one boring TV season after another, and "Frasier" being the only show to watch. Now I have "Wolfe." I hope A & E will keep it around for awhile. Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin are brilliant in their roles as Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe. My dad is a big fan of the books, and he says they're excatly how he would have pictured them to be.

The show seems to air in segments of two-part episodes, that will most likely be marketed as movies. They're worth buying! Fast-paced and and full of fun, "Nero Wolfe" seems to be the best show that has come along to television in a long time! At first I thought it would just be an excuse to watch Timothy Hutton (SWOON) once a week, but it's got a whole lot more than just a really great actor.

Thank you, A & E, for this quality show.

This show should always be on the air. It is never disappointing. I can always count on a fascinating story, a thought-provoking plot (!) and the very best casting. Really, there is nothing wrong with this series. It is one of two TV shows that I actually look forward to and never miss. All the casting is perfect and the sets are too. Cannot say enough good things and I hope I can always find it on some channel. The combination of Tim Hutton and Maury Chaykin is priceless. They have opposite personalities but they work so great together. Archie's humor provides great comic relief to Wolfe's seriousness and idiosyncrasies. (Don't call him Nero.)Another appealing quality is the return of the supporting cast in many episodes. They come back playing other roles and it is fun to see them pop up again. Inspector Cramer, Lon Cohen, Fritz and Saul Panzer all are played perfectly too, as well as the rest of the recurring actors - too long a list to continue. It is addictive.

Magnificent performances: Tough to fill Archie Goodwin's shoes, and even tougher to fill Nero Wolfe's, but Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin do it in these splendid, remarkably faithful adaptations of Rex Stout's addictive detective novels. Bill Smitrovich as Inspector Cramer, Colin Fox as Fritz; Conrad Dunn, Fulvio Cecere, and Trent McMullen as the 'Teers; and R.D. Reid as Sergeant Purley "I tawt you wuz already gone" Stebbins are also dead-on and delightful. Plus a tour-de-force for the non-recurring roles, in the best theater tradition but unique for television -- a talented repertory cast, led by Kari Matchett, Debra Monk, Francie Swift, James Tolkan, Nicki Guadagni and the late great George Plimpton.

Kudos especially to head writer Sharon Doyle for not only keeping the faith with Stout's marvelous language – the dialog and Archie's first-person narrative (here as voice-over) – but actually enhancing the stories with worthy-of-Stout inventions of her own. Some standouts: In "Disguise for Murder" and "Eeny Meeny Murder Mo" we get ringside seats at the card games which are unseen teasers in the books; in "Poison a la Carte" we share a beautifully poignant, wordless concluding scene that speaks volumes about the relationship between Wolfe and Fritz; in "Christmas Party" and "Door to Death" we get priceless gems from a jealous Lily Rowan;and joy of joys, in "Silent Speaker" we get the Nero Wolfe series' own "Mrs. Columbo" – Mrs.Cramer, in person, joining forces with Archie for fun with Fergus.

The sets are stunning, especially the beloved Brownstone in all its glory.

This is the show that introduced millions of viewers to Wolfe and Archie and catapulted their creator, whose last book was published 30 years ago, to the top of the used book sales charts. Season One and Season Two Nero Wolfe on DVD are treasures for new and longtime fans alike. The absence of a Season Three on A&E and DVD is sad evidence of a once proud television network gone to the dogs.