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Robert Downy, Jr. to revive Perry Mason for HBO

Good point that PERRY MASON was as much a "murder mystery" series as a courtroom drama. Ultimately, Mason got his clients off by solving the mystery and figuring out whodunnit. In a very real sense, those climatic courtroom room scenes were just a judicial twist on the old cliche of the detective gathering all the suspects together to reveal who the real killer was. Mason just replaced the drawing room with a courtroom. It was less about tricking the witness into confessing than confronting them with evidence of their guilt.

"You honor, I contend that my client is innocent . . . because Colonel Mustard did it in the library with the revolver!"

Mustard: "That's right! What was I supposed to do? He was blackmailing me over my affair with Miss Scarlett!"

Seriously, I think I read that this new PERRY MASON is supposed to be a period piece set in the 1930s, which could be kinda interesting, given that that would be long before Miranda warnings, DNA evidence, modern forensics, etc. And there's no reason the old formula couldn't still work today . . . with tweaks.
 
I dunno. I can't really explain it beyond feeling that I can't picture him in the role, partly due to past roles he's done. Just not entirely convinced at this point. He could of course surprise me and do a bang-up job.
 
I feel like this is a waste of Robert Downey, Jr. Perry Mason doesn't need another run. Are they banking on nostalgia making it a success?
 
If RDJ can keep the spirit of Raymond Burr's portrayal alive (and not turn Perry into your typical angst-ridden "dark and gritty antihero"), then I'm all for it.
 
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JirinPanthosa said:
The reason I would not be mad about a Columbo reboot is because after 10000 detective shows about high tech forensic analysis, I would LOVE a show where a detective tricks criminals into incriminating themselves.
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So would a lot of other people nowadays, I'd imagine. The question is, who could be Columbo now?
 
Mr. Adventure said:
Seems strange to be on HBO, it sounds to me more like something you'd see on CBS.

I've never watched much of the original but it seems to me like more of a known name than anything else. Is there anything really unique to Perry Mason to otherwise warrant using that IP in a revival?
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That's what I was thinking. Despite all the talent I do have trouble getting excited over a lawyer based show. Maybe they see it as a "True Detective" type of show.

Jason
 
Velocity said:
I feel like this is a waste of Robert Downey, Jr. Perry Mason doesn't need another run. Are they banking on nostalgia making it a success?
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Downey is the person behind it. It's his project. So if there's nostalgia for Perry Mason, it's coming from RDJ.
 
Returning to the setting of the original novels? Now my curiosity is piqued.

But... Kevin Spacey did a nostalgic period-piece vanity project once. It was awful.

Kor
 
Mr. Laser Beam said:
If RDJ can keep the spirit of Raymond Burr's portrayal alive (and not turn Perry into your typical angst-ridden "dark and gritty antihero"), then I'm all for it.
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Not saying the “original” Perry Mason was an “angst-ridden, dark and gritty antihero” or anything like that, but I always felt Raymond Burr played the character with kind of a dark twist to him. You could always feel that he was a man fed up with a legal system that jumped to conclusions too often and prosecuted innocent folks way too easily. Burr's Mason didn't play by the rules many a time and I always had the impression he had a darker past or maybe knew someone dear to him that was prosecuted unfairly. At least that's how I read his character.

RDJ is an awesome actor who might just have the right kind of twinkle in his eye to portray a fresh version of Perry Mason. I'm looking forward to it! :)
 
I do worry that they might and try and do what they did with his Sherlock Holmes movies and make the character a action hero.
Jason
 
Jayson1 said:
I do worry that they might and try and do what they did with his Sherlock Holmes movies and make the character a action hero.
Jason
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The original novels character hadn't exactly a sedentary lifestyle. I suspect that all that people believe to know about Sherlock Holmes comes exclusively from the movies with Basil Rathbone.
 
I confess that I've never actually read the original novels, so I have no idea how faithful the old TV show was to the books. Lord knows the covers look a lot more lurid and pulpy than the TV version. :)
 
The literary Holmes was a man of action when it was appropriate to the situation. He was even an expert in bare-knuckle fighting, stick fighting, and a certain form of Japanese martial arts. The movies with RDJ finally showcased this aspect of the character.

Kor
 
Kor said:
The literary Holmes was a man of action when it was appropriate to the situation. He was even an expert in bare-knuckle fighting, stick fighting, and a certain form of Japanese martial arts. The movies with RDJ finally showcased this aspect of the character.

Kor
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The 'Japanese martial art' mentioned isn't really Japanese, but something called Bartitsu. But yeah, Holmes was like what RDJ was in the two movies.
 
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What if it's a 1930s period piece that goes back to the original setting of the earliest novels, while at the same time being a prequel to the '50s/'60s setting of the TV show? Would that make sense?

As I recall, in the earliest novels he used some underhanded tactics.

Kor
 
Kor said:
The literary Holmes was a man of action when it was appropriate to the situation. He was even an expert in bare-knuckle fighting, stick fighting, and a certain form of Japanese martial arts. The movies with RDJ finally showcased this aspect of the character.

Kor
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True, it did. But I feel that it really exaggerated that aspect at the expense of everything else. He was now Holmes, Action-hero, instead of Holmes, Thinking-man. The stories portrayed him as using those skills only when absolutely necessary like in self-defense or to disarm an opponent. I don't think it's any more accurate than leaving it out entirely.

And while watching it, I thought Jude Law would have made for a better Holmes. I would have reversed the roles.
 
Skipper said:
The original novels character hadn't exactly a sedentary lifestyle. I suspect that all that people believe to know about Sherlock Holmes comes exclusively from the movies with Basil Rathbone.
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Well I have read a fair few of the novels but not for many years and no doubt many people are more familar with the TV series starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes.
 
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