This DVD set is great. I am glad that you were able to provide this DVD set, as I have been looking for this DVD set for a long time.

A&E hit it out of the ballpark. this is one amazing series, that leaves one begging for more. why on earth is there only 2 seasons?

I love Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories. I loved the Sidney Greenstreet radio program. I love shows like Poirot, Brother Cadfael, Monk, and Sherlock Holmes. I thought I would love this television series, too. I didn't. It's an even greater shame, because the cast all seem tailor made for their roles. Unfortunately, the viewing experience feels like sloppy, cramped, community theatre. The pace is way too fast for the mysteries to develop and create suspense. There's TONS of overacting, shouting, and horribly amateurish reacting. The stable of supporting actors change roles depending on the episode which, as one other reviewer stated, makes things very confusing. Apart from the main characters, you have to erase your memory of everybody else's characters from previous episodes as each time they play somebody different. Nero and Archie have nice chemistry, but more often than not Mr. Chaykin yells and yells and yells, then pontificates as if he's reading poetry in a coffee shop, then yells and yells and yells. In fact, the cast on the whole is split between theatre acting (loud, broad, melodramatic BIG characters) and television acting (soft, subtle, real people type characters). The supporting players do weird accents and voices, make faces, and oftentimes forget to "act" when it's not their turn to speak (they just stop in their tracks when it's somebody else's turn to talk!). The camera is way too close for the kind of over-the-top broad gestures, vocals, and facial movement on display; not to mention it doesn't allow the viewer a feel for space and time. There are, fortunately, some good things about this series. Pluses include the 40/50s style sets, costumes, and props, the actors all look like they should, and the stories themselves are faithful to the original classics (albeit far too skimmed over and condensed). I, personally, love plays that are filmed and look live, but this series doesn't look like that's the goal. It looks like a hodge podge of t.v., theatre, and live book reading. It's good to have humor in a show such as this, but to just look like you're goofing around is unforgiveable. Maybe this show is best appreciated by those who know all of the original stories by heart, and can therefore follow along from memory. Newcomers who haven't read the books, beware. Shows have to stand on their own and this one does not. Dizzying in it's pace, if you're a novice to the stories, this one is very hard to follow as far as who's who. There may be occasional bright spots in episodes and a couple of shows that are better than others, but this is a sadly missed opportunity to be a definitive series. Give me Poirot, Cadfael, and Monk over this muck any day. Too bad, because I really wanted to like it.

Those of you who know Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodmin will be very pleased with this film version. Every detail is exactly as Rex Stout intended and described. The dialog is perfectly preserved and the stories adapt well to video. The casting is a particular joy in that the players remain the same through all of the stories, with all except the few main characters playing different roles in each. If you have never met Archie and Mr. Wolfe before, this is a wonderful introduction.

Let me get this straight.
The purpose of a pilot episode is to introduce, as background material, the various characters and locations to the viewer.
When bringing this series to DVD the pilot is included in the second season set.
Why?
Well, it does not matter.
If you're an avid Rex Stout enthusiast this attempt at dramatization will leave you hungry.
Maury Chaykin as Wolfe is fine casting but the poor scripting has turned the intense Nero into an eccentric grouch.
Timothy Hutton, who is also Director and Executive Producer, is way offline trying to act Archie.
Fritz and Cramer? Same thing. Out of character.
Saving grace. The venerable Saul Rubinek who nails Lon Cohen to the veritable "T".
If you want real Rex see the 1979 film with the late Thayer David.
A "right on" version.