HBO cancels one of its highest-rated shows after just two seasons

HBO has canceled Perry Mason after two seasons.

Perry Mason, based on the character created by Erie Stanley Gardner, first premiered in 2020 starring Matthew Rhys as the titular detective. The series debuted to 1.7 million viewers, making it the strongest debut for an HBO original series at the time. Season one also earned four Emmy nominations, including Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Rhys.

The cast includes Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Shea Whigham, Tatiana Maslany, John Lithgow, Justin Kirk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Katherine Waterston, Lili Taylor, Stephen Root, Sean Astin, Jen Tullock, and John DiMaggio.

"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. “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 series was produced under Robert Downey Jr.'s Team Downey production banner.

"We’re really proud of Perry Mason and loved working with Team Downey and Michael Begler this season on the show," HBO Head of Drama Francesca Orsi said. "I’m really proud of what we delivered for Season 2."

Perry Mason season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, one that may never be resolved unless the series is picked up by another network. HBO recently canceled its popular drama series Minx, despite renewing it for a second season.

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