Since the Raymond Burr-led Perry Mason went off the air in 1966, at the end of the black-and-white TV era, there have been two attempts to revive the character with other actors. Neither really lasted. I haven't seen either, so take this all with a grain of salt. But I can sort of see why they haven't been successful.
First there was The New Perry Mason in the early 70s. It starred Monte Markham, who's still with us at 90. Again, I haven't seen it, so I can't definitively speak to quality. But it was probably a little too soon. The old show had been filmed and preserved on video, and was now slipping into syndicated reruns. Viewers could be forgiven for doubting they needed a new one.
The HBO version is of course much more recent, about five years old now. Matthew Rhys is certainly a good actor, although by this point he was a little long in the tooth to play a Mason who hadn't even started practicing law yet. That last part seems to have been part of the problem. Moves like changing Paul Drake's race and making both Della and Burger gay/lesbian might have gone over, or at least one change like that could have. But anyone with a previous affection for the character wants to see Mason in the courtroom defending the innocent, not rooting around generalized corruption in interbellum America.
The character does have an enduring appeal, based on decency and an admirable commitment to justice. I wouldn't necessarily say that Burr is irreplaceable. But he would be very difficult to replace. History seems to show that.
1 comment:
It seems to me that any tv show with the name 'Perry Mason' as part of the title that doesn't have Raymond Burr starring doesn't deserve to be watched with any degree of seriousness. I guess the producers figured enough time had gone by for a new version in 1973 - they were wrong. It may have been worth watching once or twice when Whit Bissel played a judge though.
And recently there's been another version? Well, we haven't seen that one either and after reading your description of the main characters we aren't likely to either. No matter what I'm told about how progressive LA was in the 30s I'm simply not buying that a lesbian, a black detective, and a gay all happened to share the screen with Perry Mason. It sounds like boilerplate 21st century LGBT virtue signaling, I wonder if they managed to incorporate preferred pronouns and a trans character?
It sounds like the producers at HBO used the name to encourage people to sign on to watch the show. The original series featured a gentlemanly Perry Mason, a refined Della, a detective easily smitten by girls, a perpetually provoked Hamilton Burger, and the ever sardonic Inspector Tragg. What elese could anyone ask for? Perry solving each mystery in the courtroom was always a treat.
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