Take an early look at the new Perry Mason coming in 2020

The new reboot brings the character back to his Great Depression origins.

HBO 

Raymond Burr will be forever associated with the role of Perry Mason, but he was the eighth actor to play the ace attorney. Burr began playing Perry on television in 1957; the character dates back to 1933. In between, the cases of the criminal defense lawyer entertained Americans on the big screen (beginning with Warren William in The Case of the Howling Dog) and on the radio (beginning with Bartlett Robinson in 1943).

Now, a new performer has joined the pantheon of Perry Mason portrayers. Matthew Rhys, the two-time Golden Globe winner for The Americans and the recent star of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, is slipping into the suit to play the Erle Stanley Gardner character.

HBO

HBO will air a limited series, once again simply titled Perry Mason, in 2020. To put a fresh spin on the character, the plot reads more like an origin story set in 1931 Los Angeles. The central crime of the tale concerns a child kidnapping.

John Lithgow, Tatiana Maslany, Stephen Root and Lili Taylor also costar. 

HBO

In the first advance look released in November, Rhys sports more of a Columbo look with a tan raincoat. The vintage automobile in the background reinforced the Great Depression setting.

Last night, before the season finale of Watchmen, HBO aired a network preview for 2020 which included a few brief snippets of footage.

You can watch it below. HBO has yet to announce a specific release date for the reboot.

Watch Perry Mason on MeTV!

Weekdays at 9 AM
Weeknights at 11:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
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20 Comments

janner 55 months ago
I am looking forward to the new Perry Mason it is a great series and I love old movies so be good
janner 57 months ago
Perry Mason is my Favorite to me Raymond Burr is Perry Mason
Wiseguy janner 57 months ago
Perry Mason IS Ironside. Says so on the DVDs. An actor can play many parts and a character can be played by many actors.
janner 57 months ago
Love this station Are you bringing back emergency and. .what about Father knows Best or Marcus Welby?
Andrea 57 months ago
There's only one Perry Mason. That is Raymond Burr. That's my opinion.
jholton30062 Andrea 57 months ago
That was my grandmother's opinion, too, and there wasn't a bigger Perry Mason fan than she was. And she was right. She hated the attempted reboot with Monte Markham.
Wiseguy jholton30062 57 months ago
Sounds like she was a Raymond Burr fan. Nothing wrong with that, but, as stated already, Raymond Burr wasn't the original. Are you denying future generations the character of Perry Mason because the best-known actor has died? Do you feel the same way about Sherlock Holmes or Shakespeare's characters? No one is forced to watch a new interpretation of a character but don't deny others of the opportunity.
Moody Wiseguy 56 months ago
I understand where you're both coming from. I have always been a big fan of Sherlock Holmes but mainly Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes. To me he was the quintessential Holmes. Others prefer Basil Rathbone who I agree was very good. Most of the other actors who have portrayed Holmes are not very good imo. But that's me & others have their favorites. I would rather watch Jeremy Brett & not the others.
Gary 59 months ago
love watching perry mason on metv, lost my access on Jan. 1 after rescanning, any suggestions on how I get my antenna to pick up again. Habe re scanned about 5 times, moving my antenna with no luck. thanks
Wiseguy Gary 57 months ago
Your station may have moved to a frequency that's more difficult to receive. The only thing you can do is move your antenna and try again (or get a different or outside antenna).
Mike 59 months ago
This is NOT Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason.
HBO is doing a Philip Marlowe knockoff and tagging the Mason name to it.
This never works.
It won't work now.
Wiseguy Mike 57 months ago
Have you ever read the original Perry Mason novels? They were first published in 1933 and the character of Perry Mason was more "hard-boiled" back then. So if what you say is true, then they have captured the original Perry Mason. And, as always, if you don't like it, DON'T WATCH IT.
NancyAndrews 59 months ago
I loved medical center with Chad Everett. Saw it in the 70s would love to have it back haven't seen no reruns of it at all.
Mario500 59 months ago
"HBO will air a limited series, once again simply titled Perry Mason, in 2020."

(dislikes titling of the "series" due to a certain other "series" (or TV program) having had been titled the same way)
Bill 59 months ago
I was not a perry mason fan in my early years. But, since MeTV has been airing it, I started from the beginning and am now a huge fan. I enjoy the America I grew up in where men were men and women were elegant. Also, people took pride in every aspect of wholesome life, interrupted by a murder , of course. Paul Drake is my favorite. And, I'm in love with Della. I look forward to a new Perry Mason but fear HBO will 'Politically correct' it to the unwatchable level they have achieved in most of their series. Shame on HBO for their anti white and anti-American values stance. Lets hope there are a few level heads over there.
chattymonkeydon Bill 59 months ago
Lots of dog whistles there showing your true character, Bill. I reckon you want to live in a time where women stayed in the kitchen and black people weren't allowed to eat in the same restaurant as you. The 50's America you see on tv was a fantasy world. It wasn't so great for the non-white, non-straight, non-Christian Americans that lived then.
Afsocsarge Bill 59 months ago
What Do You Consider "Anti White" and "Anti American" ?
-Sarge
CelticTwilight Bill 59 months ago
Reported
I fear YOU showed your "True Colors".
You NPC's all sound the same.
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