Richard Castle is a mystery novelist of some popularity and reknown. When he becomes tired of his main character, a detective named Derek Storm, he did what any other writer would do - he killed him off. Now his publisher is on his case, and Castle finds himself bereft of inspiration. When a murder investigation puts him in the path of Detective Kate Beckett, Castle thinks he has found his muse. Money, power, and prestige are all things that Rick Castle owns in spades, so he uses his influence to shadow Beckett, much to her dismay.
A cop drama, Castle is considerably more light-hearted than most. While following the usual body-of-the-week format, the murders are quirky, and the puzzles are interesting. As Castle himself would note, boring murders make for boring stories, and I find this TV show anything but the usual tired crime drama.
Nathan Fillion (whom I absolutely adore), allows his natural charisma to shine through in his role of Richard Castle, and the chemistry between him and Stana Katic, who plays Kate Becket, is positively brilliant. The dialog is witty and fast-paced, and hearing the two of them bicker always makes me smile. The supporting cast is solid and well cast, and provides perfect foils for Castle's persistent boyish charm that is endearing, frustrating, and above all else, fun.
I have not read any fanfiction for this show yet, but I do not doubt that it exists, and I look forward to discovering some well-written fan-based work! Fanfiction, here I come!
Oh, and just to let you know, when Castle looks at his reflection admiringly and says "I really am ruggedly handsome, aren't I?", I for one am shouting "YES!"