About this season
Nero Wolfe enjoys a life of refined self-indulgence in his comfortable Manhattan brownstone — reading, dining, spending regular hours in his rooftop plant rooms, and only reluctantly involving himself in the detection of crime. Famously sedentary, Wolfe relies on his legman Archie Goodwin to collect the clues and the suspects in any case at hand, while he spars with his live-in chef Fritz Brenner and bickers with his resident orchid nurse Theodore Horstmann. Often assisted by freelance detective Saul Panzer, Wolfe and Archie customarily gather the suspects in Wolfe's office and present the solution to the exasperated Inspector Cramer of Manhattan Homicide.
Episodes (14)
1. The Golden Spiders
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
A boy is injured in his attempt to tell Nero about an abduction he's witnessed, to which the only clue is a pair of golden spider earrings worn by the victim.
2. Death on the Doorstep
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero becomes involved when Archie's college football teammate Barney is found dead on his doorstep.
3. Before I Die
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero must narrow down the suspects when a beautiful girl is killed after being hired by a mobster to act as a decoy for his daughter.
4. Wolfe at the Door
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero leaves his brownstone when called to identify Archie's body at the morgue, only to find that it was an impostor and Archie is accused of his murder.
5. Might As Well Be Dead
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero locates a young man who has been missing for nine years, only to find that he is on trial for murder.
6. To Catch a Dead Man
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero and Archie's lives are in danger because someone does not want them to locate the missing CEO of a large shipping firm.
7. In the Best of Families
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero is hired by a wealthy socialite to learn the source of the large sums of money her playboy husband has been throwing around.
8. Murder by the Book
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero and Archie use a computer to figure out the connection among three murders, an apparent suicide, and a missing manuscript.
9. What Happened to April?
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Nero suspects it was no accident when the dead body of a woman who specialized in an underwater striptease is found floating in the East River.
10. Gambit
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
A brilliant criminal with a grudge booby-traps Nero's apartment.
11. Death and the Dolls
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
The daughter of a wealthy sportsman urges Nero to investigate her father's death.
12. The Murder in Question
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
A former prosecutor's wife and then his secretary are killed in apparent attempts on his life.
13. Blue Ribbon Hostage
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
A hood kidnaps one of Nero's priceless orchids in order to force Nero to prove his innocence in a murder.
14. Sweet Revenge
Aired 24 December 1981 • 60 min
Two paid killers track Nero and Archie.