HBO Cancels PERRY MASON Series After Two Seasons
HBO has canceled its Perry Mason series after only two seasons. The cable network has decided not to renew the series, which is kind of a shame. I liked the show! It was a really well-made series with solid and interesting storytelling.
The series starred Matthew Rhys in the title role, and it was executive produced by Team Downey’s Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey.
HBO said in a statement: “We are tremendously grateful for the remarkable work of Matthew Rhys and the unrivaled cast and crew of Perry Mason for their reimagining of such a treasured and storied franchise. While we won’t be moving forward with another season of the series, we are excited to continue working with the brilliant creatives at Team Downey on future projects.”
Downey Jr. previously addressed the prospect for a third season after Season 2 came to a close, saying: “I mean wouldn’t that be nice? I think that Matthew and all the other people populating it in front of the screen, all our people behind the scenes, have built this incredible world that I know we could continue to tell really interesting stories about. We would be lying if we didn’t say we’ve certainly been talking to Michael a ton about a third season, but our fate rests in the hands of others.”
Unfortunately, viewership wasn’t to HBO’s liking, so they are moving on without it. HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi previously said: “Each show has a job to do, given the price tag that we give to it, and there’s a viewership. component, and there’s a critical response element to it and of course, the buzz nature of a show. It’s those elements that we are always keeping in mind and discussing relative to whether or not a show will continue. That factors in for Perry Mason, for Winning Time, for instance, for Gilded Age, so we have to play everything out and see how well they do.”
In Season 1, “While the rest of the country recovers from the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong! Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this limited series follows the origins of American Fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.”
Season 2 “picks up months after the end of the Dodson trial. Perry’s moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work that criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles, and Perry’s pursuit of justice reveals that not everything is always as it seems.”
In Season 2, set in the worst year of the Depression, Perry (Rhys) and Della (Juliet Rylance) pursue civil cases instead of the tumultuous work that criminal law entails. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles, and Perry’s pursuit of justice reveals that not everything is always as it seems. The Season 2 finale ended on a cliffhanger, with Perry in prison.
Ori said: “We’re really proud of Perry Mason and loved working with Team Downey and Michael Begler this season on the show. I’m really proud of what we delivered for Season 2.”
Perry Mason was developed by writers and co-showrunners Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. It’s earned four Emmy nominations, including Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Rhys.