This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive.
By Adam M. Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, August 2004
Rating: ★★★ (3.0/5)
Starring Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton
Nero Wolfe (played by Maury Chaykin) is a fat man who rarely leaves his home, is easily enraged, loves his orchids and only enjoys the finest foods. Fortunately, Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton) knows how to get what he wants. Goodwin is the narrator for the story and the man who provides the audience with the insight. Through the eyes of Wolfe’s right hand man, the audience gets a front seat in the action.
The series is based on a collection of novels and novellas written by Rex Stout, who began publishing his stories just after World War II. The television series is set during this time period. The art direction in this series is absolutely wonderful and it leaves no doubt in your mind that what you are watching is happening during the late ‘40s and early ‘50s.
The best part of this series is the relationship between Wolfe and Goodwin. The constant bickering and mutual respect that the two have for each other is just great and gets the viewer hooked onto the series. With a solid and very enjoyable supporting cast, Colin Fox plays the often hilarious chef Fritz while Bill Smitrovich’s Inspector Cramer tries to solve the mysteries before Wolfe can.
Timothy Hutton not only stars in this series as Archie Goodwin, but he also takes on the role of executive producer for the series. Hutton also does an excellent job at pointing the series in the direction it will take by directing the first few episodes. The style of the drama’s narrative is superb, and is a direct translation from the books.
The stories unfold exactly as the books do. Having read the story “Door To Death” before seeing the episode, I was disappointed to see that little changed through the adaptation. This is perhaps one of the most upsetting aspects of the show, because the creative staff didn’t try to provide an interpretation of the book, like film versions of Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings did so well.
The three-disc DVD set of the complete first season of Nero Wolfe is an amazing set of mysteries with great characters and an excellent cast. However, the DVDs contain absolutely no extras. No commentaries, not even promo spots. Nothing to entice people to buy it, other than the great stories, and the fact that the episodes are no longer aired on A&E. I would have given the series four stars, but with the lack of any special features, it must be knocked down to three. Still, it’s well worth the money.