About Perry Mason (HBO)

"Perry Mason" is an American crime-drama television series, first aired in 2020 by HBO. A reimagined prequel to Erle Stanley Gardner's classic Perry Mason stories, the series explores the origin story of the eponymous character, set in 1932 Los Angeles. Mason is depicted as a down-on-his-luck private investigator who is haunted by his wartime experiences in World War I and suffers the aftermath of a broken marriage. The plot thickens when he is involved in a high-profile investigation of a child kidnapping.

Making / Production

"Perry Mason" boasts an extensive and well-experienced production team. Developed and written by the roles Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Jones, their tales of Perry Mason bring the vintage noir feel to the modern audience. Tim Van Patten, the highly celebrated director of some of the most acclaimed HBO series like "The Sopranos," "Boardwalk Empire," and "Game of Thrones," serves as the lead director for the series.

Actors

• Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason. An Emmy award-winning actor known for his role in "The Americans", Rhys portrayed Mason's trauma and resilience with brilliant subtleties.
• Juliet Rylance as Della Street. Rylance provided a strong presence and brought depth to the character of Della, Perry Mason's astute legal secretary.
• John Lithgow as Elias Birchard "E.B." Jonathan. Lithgow played the role with much charm and intelligence, playing an important mentor figure to Mason.
• Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan. Maslany portrays a passionate evangelist, whose character offers another layer to this complex story.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The character of Perry Mason was famously portrayed by Raymond Burr in the classic series that ran from 1957-1966.
• The series is set and filmed in Los Angeles. It features many real locations in and around the city for an authentic feel.
• The title sequence for the series, created by creative agency Elastic, features intricate miniatures, each designed to give insights into Mason's character and the show’s plot.

Quotes

• "You don’t really know a man until you’ve seen his toes." - Perry Mason
• "Everybody’s up to something, hiding something. But everybody’s innocent until proven guilty." - Della Street
• "The way I see it, there’s what’s legal and there’s what’s right." - Perry Mason

Music, Soundtrack

• "Perry Mason Main Title Theme" - Composed by Terence Blanchard.
• "Ain't Misbehavin'" - Fats Waller
• "Blue Drag" - Django Reinhardt

Awards

The series has received multiple nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie and a nomination for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More).