20 or 27 episodes?
Here on IMDB there are 27 episodes listed. But the Complete Series states 20 episodes...
shareTwenty is the correct number -- eight episodes in the first season, 12 in the second season. IMDb appears to go by original broadcast date, so the individual films are split as they were when they were first shown on A&E -- making a total of 27 episodes, by their lights.
Come to think of it, the individual films from Season One are split on the A&E DVD sets, too -- "Champagne for One," part one, and so on. That's something I'd hoped would be rectified when A&E issued the series on DVD, since the one-hour episodes air overseas as complete films without interruption, and with only one set of titles and credits. They also air in widescreen and with additional minutes/scenes, but don't get me started.
But, to answer your question, "Nero Wolfe: The Complete Classic Whodunit Series" is the complete series -- all of the episodes, and the pilot movie "The Golden Spiders," and the short "Making of" documentary. It's a gorgeous presentation on DVD, too -- I can't tell you how many of these sets I've purchased as gifts. Nevertheless, how I dearly wish that an international-release version would be issued, in widescreen and with the additional scenes we didn't get here in North America.
Thank you. I've ordered the DVD set. Can't wait as never seen it! :)
shareOh. My word, are you lucky -- I envy you seeing it for the first time. The TV show is delicious, so true to the books and, like the books, a treat to visit again and again. The show took me to the books, actually, and I'd be surprised if that didn't happen to you, too.
shareThanks Walter. Looking forward to watching the episodes this summer. What other TV shows do you like?
shareIn a sense, Walter, I envy you for the experience of being able to read the books for the first time. IMO, although the series was great, the books were far superior.
But in a different way, I sort of feel sorry for you as well, because reading the books first allowed me to get my own impressions of the characters and therefore I was able to form my own images of what they would look like, how they would speak, etc., without being unduly influenced by the tv episodes. Which IMO, is the way it really should be; the original source material should come first and then whatever adaptations, so as to allow us to get our own impressions as close as possible to how the author/creator of the material intended (for lack of a better term).