More than 60 years since the series debut on CBS, Perry Mason was without a doubt the most successful courtroom drama/detective series ever made for television...still a define classic and it is highly watchable today without being dated. For the nine seasons that it was on the air, this was a series that was predictable while defying the odds, the outcomes and the plots to the mysteries went beyond the norm. While the plots were quite complex at times,the writers also treated viewers each week with intelligence not to mention keeping viewers in suspense to what happens next. The "Perry Mason" character, as developed by Erle Stanley Gardner went beyond the law or bending in order to fight for his client or testing a hypothesis where Mason not only goes beyond the norm for his client but exposing the truth and the suspect in the courtroom. Mason's Raymond Burr was not only the attorney at law but also was part detective and part sleuth who basically went beyond the norm of each of his cases with the help of his secretary Della Street(Barbara Hale), the private investigator/detective Paul Drake(William Hopper), the police Lt. Tragg(Ray Collins) of Homicide with the Los Angeles Police Department. Each case were in different aspects with someone being victimized by someone else,or in other cases a client who asks for Perry Mason's assistance or asking for help which begins during the first half of the show. The second half comes with the subsequent trial against the District Attorney Hamilton Burger(William Talman)where Mason exposes the truth and the culprit in the courtroom.
Perry Mason premiered on CBS on September 21,1957 where it ran for nine seasons and 271 episodes in black and white(with the exception of one episode that aired in color "The Case Of The Twice Told Twist" that was telecast in Season 9) until the final episode of the series on May 22,1966. The first five seasons aired on Saturday nights from September 21,1957 until May 26, 1962. Then for Seasons 6 through 8 the show moved to Thursday nights from September 27, 1962 until May 13,1965. The ninth and final season saw the series moved to Sunday nights from September 12,1965 until May 22,1966. Many fine writers and directors created interesting stories for "Perry Mason" in which some episodes were adaptions of Mason novels written by Gardner himself. And Gardner working with executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson the original entries were held strictly and successfully to the author's character with the strictest detail possible. Directors like Jack Arnold, Christian Nyby, Ted Post, Arthur Marks, Vincent McEveety, Robert Sparr, Earl Bellamy, Arthur Hiller contribute to some of the episodes. Excellent writers like Gene Wang, Jackson Gillis, Seeleg Lester, Stirling Silliphant, Mann Rubin, Samuel Newman, Orville H. Hampton, Laurence Marks, along with Jonathan Latimer and Sy Salkowitz. The guest stars ranged from Ruta Lee, Jesse White, Peter Breck, Yvonne Craig, Victor Buono, Steve Inhat, James Shigeta, Barbara Eden, Bobby Troup, Dick Clark, Ross Martin, Michael Constantine, Gavin MacLeod, Edward Asner, Jeannette Nolan, Strother Martin, Morgan Woodward, Charles Bronson, Skip Homeier, Mike Connors, Barry Sullivan, Pippa Scott, Barbara Bain, Cecil Kellaway, Richard Long, Whitney Blake, James Drudy, Stacy Graham and the list goes on. The most watched program of its day keeping viewers tuned in each week to see what happens next and it is still enjoyable to watch more than 60 years later....
Perry Mason premiered on CBS on September 21,1957 where it ran for nine seasons and 271 episodes in black and white(with the exception of one episode that aired in color "The Case Of The Twice Told Twist" that was telecast in Season 9) until the final episode of the series on May 22,1966. The first five seasons aired on Saturday nights from September 21,1957 until May 26, 1962. Then for Seasons 6 through 8 the show moved to Thursday nights from September 27, 1962 until May 13,1965. The ninth and final season saw the series moved to Sunday nights from September 12,1965 until May 22,1966. Many fine writers and directors created interesting stories for "Perry Mason" in which some episodes were adaptions of Mason novels written by Gardner himself. And Gardner working with executive producer Gail Patrick Jackson the original entries were held strictly and successfully to the author's character with the strictest detail possible. Directors like Jack Arnold, Christian Nyby, Ted Post, Arthur Marks, Vincent McEveety, Robert Sparr, Earl Bellamy, Arthur Hiller contribute to some of the episodes. Excellent writers like Gene Wang, Jackson Gillis, Seeleg Lester, Stirling Silliphant, Mann Rubin, Samuel Newman, Orville H. Hampton, Laurence Marks, along with Jonathan Latimer and Sy Salkowitz. The guest stars ranged from Ruta Lee, Jesse White, Peter Breck, Yvonne Craig, Victor Buono, Steve Inhat, James Shigeta, Barbara Eden, Bobby Troup, Dick Clark, Ross Martin, Michael Constantine, Gavin MacLeod, Edward Asner, Jeannette Nolan, Strother Martin, Morgan Woodward, Charles Bronson, Skip Homeier, Mike Connors, Barry Sullivan, Pippa Scott, Barbara Bain, Cecil Kellaway, Richard Long, Whitney Blake, James Drudy, Stacy Graham and the list goes on. The most watched program of its day keeping viewers tuned in each week to see what happens next and it is still enjoyable to watch more than 60 years later....