Hoping we can talk about the 2000-2001 A&E series starring Maury Chaykin, Tim Hutton, and a grand ensemble of very good character actors.

I'm just starting now to make my way through the DVDs, but am fully smitten. Chaykin wasn't quite how I'd envisioned Wolfe; the Nero Wolfe of my imagination has always been nearly immobile, and Chaykin plays him not just mobile but often quite light on his feet. I guess that plays up the "lazy" characterization you see throughout the books in that Wolfe can get around just fine but chooses not to. And the interaction between Archie and Wolfe is a little different than what I pictured, too, but really works. They're more playful and more partner-ish than I pictured, but now I wouldn't have it any other way.

As for Hutton: swoon. God he's yummy, with his loose gait and tight rhythms and bright eyes that don't miss a thing. The lady will take a big dish of that. (Mind you, I love me some rumpled, wounded, Leverage-y Hutton, too. Collect the whole set!)

Anyway: any fans of the brownstone out there who want to compare notes?

Love this series! I thought Hutton and Chaykin were particularly well-matched as a team.

More later. Great topic.

And can we just take a moment to celebrate the bold and elegant design aesthetic and classic Manhattan look? I'm so glad, because you would never want to see a cheap-looking Nero Wolfe story!

There's a moment in "Champagne for One" where Archie's calling Wolfe from a phone booth and he looks out across the bar to eyeball the guy he's tailing. Hutton is so perfectly framed and costumed, and the look on his face is so perfect, you could transfer the whole thing to the cover of a 50s pulp novel as is.

Heaven!

(Although speaking of that episode (2 eps), I'm not sure they ever really solved the mystery. I mean, it seemed like they gave us the Who but not the How. What did I miss?)

I just wanted to chime in that I loved this series and recently purchased the DVD box set. I'd be game for a Rewatch! Anybody else?

I just finished a dvd rewatch a couple of weeks ago. Tim Hutton was perfect as Archie, exactly what I'd pictured when reading. Nero was way too shouty but I can overlook that.

I also loved the ensemble, although it was sometimes a bit confusing when someone changed roles (Lon filled in for Saul in one of the later episodes and I missed the introduction and was a bit lost).

I'm on board for a rewatch! First watch for me, actually. Awesome. Shall we wait for a few more gamers to check in and give everyone time to line up their DVDs?

I'll stock up on beer and tell Fritz we're having company . . .

Order a glass of milk for me!

Oooh, I love this! I'll gladly do a watch-a-long, but I get my copies from the library so my contributions may be scattershot (although OTOH, this would give me a good excuse to just go and buy 'em, since I think I've borrowed them a couple times already).

Hee. I just ordered the discs. The pilot movie is on there, and some extras too (unlike the ones I've been borrowing from the library, plus my libe ones are already overdue). Can't wait.

Gotta say Bill Smitrovich sure seems to be having a ball as Cramer. Those cigars are gonna STAY chomped.

This was my all-time favorite TV show. It has been a couple of years since I watched my DVD's, so count me in.

I've got some renovation going on in my condo and my DVDs are packed away and in storage. By December, I should be ready...carry on without me; I'll catch up.

I'm so glad they got Kari Matchett to play the ex-wife of Hutton's character on Leverage. They are SO fantastic together. This series also brought me a greater appreciation of Francie Swift. I was so sorry when it ended.

This site: http://www.nerowolfe.org/ is an obsessive depository of everything Wolfe. Left-hand menu can link you to a ton of features and sub features via "A&E T.V. Series" entry. Way more than I can take in at once, but looks great. The reports and photo collections from several fans' set visits are great, and there's a lot about the show's reverence for authenticity in props and the brownstone layout and so on. Apparently Hutton was himself a huge fan of the books and was very personally invested in the artistry of the whole thing. Cool.

Ooo, I just found the complete series half price online! When are y'all going to start the re-watch party? If I order this weekend, my discs should be in by November 1 …

I was devastated when this show was canceled. I've rewatched my box set a few times now and I'm so happy that there are more fans here.

In agreement with the people who've commented on the aesthetics of the show, it is seriously WOW. The costumes, the sets, and the music... they all came out beautifully.

Some of my friends didn't like the reusing of the actors in different roles, but I loved it. It gave the show a ... for lack of a better word, a family feeling to it. I loved waiting to see who Kari Matchett would play in the ep.

Timothy Hutton did a great job as producer, director, and actor. Sometimes I call him Archie when I'm watching Leverage. Go Archie!

November 1 sounds like a good day to start a watch. One story (whether 1 or 2 episodes) a week to make it last longer, or some other schedule?

Also, will most people be able to watch the pilot movie (Golden Spiders, I think it's called)? The season 1 discs I got from the library didn't have it, and I haven't been able to find it on its own, but the DVDs I just blew two weeks of lunch money on from Amazon appear to have it (they're due to arrive in a couple days).

Can't wait!

Also just saw that there's going to be a Leverage convention here (Portland, OR) in March. Wonder if Mr. Hutton will be able to make room in his dance card for Wolfe fans . . .

So, do those with access to The Golden Spiders want to start with that on Nov. 1? Then begin the 20 episode-run on the 8th?

list of episodes, if anyone wants it

How does this work? I've never participated in a re-watch before.

I think the Golden Spiders might be in the S2 set.

Once we have a schedule (or at least pick a day to watch), we should get our rewatch added to the twop calendar. I'm not sure how many people check it but we might get a few more viewers.

I just ordered my set from Amazon--not sure if it'll get here in time to join in the re-watch, but I'll check the comments and see what's up until my dvds arrive and can join in with the schedule.

Good solution!

Are people happy with watching 2 episodes some weeks and 1 ep other weeks--in other words, watching one complete story per week? Or should we stretch it out more with 1 episode each week? I don't have a preference, but I know people are busy.

Didn't know about the calendar, akg*; we should definitely post there! I'll take a shot at it.

What does the "k" stand for, btw?

I didn't know about it until I started the Trek rewatch. I don't know how many people see it but adding it can't hurt. The more people watching, the more interesting the discussion will be.


akg is my initials. My middle name is Kathleen. What were you thinking?

I'll be watching off of Netflix, which may be hit and miss, but I'm game. Count me in!

Me, too! This show is one of the very favourites of mine, and I've watched a lot of TV shows. Thankfully, I have the two-season DVD set, so I have the Golden Spiders. Yay!

I had figured a was for Archie and g was for Goodwin, of course! Especially since you ordered milk earlier in the thread--

Heh. I should have guessed. I have always loved that our names are similar (and that we share a love of milk).

All right, good people, let's say the entire Golden Spiders movie/pilot for those who can get their hands on it, November 1. Then we'll make a plan from there.

My bee-yoo-tee-full discs arrived today!

Still waiting for my dvd set, but I'll try to catch up as quickly as possible once they arrive.

My discs haven't arrived yet, either, but I hope to have them and catch up before Nov. 8 and Episode 1!

I've come down with a cold so took that as a good reason to spend the morning in bed watching NW!

General things: I have been a mystery fiend since adolescence. I used to think that it was important that you cared about all of the cast of possible suspects, but now I realize that's pretty rare and not really amenable to churn-them-out genre fiction. The Wolfe stories (books or TV) don't seem to endeavor to make you feel you know any of the suspects very well at all. Instead, their fascination lies in how the great man is two or three steps ahead of the reader. It's not Whodunnit or even Howdunnit; it's HowdHeFigureItOut? I like that.

Was also thinking recently that the series might have stuck around longer if it had come up just a few years later, now that USA network has made a going concern of "Characters Welcome" and the quirky detective procedural, for example. But I don't mind that some great series have short lives, too. Not every show is meant to last forever, and I kind of like my Wolfe in the past tense in general.

Golden Spiders: great pilot, I thought! Solid story-telling, clean and light exposition, and all the pieces more or less in place. I think it's relatively subdued in look and tone compared to some of the later episodes, but as it involves the death of a child, I thought the tone was appropriate. The Wolfe-Archie sparring is there in just the right proportion, the costumes are gorgeous (Wolfe's shirt was white, though!), and the dozen or so well-cast flat foots, shysters, and femmes fatales were in fine form.

Curious nitpick--lunch at the brownstone in the books is at 1:00, dinner at 8. Changed in the series (at least in this episode) to 12:30 and 6:30. Wonder why?

Less time between lunch & dinner for Wolfe & Fritz to argue about how to cook dinner?

I'm going over to my storage bin to retrieve my discs... I can't wait. (Besides, this mildew abatement dealio is gonna take a LOT longer than I anticipated...)

Am I mis-remembering? I do not remember the brownstone having a front door with wavy glass. It's pretty cool looking, but doesn't afford a whole lot of privacy.

My discs arrived today! Now, if I could only find a couple of hours to watch … 'tis hockey season, after all.

That kind of startled me, too. Wonder if we will see it change next week.

Re-watchers: Part 1 of The Doorbell Rang tonight!

We will hear reports in the office, over coffee.

I'll have a glass of beer, thanks.

Sorry to be so late to the party! I loved The Golden Spiders -- not sure I caught it the first time around.

So, are we watching both parts of The Doorbell Rang this week, or just the first?

Hope you're enjoying the series and look forward to reading your comments on the episodes. I'm STILL waiting for Amazon to deliver (it's been over 2 weeks now); either the dvds have gone astray or were shipped by Pony Express by way of a Slow Boat from China!

I watched the whole thing, since my DVD doesn't separate them into parts.

The door (with the doorbell, LOL) now has frosted glass. Wolfe's shirt is yellow.

I love the music.

The Doorbell Rang is my favorite Wolfe book and I was very impressed with the tv version. I love them doing the impossible. I'm rewatching now so may have more actual comments in a bit.

In the meantime, some thoughts on the Golden Spiders (which I would never wear):

I’m glad they changed locations for the Brownstone (they did, didn’t they?). The opening shot is not what I pictured when reading at all. I did enjoy the various arguments beween Wolfe and Fritz and Wolfe and Archie over lunch. And I loved that they honored their partnership with Pete.

I did not like that Lon was playing Saul. If this is the only time, I can forgive it but I consider both characters to be major enough to have a dedicated actor (like Cramer, who will be Cramer to me in everything).

kimaken, what thte heck! We need you to get those discs. Come on, Pony Express.

So indeed TDR is a double-length episode but not broken in two. I only budgeted for 45 minutes, though, so am just halfway there. Observations so far:

Timmy Hutton is way sexy.

The acting is so great and the details are handled so right that sometimes I swear I can hear Archie's narration or description even when there's no voice over. Especially in scenes with the core folks; you know exactly what's being negotiated between the lines at ever moment.

Little things:
The secretary at the electronic company was sort of jarring to me--she was dressed like a flamenco dancer, and her bearing didn't seem very 50s.

I will swear--even went back and checked--that the dead reporter's fiancee was first referred to as "Marina," and later "Marian." (imdb says "Marian")

Love this series, and can't wait to see how the episode ends! (I don't mind spoilers, though.)

The cars all look so 40s, though. It's hard to pin down the era, with the fashions, etc. It always appears to me to be older than the 50s, but Archie kept referring to the TV, which most households didn't have until the fifties. (I was born in '49 - we were the only ones with a TV in the neighborhood and the neighbors were more interested in looking at our TV than the new baby. My mom was SO disappointed. LOL)

The TV show they had on in the background - that game show - really looked like the early, first version of The Price is Right (pre-Bob Barker - he was still hosting "Truth or Consequences"; Bill Cullen hosted TPIR)

Another thing that makes me think it looks 'older' is the 30s art-deco style of the opening title sequence. Doesn't look very 50s, but is awfully classy looking. Do I understand correctly that Mrs. Hutton is the artist behind the design?

I must say, though, I hate that mustard color of the leather chair Wolfe has at his desk.

Finished The Doorbell Rang. Man, that was an awesome ending. The Cramer/Ragg standoff was top-flight scenery chewing.

It's the little things in this show that send me! Archie and Wolfe's conversation after they interviewed Miss Dacos was amazing. "Does she lie?" "Certainly."

I was glad that character (Dacos) turned out to be so important--that actress was way too exciting to be in the background. (I believe she is the Francie Swift someone spoke of upthread?)

Can't wait till next Sunday!

Good news! The Pony Express finally arrived with my dvds! WooHoo! So, I guess I have to find time to catch up with y'all, right? And then this Sunday we're on to Episode 2? Looking forward to the weekend!

I love this show.

I gave my Mom season 1 as a gift (without ever seeing it.) I heard it was good, so I stole it back to watch it. I want to keep it it and yet I want her to watch it (I think she would really enjoy it.) I'm a horrible daughter.

It took me a long time to realize that they used an ensemble cast. Either they're good or I'm slow (or both.)

Yes, the lying Miss Dacos was portrayed by Francie Swift. The first time I remember seeing her was in a Law & Order episode where she had multiple personalities. Turned out, her "protector" personality, Bobby (a guy!), had committed the murder to protect the core personality. She was marvelous during the trial, when the questioning became so hostile, Bobby made an appearance to tell everybody to leave her alone.

She also played Hutton's wife in the 2006 film "Heavens Fall" - and Chaykin has a very small part in the film, too, as well as Tolkan and Smitrovich. When Hutton finds people he likes to work with, it seems he tends to keep them working. ;-)

Geez, 5x5, that is a quandary! Maybe your mom can have the DVDs M-F and you get the weekends?

Wow, Heaven's Fall has an amazing cast including our boys and several of my other faves. Can't believe I didn't know about it; it's s going right in my netflix queue.

Apropos of nothing, can I say how much I loved Debra Monk's blue dress in her last scene of The Doorbell Rang? And of course it's always good to see her delightful self.

I hated the ensemble too. It really threw me out of the mood to have Kari playing Lily Rowan one week and the murderess the next. I much would have preferred getting new actors for each episode, outside of the "regulars". However, that was the only thing that I didn't like about the series. The music was great, the brownstone meticulously created, and you could feel the relationship between Archie and Nero. It's been a while since I saw the Doorbell Rang. I'll have to rewatch it this weekend...

I liked the use of the same actors in different roles -- kind of like the old studio system.

Nearly a week into "Episode 1 Rewatch" and I haven't sat down long enough to watch. Definitely by Sunday!

What's the plan for tomorrow, ladies and gents? Part I of Champagne for One, or both parts?

I'm inclined to stretch things out and just watch an hour a week, which is how it was broacast (after the pilot and the first episode). But I'm also easy and very, very weak.

ETA: I think we're going to need this. How else will we be sure to get a proper meal on Sunday nights?

I skipped ahead today and watched Death of a Doxy. Wow. If folks are perturbed the repertory cast, this one's a doozy. Kari Matchett plays TWO characters!

Judging by her speech pattern, man, and her mod wardrobe, this one's set in the mid sixties, man. LOL.

My discs, being illegal copies, (they were a gift; I couldn't get all self-righteous and refuse them) don't have the special features. Can some kind soul tell me which disc they're on, so I can get it from Netflix?

Thanks.

I wouldn't have refused those discs either, Prevailing Wind.

In my boxed set of the whole series, it looks like the final disc has the special features, along with The Golden Spiders. Let us know if you can find that on netflix, OK?

Finally got caught up! Loved Golden Spiders! Favorite line (which I can't remember the exact quote) was when Archie, after dealing with a petulant Nero Wolfe, opened the door to let the boy, Pete, in the first time and said something about "since Wolfe was acting like a child, he'd let a real one in to play with him". Too funny! Loved seeing Saul Rubinek--he was the baddie in the first "Leverage" episode (Tim Hutton's current tv show on TNT)--evidently Saul and Tim are great friends in real life.

Then I watched The Doorbell Rang. Loved the colors, the music, everything! But I was a bit taken aback by someone else playing Saul; I don't remember the ensemble cast switching roles when I watched the show back in the 90's on A&E. Nonetheless, I got over it and sat back to enjoy the ride.

Last night I cheated and watched BOTH parts of Champagne for One. I intended to watch just the first part but I was hooked and had to move on to see the conclusion. Not as much use of the detective team (Saul, Fred, and Orrie, although Saul had a decent role and he was the same one from The Doorbell Rang). Also, I hadn't paid much attention before, but in this episode I noticed that Archie's walk is quite the swagger, showing how cocky, arrogant, and self-assured Archie is (or maybe it's the impression he wants to give?).