Lily_Rowan

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:06:54 -0800

Nice work, Tom, but I was totally taken aback by Timothy Hutton’s apparent ignorance of the adulation that “Nero Wolfe” won from professional critics and viewers alike. It was underpromoted and cancelled because the network of “Pride and Prejudice,” “Nero Wolfe,” “Horatio Hornblower,” and the like, decided to reinvent itself as the network of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and the like, but by no criteria could it be considered “underappreciated” by those who managed to find it on the air and the many others who have joined them reveling in “Nero Wolfe” on DVD. The whole show, as well Tim’s major contributions in particular, earned rave reviews at the time, and new waves appeared as the DVDs were released. Here’s just a tiny sampling of what that makes Tim response, “I sure have never read that anywhere or heard anyone say that,” to your noting the high quality of “Nero Wolfe” so bizarre: New York Magazine’s Top Ten TV Shows of 2001; Multichannel News’ Top Ten Cable Shows of 2002; “Hutton has found a series of which he can be proud. Most actors would kill to be a part of such a witty and classy production” (Pittsburgh Tribune); “Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin and a stellar ensemble deliver one juicy moment after another. Chaykin is wonderfully petulant as Wolfe, and Hutton shows a surprising comedic charm that reveals an as-yet undiscovered range” (Variety); “In addition to co-producing the series and directing several episodes, Timothy Hutton plays Archie Goodwin, and I can't see how anyone could do a better job” (Terry Teachout, WS Journal theater critic, writing in the National Review); “Chaykin is wonderfully petulant as Wolfe, and Hutton shows a surprising comedic charm that reveals an as-yet undiscovered range.” (NY Times); “A witty, beguiling, colorful, pulse-pounding hoot of a weekly series.” (LA Times); “Network television has rarely seen such a combination of eye candy and brain food. On all counts, Nero Wolfe is a class act” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). “’Nero Wolfe’ is incredible. Every facet of the series -- its writing, the acting, the music, the cinematography, the set design -- is flawless, to the point where I had a tough time pinning down a starting point for this review” (DVD Talk); “Nero Wolfe is a rare television series that will enthrall almost any audience” (DVD Verdict); “The production values for these shows are beyond reproach. ‘Nero Wolfe’ is about as close to perfection as any fan could wish -- and will undoubtedly serve as a superb introduction to a new generation of fans as well” (Home Theater Sound); “Once upon a time there was an extraordinary group of people who made extraordinary television for the A&E network. ‘Nero Wolfe’ was absolutely riveting, from the dialogue to the storyline to the photography to the vintage sets. I, myself, didn't know about it until it was too late to save it. The DVDs have been my chance to see what I missed” (Cosmic Debris). Such accolades are prominently available on the internet, e.g., the Wikipedia entry, and Imdb External Reviews and Wolfe Pack sections for “A Nero Wolfe Mystery,” the Customer Reviews for the DVD sets on Amazon, etc. Icons from screenshots featuring Tim Hutton-Archie Goodwin, Maury Chaykin-Nero Wolfe, Conrad Dunn-Saul Panzer, and other cast favorites pop up all over the place. And since ‘Tis the Season, how about this glorious fan-made video: http://www.iment.com/maida/keepthissecret/songvids/xmassong.htm So, the “web-literate” Timothy Hutton – lookin’ for love in all the wrong places? I wish him success with “Leverage,” which seems to be a fun series, but he’ll always be Archie Goodwin to me and a lot of other people. There would be still more of us if “Nero Wolfe” had been treated to even a fraction of the promotion that TNT is giving “Leverage” or, for that matter, that A&E bestows on its “Dog” and other crap.

Tom Lewis

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:34:14 -0800

very laid-back guy, totally professional and pleasant, and very web-literate to boot. I'll post the sound file of the interview later

timmay

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:38:15 -0800

whenever i see him, i still think of "taps" ... and the fact that his face looks permanently young.

Julie Wolfson

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:31:47 -0800

Timothy Hutton rocks! Great interview!

The Ugly American

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:11:55 -0800

I am now going to check your freezer for human heads Tim Hutton is a treasure : ) Very nice interview, Tom.

Michele Reverte

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:10:09 -0800