A Nero Wolfe Mystery

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.

The "Nero Wolfe" TV series (2001-2002) was brilliant, and if you missed it on TV or, like its myriad fans, want to see it again and again, "Nero Wolfe" is available on DVD. Producers Michael Jaffe, Timothy Hutton, and Howard Braunstein did everything right - the cast, the dialogue, the sets, the wardrobe, and the music. Everything that Rex Stout put into his stories can be seen on these DVDs. ("Nero Wolfe-The Complete Season One" and "Nero Wolfe-The Complete Season Two") And the quality of the DVDs, both the audio and the video, is superb.

The Doorbell Rang (the first episode on the Season One DVD set), starring Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin, and Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe, is an exceptional adaptation of Rex Stout's 1965 novel. Nero Wolfe, with the assistance of Archie Goodwin, his intrepid legman, takes on "the big fish," J. Edgar Hoover.

The Season Two DVDs are every bit as fine as the Season One set in audio and video quality. Season Two has the added fillip of bonus material which was sadly lacking in the Season One set. The Season Two set includes "The Golden Spiders," the 2000 TV movie which led to the series, and "The Making of Nero Wolfe," a short documentary which offers interviews with Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, and others involved in the production of this marvelous series. Also included as a "bonus" is a widescreen version of "The Silent Speaker." (It is unfortunate that A&E did not see fit to offer all of the episodes in widescreen.) After enjoying Nero Wolfe Season One and Two you'll want more adaptations of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe done by Jaffe, Hutton et al. You'll also wonder what fit of nincompoopery came over A&E and made them cancel this exemplary series.

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.

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.

How could they Cancel Nero Wolfe. Starring Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin the assistant to the Famous Nero Wolfe played by Maury Chaykin. The plots are Fantastic I have never seen a Nero Wolfe I didn't like, Archie is hilarious when he annoys the Wolfe and Wolfe would never want to get rid of Archie because he is the best assistant. The characters are very well rounded and very versatile. The regular characters like Lon Cohen and Saul Panzer are very intriguing. I bought the box sets and just wish that I could see new ones every week. I recommend all of you TV watchers out there that like Detective Shows watch this they should be available on A&E every now and then or even at your local video store but it is well worth it.