Much to Elaine’s delight, HBO has officially greenlit Perry Mason. “The pay cabler has formally ordered a limited series based on legendary fictional criminal defense lawyer, with The Americans’ Matthew Rhys taking on the title role. Sopranos vet Tim Van Patten remains signed on as director and EP.” TV Line
UPDATE: Tatiana Maslany joins the cast of Perry Mason.
It’s going to be a limited series. It’s set in the 1930’s and will be an origin story of the Perry Mason we know from the books and classic TV show. Set in Los Angeles, as was the series, Mason (Rhys) is not a lawyer yet. He’s a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Does that mean we won’t meet Paul Drake, Della Reese or Hamilton Burger?
Maslany (Orphan Black) is set to play Sister Alice, the leader of the Radiant Assembly of God. Sister Alice is a preacher with a hugely popular radio show who wields great power in Los Angeles. Will she use that power for good or evil? We guess that remains to be seen. We are leaning toward the latter.
UPDATE: Emmy winner John Lithgow joins the cast!
Oh yeah! Lithgow will play Mason’s mentor and occasional employer. Perry remains the protagonist. But, this shift in dynamics puts him in a role similar to the Paul Drake character from the TV show.
Robert Downey Jr. was originally set to play Mason. In this final incarnation Downey is executive producing the project along with Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell, and Joe Horacek. Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald came aboard as writers and showrunners. Tim Van Patten will direct. Rhys is a producer.
Chris Chalk, Juliet Rylance, Shea Whigham, Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcon, Andrew Howard, Jefferson Mays, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root, Gayle Rankin, Lili Taylor, and Justin Kirk. round out the cast.
We still don’t have a premiere date, but HBO has released a logline and a photo. (below)
HBO’s logline for Perry Mason reads: “1932, Los Angeles. 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.”
