There’s no mystery to solve here.
HBO is keeping Perry Mason on the case for another year.
The premium cabler has renewed the drama series for a second season, it was announced today by Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming.
“It has been an exciting journey to work with the immensely talented team behind PERRY MASON,” said Orsi.
“Viewers have relished being transported back in time to 1930’s Los Angeles each week, and we are thrilled to welcome the show back for a second season.”
The series launched debuted as HBO’s most-watched series premiere in nearly two years, and the series premiere has now been seen by 8-million viewers.
Perry Mason Season 1 was billed as a miniseries, but the strong reviews, as well as the decent viewership, made HBO reconsider that.
The series focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason.
In 1932, Los Angeles is prospering while the rest of the U.S. is recovering from the grip of the Great Depression.
Down-and-out private investigator Perry Mason is struggling with his trauma from The Great War and being divorced. He’s hired for a sensational child kidnapping trial and his investigation portends major consequences for Mason, his client, and the city itself.
The cast includes Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, a private investigator, Juliet Rylance as Della Street, the loyal and driven legal secretary of E.B. Jonathan, Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, a beat cop, Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland, Mason’s work partner, Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice McKeegan, a preacher and leader of the Radiant Assembly of God, and John Lithgow as Elias Birchard “E.B.” Jonathan, a struggling attorney and regular employer of Perry Mason.
Executive producers (in alphabetical order), Amanda Burrell, Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Ron Fitzgerald, Joe Horacek, Rolin Jones and Timothy Van Patten (who also directs); co-executive producer, Aida Rodgers; producer, Matthew Rhys; created by Rolin Jones & Ron Fitzgerald; based on the characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner.
What are your thoughts on the renewal? Are you enjoying this new take on the franchise?
Catch Perry Mason Sundays on HBO.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.