Les enquêtes de Nero Wolfe

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.

I love this series passionately. A murder mystery set in the late 50s, with fast-paced wit and style. It gets you thinking not just about the murders, but about the people; how they really behave and how sharp one has to be to keep up with the threads of so many suspects lives and possible motives.

The books are just as fast paced and difficult to follow as the TV series can be. Definitely not for mothers who intend to get the knitting/ironing done while half concentrating on the TV.

But you've never seen such quality on American television - in fact, you'd almost swear it was British. The script is impeccable, the cast perfect, the performances true to the novel, and obviously Timothy Hutton is loving every minute of his role as Archie Goodwin. (a role which he has made successfully jump straight from the pages of Rex Stout's novels, onto the screen.)

But the best part; you can watch them over and over, because there'll always be an angle you missed, a glance, a witty line, a plot twist. And knowing how often TV shows are repeated isn't this a godsend? Haven't we had enough of the crud you can watch with your eyes closed, while-knitting-on-the-phone-doing-the-ironing?

I really love 4 am, because that's when Nero Wolfe movies turn up on Sky Satellite here in the UK. The logic of them is as impenetrable as the dialogue, the plots as murky as an old fog, but they're fun. Nero Wolfe, the character, absorbs me. He has wonderful taste in food, but likes canary yellow shirts, an impeccable library, a wonderful orchid room, and he lives totally in his head. I love the scenes where they show you all the delicious food and old Nero sets poor old Fritz impossible tasks - like finding Iranian coriander, or meat during the great meat shortage. I love old Cramer the detective and his sidekick, Curly. Those two are so full of malice, I'll bet they don't have to pull their guns out to kill anyone. Archie's pretty good too, though if he was my assistant I'd slap him for his cheek. The women are pretty exotic, along the lines of 'dames' or 'broads' in writers like James Hadley Chase.The sets are classy, the graphics incredible, the mis-en-scene terrific. But the best bit is the food. Only one thing, you never see old Nero drinking wine, his favorite tipple is beer. Personally, I like beer, I've got nothing against it, but for a real haute couture man, I feel red wine would be classier.John Olsson

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.