Product Details

• Actors: Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, Colin Fox, Bill Smitrovich, R.D. Reid
• Directors: Michael Jaffe
• Writers: Michael Jaffe, Rex Stout
• Producers: Michael Jaffe, David Craig, Delia Fine, Howard Braunstein, Jennifer Phillips
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: June 28, 2005
• Run Time: 800 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002MK61E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,219 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Nero Wolfe - The Complete Second Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

As legendary as Sherlock Holmes and Watson, the brilliant, curmudgeonly Nero Wolfe and his dapper sidekick Archie Goodwin use their wit, inventiveness, and flair to solve the most perplexing crimes. His imperious "seventh of a ton" lodged firmly behind his desk, Nero Wolfe rarely leaves his Manhattan brownstone, preferring instead to spend a few hours a day attending to his beloved orchid collection or feasting on the sumptuous meals prepared by his Swiss chef. Archie Goodwin is his stalwart legman, a stylish, street-smart sleuth who uncovers the clues--as well as the bodies--that let Wolfe unravel the most confounding mysteries. Sex, lies, blackmail, and murder are just part of the job when our heroes take on a case. Faithfully adapted from the best-selling novels by Rex Stout and available on DVD for the first time, the complete second season of A&E's critically acclaimed series, NERO WOLFE, stars Maury Chaykin (The Sweet Hereafter) and Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People). DVD Features: Bonus Movie: THE GOLDEN SPIDERS; 16:9 Letterbox version of "The Silent Speaker 1&2"; Bonus Behind-the-Scenes Featurette The Making of Nero Wolfe; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nero Wolfe Season Two is Very Satisfactory, August 1, 2004

By 

Debby Montague - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nero Wolfe - The Complete Second Season (DVD)

Producers Michael Jaffe and Timothy Hutton continue with their superb adaptations of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories in the second season of "Nero Wolfe." With outstanding performances by Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin, some of Stout's best stories such as "The Silent Speaker" and "Death of a Doxy" are brought to the screen

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. This 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 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.

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy All Around, September 17, 2004

By 

Carla Lovchen "peephole" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nero Wolfe - The Complete Second Season (DVD)

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 this splendid and remarkably faithful adaptation of Rex Stout's addictive detective novels. Bill Smitrovich as Inspector Cramer, Colin Fox as Fritz, and Conrad Dunn, Fulvio Cecere, and Trent McMullen as the 'Teers 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 and versatile "repertory cast," led by Kari Matchett, Debra Monk, James Tolkan, Nicki Guadagni and the late great George Plimpton.

The sets are also 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 usedbook 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.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A&E Nero Wolfe Series in one word: STYLE, December 10, 2005

By 

Michael Ziegler (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nero Wolfe - The Complete Second Season (DVD)

From the opening credit sequences that are never the same way twice to absolutely great swing era music as background melodies throughout the series. To colorful dresses, artistic sets, early 50's cars full of multi-colors and lots of shiny chrome, to suits and ties with hats and two- tone shoes. This is a GREAT series. Why for the love of Pete did A&E assume no one was interested? The greatest local scholar (now rest in peace) John J. Mullen, who had read every work by Rex Stout had always said that Nero Wolfe would be the hardest detective of fiction to bring to the screen in all of it's glory. (He even traveled late in his life to the site where the fictional Brownstone mansion would have been. Now that is dedication!)The reason he gave was that the characters never aged despite writing that went from the 1930's through 1974. Whatever year the book was written, THAT was the year it was. So any potential director would have to manipulate sets without the characters aging. Well, Tim Hutton took the best elements of Stout's writing and put together a legend in Detective Fiction that is a tribute to "the normal recreation of noble minds.". You will love this series, the characters come to life before your eyes! Guys, Dolls, Dancing and Gourmet food are what you will encounter in Stout's world. Buy this series, read the books and delve into that pleasant atmosphere that lived in the imagination of Mr. Mullen and contact A&E to bring this series back to complete a project for which he was proud to witness in his final years.