Perry Mason Trivia | 55 facts about the TV series

“Perry Mason” is a period drama series starring Matthew Rhys and it is about to premiere its second season.

So let’s dive into some trivia and facts about the series.

1. Perry Mason is an American period drama television series
2. It is created by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald for HBO
3. It is based on the character of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner
4. The series stars Matthew Rhys in the title role
5. The series premiered on June 21, 2020
6. In July 2020, HBO renewed the series for a second season
7. In April 2021, it was announced that Jones and Fitzgerald left the series
8. They were replaced as showrunners by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
9. The second season premiered on March 6, 2023
10. Both seasons have received mostly positive critical reviews
11. With praise going towards the cinematography, production design, and performances of its cast, particularly Rhys’
12. The series focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason
13. In 1932, Los Angeles is prospering while the rest of the U.S. is recovering from the grip of the Great Depression
14. Down-and-out private investigator Perry Mason is struggling with his trauma from The Great War and being divorced
15. He is hired for a sensational child kidnapping trial
16. His investigation results in major consequences for Mason, those around him, and local leaders
17. On August 15, 2016, it was reported that HBO was developing a drama series based on the Perry Mason stories written by Erle Stanley Gardner
18. The production was expected to be written by Nic Pizzolatto, who was also set to executive produce alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Joe Horacek
19. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Team Downey
20. On August 25, 2017, it was announced that Pizzolatto had dropped out of the production in order to focus on the third season of True Detective and that he was being replaced as the project’s writer by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald
21. The HBO revival and reboot adapted its setting to Great Depression-era Los Angeles, some twenty years earlier than the CBS show
22. But in line with the earliest novels by Gardner
23. On January 14, 2019, it was announced that HBO had given the production an order as a limited series
24. It was further announced that Jones, Fitzgerald, Susan Downey, and Amanda Burrell would serve as additional executive producers, that Matthew Rhys would serve as a producer, and that the production was in the process of hiring a director
25. Jones and Fitzgerald serve as showrunners for the series as well
26. In March, Tim Van Patten was announced as director and executive producer
27. On July 22, 2020, it was revealed HBO had decided to turn Perry Mason into a regular series, renewing it for a second season
28. On April 23, 2021, it was announced Jones and Fitzgerald left the series and were replaced as showrunners by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
29. Alongside the initial development announcement, it was said that Robert Downey Jr. would star as the titular Perry Mason
30. On July 25, 2018, it was reported that Downey had dropped out of the role due to his feature film schedule and that a search for his replacement was ongoing
31. On January 14, 2019, it was announced that Matthew Rhys had been cast to replace Downey
32. Tatiana Maslany joined in April
33. John Lithgow was added to the cast in May
34. In June, Chris Chalk and Shea Whigham were cast in lead roles, with Nate Corddry, Veronica Falcón, Jefferson Mays, Gayle Rankin and Lili Taylor set in recurring roles
35. Juliet Rylance, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, Robert Patrick and Stephen Root joined in July
36. Justin Kirk would be added in October.[33] In “Chapter Five”, John Lithgow’s real-life son Ian Lithgow appears as Byron Jonathan, E.B. Jonathan’s son.[34]
37. For the second season, Lange and Kirk were promoted to series regulars
38. Diarra Kilpatrick, who recurred in season 1 as Clara Drake, was upgraded to series regular in October 2021 in addition to Katherine Waterston joining as a new series regular, and Hope Davis among 5 cast in recurring roles
39. In January 2022, it was announced Whigham would be returning in a recurring capacity
40. While Sean Astin, Tommy Dewey, Paul Raci and Jen Tullock were cast in recurring roles
41. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds an approval rating of 75%
42. Based on 84 reviews
43. With an average rating of 7.3/10
44. The site’s critics consensus reads: “Brimming with top notch performances and dripping in style, Perry Mason’s compelling mystery more than makes up for its somewhat messy story”
45. On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100
46. Based on 39 critics
47. Indicating “generally favorable reviews”
48. Season two holds an approval rating of 87%
49. Based on 15 reviews
50. With an average rating of 7.3/10
51. The site’s critics consensus reads: “More cohesive and engaging than its woolly first installment, Perry Mason’s sophomore season is a marked improvement driven by an urgent sense of purpose, with Matthew Rhys commandingly watchable as ever”
52. On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100
53. Based on 14 critics
54. Indicating “generally favorable reviews”
55. With 1.7 million viewers across all platforms, the debut of Perry Mason was the strongest of any HBO series for two years