‘Perry Mason’ Canceled at HBO After Two Seasons

Perry Mason has been canceled at HBO, Variety has confirmed. The series debuted its second and final season at the premium cabler in March.

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 wont 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.

Based on the characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, Matthew Rhys starred in the series in the title role. Unlike the 1950s TV series in which Mason worked as a lawyer, the HBO series portrays the character earlier in his life when he is a private investigator in Los Angeles in the 1930s.

Along with Rhys, the Season 2 cast also included: Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Justin Kirk, Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis, Fabrizio Guido, Peter Mendoza, Mark OBrien, Paul Raci, Jen Tullock, Jon Chaffin, Onahoua Rodriguez, Jee Young Han, Sean Astin, Tommy Dewey, Shea Whigham, and Wallace Langham.

The series was developed for television by Ron Fitzgerald and Rolin Jones. Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey executive produced via Team Downey along with Amanda Burrell. Jack Amiel and Michael Begler served as executive producers and showrunners on Season 2. Rhys also served as an executive producer along with Joe Horacek and Tim Van Patten, with Van Patten having directed the majority of Season 1. Regina Hyman served as co-executive producer.

The initial season of Perry Mason debuted to strong ratings and garnered some awards buzz, with Rhys and Season 1 supporting actor John Lithgow picking up Emmy nominations for their work on the show. Season 2 did not fare as well ratings wise, but did manage to received more critical praise. On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 drew 75% critical approval while Season 2 rose to 87%.

Deadline first reported the cancellation.