The modern HBO revival of “Perry Mason” is no more. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO opted not to renew the series, which ran for two seasons and 16 episodes on the premium cable network.
The new series debuted on HBO in June 2020. It was quickly renewed for a second season, which debuted earlier in March. However, the show will now be coming to an end.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Update Of ‘Perry Mason’ Canceled By HBO
The 2020 television update is based on the classic fictional character featured in crime novels written by Author Erle Stanley Gardner. The character later made the transition to live-action for the popular CBS legal drama also called “Perry Mason” which aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966, running for nine seasons and 271 episodes. The classic television series starred Raymond Burr as defense attorney Perry Mason.
The new series was produced by Robert Downey Jr. and Team Downey. It starred Matthew Rhys (“The Americans,” “BoJack Horseman,” “The Post”) as the titular character, exploring the origins of the private investigator-turned-lawyer.
MEGAThe HBO update of the property was created by Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Jones, who served as showrunners for the first season before moving on to other projects for Season 2. Jack Amiel and Michael Begler (“The Knick”) later took over as the showrunners for Season 2.
The new series was set in the early 1930s, exploring Mason during his days when he was still an investigator and making the transition into a lawyer. Mason, haunted by his memories of war and dealing with a divorce, relentlessly pursues the truth in a fractured city and hopefully a path to redemption for himself.
The series also starred Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Eric Lange, Diarra Kilpatrick, John Lithgow, and Justin Kirk.
The Network Won’t Be ‘Moving Forward With Another Season’
In a statement reported by THR, HBO noted their gratitude for the process of working with Rhys and the rest of the cast of the series. It also noted while the network won’t be “moving forward with another season,” HBO continues to look forward to working with the creatives of Team Downey for “future projects.”
The show did receive several Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its first season. Rhys was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Mason. Co-star Lithgow was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as E.B. Jonathan.
The recently canceled HBO series had been kicked around Hollywood for a number of years. Originally, it was developed as a feature film project, which would’ve starred Downey in the role of Mason. Eventually, it morphed into an episodic television show set up at HBO, with Downey later dropping out of the main role due to his feature film commitments, as reported by Deadline. This later led to the search for a new star and the casting of Rhys.
The show aired its final episode on April 24. “Perry Mason” will remain available to stream on Max, the streaming service for HBO’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. Team Downey’s next HBO project is the upcoming TV miniseries, “The Sympathizer,” which also stars Downey portraying multiple characters.
