(Photo by: HBO)

Vulture Watch

Who is truly innocent? Has the Perry Mason TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on HBO? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Perry Mason, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  
 

What’s This TV Show About?

A detective drama series on the HBO cable channel, the Perry Mason TV show is a prequel that provides a reimagined origin story for the legendary criminal defense lawyer. The show stars Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Eric Lange, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis, Fabrizio Guido, Peter Mendoza, Mark O’Brien, Paul Raci, Jen Tullock, Jon Chaffin, Onahoua Rodriguez, Jee Young Han, Sean Astin, Tommy Dewey, and Wallace Langham. Initially, Perry Mason (Rhys) is a low-rent private investigator who lives check-to-check in the 1930s. His wartime experiences in France haunt him, and he suffers the after-effects of a broken marriage. He eventually becomes an attorney. Della Street (Rylance) is his secretary, and former police officer Paul Drake (Chalk) is his lead detective. In the second season, months after the Dodson case has ended, the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered. When the DA goes to the city’s Hoovervilles to pinpoint the most obvious of suspects, Perry, Della, and Paul find themselves at the center of a case that will uncover far-reaching conspiracies and force them to reckon with what it truly means to be guilty.
 

Season Two Ratings

The second season of Perry Mason averages a 0.03 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 327,000 viewers. Compared to season one, that’s down by 71% in the demo and down by 42% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM). While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel. There can be other economic factors involved in a show’s fate, but typically the higher-rated series are renewed and the lower-rated ones are cancelled. Find out how Perry Mason stacks up against other HBO TV shows.
 

Telly’s Take

Will HBO cancel or renew Perry Mason for season three? The ratings aren’t spectacular, but the critics and general audience have given the series generally positive reviews. I’m concerned that it’s been three years between seasons, as this likely means that the cast’s options have expired, making it more challenging to assemble the cast for another year. For that reason, I’m leaning toward a cancellation. I’ll update this page with breaking developments. Subscribe for free alerts on Perry Mason cancellation or renewal news.
 

Perry Mason Cancellation & Renewal Related Links

What do you think? Do you hope the Perry Mason TV show will be renewed for a third season? How would you feel if HBO cancelled this TV series instead?