HBO’s Perry Mason has seen its last day at the network after just two seasons.
It has been announced that HBO has decided not to renew the revival of the classic series for a third season.
“We are tremendously grateful for the remarkable work of Matthew Rhys and the unrivaled cast and crew of Perry Mason for their reimagining of such a treasured and storied franchise,” HBO said in a statement to Deadline. “While we won’t be moving forward with another season of the series, we are excited to continue working with the brilliant creatives at Team Downey on future projects.”
The news comes nearly two months after the Season 2 finale, which aired on April 24.
The series starred Matthew Rhys and was executive produced by Team Downey’s Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey.
Before Perry Mason‘s cancellation, Robert Downey Jr. was confident in the show’s potential to continue.
“I mean wouldn’t that be nice?” he told Deadline. “I think that Matthew and all the other people populating it in front of the screen, all our people behind the scenes, have built this incredible world that I know we could continue to tell really interesting stories about. We would be lying if we didn’t say we’ve certainly been talking to Michael a ton about a third season, but our fate rests in the hands of others.”
HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi previosuly revealed that several series, including 'Perry Mason', were under a 'viewership relative to budget' review.
“Each show has a job to do, given the price tag that we give to it, and there’s a viewership. component, and there’s a critical response element to it and of course, the buzz nature of a show. It’s those elements that we are always keeping in mind and discussing relative to whether or not a show will continue,” she explained. “That factors in for Perry Mason, for Winning Time, for instance, for Gilded Age, so we have to play everything out and see how well they do.”
