A reclusive genius detective that solves crimes from a hotel room using other people as pawns. Its L from Death Note.
Hes even sitting cross-legged barefoot in the poster:
http://www.showcase.ca/blog/archive/2011/03/02/endgame-a-new-showcase-original-series-coming-march-14.aspx
Are they not also making a Death Note movie? (american version)
Series was briliant. although the ending should have been L walking through the door the same way as the movie. Poster does look like L
Actually, i would say this is probably closer to the manga Remote than it is to Death Note. Where L is a major character in Death Note, he is by no means the focus of the manga/anime. Himuro on the other hand IS the focus of Remote and according to Wikipedia is :
"A genius detective who is assigned to the most difficult investigations. A year before the events of Remote, he lost someone dear to him and he shut himself in the basement of his house ("the crypt"). Since he does not leave his room, he needs a partner to do the legwork."
This almost perfectly describes Balagan as well.
Not looking to cause any arguments, just tired of people shouting Death Note the minute anything has "Detective" and "Genius" in its description.
You guys should consider reading something else than mangas. The idea of a recluse detective is not new. For instance it was used 40 years ago by Borges and Casares in "six problems for Don Isidro Parodi", where the detective solved cases from his prison cell.
And in a way the idea is already in Sherlock Holmes : he was out only for the toughest mysteries, and even those were already half resolved before he set foot outside.
In my opinion.
C'mon folks, it should be obvious. It's not copying any of those (including Monk, as someone suggested in another thread). It's a Canadian adaptation of Nero Wolfe, down to almost every detail.
Arkady = Nero
Sam = Archie
Alcina = Fritz
Danni = Lily (or maybe they'll have Pippa move into that role. Too early to tell.)
Hugo = Ins. Cramer
Now, the way they're going about it, I enjoy it, and consider it a nice homage, not anything I'd think of as a clone or ripoff, although in time there are bound to be some who jump to that conclusion (more's the pity for their inevitable shortsightedness).
Heh, and yeah, Nero once appeared briefly in a Manga. Case Closed, Vol. 17. :)
Indeed, and as I said, nothing new. Everything's a remix. Russian detective + chess game structure also evokes Akounine's Turkish Gambit.
What's interesting in Endgame is the choice of chess master as a detective, but I was disappointed that the chess metaphor wasn't pushed very far. Hopefully they'll do better in the following episodes.
In my opinion.
...but I was disappointed that the chess metaphor wasn't pushed very far.
I have to agree except it doesn't have the charm and class of Nero Wolfe. The attention to detail in the period setting and faithfulness to the books made Nero Wolfe so much more than just another quirky detective show.
Still not decided on Endgame, will give it a couple more episodes...
It's hot... but not as hot as the night Johnny Viti got married...
Which is funny because the television adaptation of Nero Wolfe was filmed in Canada with a largely Canadian cast.
shareI think comparing it to Nero Wolfe is a stretch -- beyond comparing it to any other amateur detective.
* Arcady = temporarily housebound due to trauma, Nero = can leave his house any time he wants, he just chooses to do so rarely
* Arcady = young(ish) and hot, Nero = not at all
* Sam = naive and kinda a nothing, beyond a half-decent chess player (tho that of course may change as the series developes), Archie = witty, charming, a very capable detective in his own right
Hugo & Cramer is the closest comparison, but that's pretty much the stock character for any professional detective foil for an amateur.
Does Endgame repeat elements from other detective series? Of course it does. But show me a detective that doesn't.
I think comparing it to Nero Wolfe is a stretch -- beyond comparing it to any other amateur detective.
Thank you for posting this.
I came here to post this exact thing, well maybe with a different wardrobe but the same body.
I used to listen to the radio plays and reading this thread saddened me that someday even Sherlock and Mycroft will be forgotten in favor of Det. Conan or Monk.
Gotta keep the hope alive that someone will be there to give a gentle nudge in the ribs and remind people of the origins of their favorite "new" characters.
Yeah, Nero Wolfe was the first thing I thought of too. These kids are too young to know about Nero.
"Rock is dead! Long live Paper and Scissors!"
And obviously, 10,000 orchids have turned into (somewhat fewer) chessboards.
Although Archie got the 1/7 ton (yeah, that's what Rex Stout said, altough all the dramatizations have him at 350-400 pounds) genius to taje cases BEFORE the bank balance hit zero.
So who is Saul Panzher? Fred Durkin? Orrie Cather? Theodore Horstmann? Marco Vikcuc?? Purley Stebbins? Lon Cohen?
Tis true that there is nothing new under the sun and the idea of a reclusive detective has been done before, but I couldn't shake the nagging thought in the back of my that kept screaming "Life! Life! This is just like Life!"
Shawn Doyle even looks like Damian Lewis. He's a lot like Sherlock on the new BBC series, but everything else is eerily familiar. From the way it's shot to the dialogue between the characters. Everything reminds me of Life.
It's probably just wishful thinking on my part since Life was cancelled or just weird happenstance. Either way I'm still a fan.
The show was quite different from the genre, since most of the crimes turn out to be more benign than they first appeared. Certainly not like classic mysteries, with a murder and red herring and a catch.
I list it out here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1797629/board/nest/183681063. There are few serious crimes among the first 11 episodes (about 3), and there is always some moral ambiguity (vs. the law, usually).