Deadline reports that HBO has canceled Perry Mason after just two seasons, which is sure to upset fans as the recent season finale ended on something of a cliffhanger.
The drama series starred Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, the iconic criminal defence lawyer. “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,” HBO said in a statement. “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.“
Perry Mason was executive produced by Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey through their Team Downey banner. Just prior to the second season finale, Downey Jr. had discussed bringing the series back for a third season. “I mean wouldn’t that be nice?,” Downey Jr. said. “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, it seems that a third season just wasn’t in the cards. Given its period setting, the project wasn’t exactly cheap to produce and the viewership just wasn’t there to justify its return.
The second season of Perry Mason begins months after the Dodson case from the first season has ended as the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered. “When the DA goes to the city’s Hoovervilles to pinpoint the most obvious of suspects, Perry, Della, and Paul find themselves at the center of a case that will uncover far-reaching conspiracies and force them to reckon with what it truly means to be guilty,” read the official synopsis.
In addition to Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, the second season of the HBO series starred Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Eric Lange, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis, Fabrizio Guido, Peter Mendoza, Mark O’Brien, Paul Raci, Jen Tullock, Jon Chaffin, Onahoua Rodriguez, Jee Young Han, Sean Astin, Tommy Dewey, and Wallace Langham. You can check out a review of the second, and now final, season of the series from our own Alex Maidy right here.
How do you feel about Perry Mason getting canceled?