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I am watching old episodes of A&E's Nero Wolfe this afternoon, at the behest of my mother. It's such a strange story, and I will chronicle it if I manage to achieve the task she set me when she asked me to watch them, but at the moment let me just say that what she thinks is a work of art appears to be in actuality a bookshelf. (I'm working on the problem.)

I would just like to reiterate, for anyone who isn't aware, that Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are the most married couple ever to appear in the annals of detective fiction, including detectives who are actually married. If you doubt me, I urge you to watch Christmas Party and tell me that the moment when Wolfe essentially admits he's a paranoid stalker and Archie cracks up laughing over the public library incident is not reminiscent of the happiest marriage you know.

Not that I don't adore Lily Rowan, but the reason Archie never married her is that he is in fact already married to his boss.

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I love those shows.

One of my top 3 shows of all time. I adore those two and everyone else on the show.

I love the Nero Wolfe novels though I have never seen any of the movies. I totally see Wolfe and Archie as heterosexual life partners. Archie is very much married to Wolfe though I don't see any sexual tension between them.

Bookshelves aren't works of art?

I never saw the shows - but read each and every book about 20 years ago. They were great.

I love the books and the A&E movies. One thing that is amusing about the books is that while the stories include contemporary details based on when they were published, in the stories published in the 60's and near Stout's death, the characters aren't aging. They all seem to stay middle aged even into what would be after their 70th birthdays.

But yes, the life partnership aspects in the book (it's polyamorous if you include Fritz :-) are pretty amazing. When you said that I realized how true it was! A great way of characterizing their relationship.

Makes me want to re-read _In the best families_ (In which Lily becomes a causal partner as well as a committed partner)

Stout actually did that intentionally -- he decided deliberately not to age the characters, something I find charming and in their case quite appropriate. I've always wanted to write a Nero Wolfe novel set in the modern day, where Archie has a cellphone and Wolfe refuses to use the internet. :D

And Fritz refuses to use a microwave? That would be a good novel.

Yes, please. That would be wonderful. When your other commitments permit, of course...

Um. Thinking about it the past few days I'd like to try my hand at a contemporary Nero Wolfe short story, but I don't want to poach your idea...

Oh, do it if you want, I don't mind. I won't get to it for a long time if I ever do. I'd love to see a link when/if you post it, though :)

Thank you! I'll probably work on it a little bit at at time--writing my thesis, you know--but will post a link when done.

So true. I am just now today re reading, "Not Quite Dead Enough" which also contains Lily. Every time I read one I think, "There has got to be some Nero Wolfe fanfic out there, they are so totally married."

There is. Gen, Archie/Wolfe, and Archie/Saul, and Archie/Lily, among others. Yuletide usually has some.

There are some really good Archie/Wolfe pieces on AO3 from the last Yuletide fic fest. :)

There are 13 Nero Wolfe stories on the old Yuletide website (http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/fandom_rex_stout__nero_wolfe_series.html), one of them my own; and 79 stories tagged Nero Wolfe (http://archiveofourown.org/tags/Nero%20Wolfe%20-%20Rex%20Stout/works) on Archive of Our Own (AO3).

Wolfe and Archie, love them. I have read every novel and short story. Perhaps I should consider reading them again.

The A&E series was the best adaptation of the books ever.

I love that show! I saw it long before I ever read the books, and in some ways I actually still like the show more.

Though, I always found it a little odd that they used like the same five actors for in every episode, even playing completely different parts. It doesn't detract from the show or anything, but I always wonder why they decided to do it that way.

I always figured it was because the real focus of the show, like the books, was Archie and Wolfe -- all the one-off characters sort of blend together, so why not create an ensemble (it also gives it a kind of theatrical touch, and helps to build rapport among the actors).

It could also be that it was easier to sign actors for a full season than have to recontract new actors for each episode, especially since if I recall correctly it was filmed on something of a shoestring budget.

Loved the books, loved the TV series, wish it hadn't been canceled, reread the books whenever I can. They're one of my all-time favorites.

Sam, Sam, Sam. A good bookshelf is a work of art.

I love the books and the show, and Archie Goodwin is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. But I never thought about Archie and Nero being married, and... wow, yeah. They SO are.

Hm. Now I want to re-read all the books. I should buy them this time in stead of library-ing them. Have to start haunting used book stores.

Oh man, I have copies of the Nero Wolfe series; I need to go rewatch that.

Agreed. My favorite mystery series and one of the best adaptations of books for television.

Not that I don't adore Lily Rowan, but the reason Archie never married her is that he is in fact already married to his boss.
I think the reason Archie and Lily were so good together is because she not only knew that Wolfe would always come first with Archie, but she preferred it that way.

I love you for this, it's always nice to find other people that know the a&e series. It just kills me there wasn't more then two seasons. That and the fact that most of the Nero Wolfe books are out of print.

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