Perry Mason

So far I like this series. It is different from the original series, but that's okay with me. If there is a Season 2, etc., I think the show will evolve Perry Mason's career into the type of attorney people remember from the original series. John Lithgow's character is a defense attorney and described as his mentor.

Otherwise, the story is compelling and the acting is amazing. It is a bit dark, perhaps too dark. But the hardboiled detective genre works for me, and the cast wears it well.

I can't believe the hate I'm reading. I heard of Perry Mason from my parents. Its an origin story and it won't always match up with the original and THATS OK. The cinematography is great, the writing is top notch, the story is awesome. This is the Noir that we need. If you want a good show to distract you from the current world, watch this show.

I'm completely puzzled by the reviews of this series. I love good noir. The series, in my view, is the best contemporary noir since LA Confidential. The cinematography is beautiful, the plot doesn't insult me, and you actually have to listen to the dialogue to follow the plot. The characters don't look like something out of Entertainment Tonight, and the meter, cadence, and thstructure are right on time. If you like noir, and you're not texting, posting on Twitter or Instagram while you watch, you won't find anything better.

...and I'm not disappointed. I'm all for providing an old story an origin, and this production gives you just that and does it very well. And, boy, is it gritty, dusty, smoky, and boozy. It is not for the weak-stomached. Keep in mind that this is an old story being told in today's voice. The Perry Mason of the 60's is an interpretation of his character for television audience of that decade, produced for family network TV, while the HBO version is for an audience that expects what HBO is capable of delivering. Can't wait for the finale to see how it all comes together.

This is a completely different story, in a different time and place than the 1950s TV series. It's darker, messier, less predictable. That's not a bad thing. Maybe this is a Perry Mason origin story that will eventually lead to the polished courtroom wizard we all know and love; maybe it won't. I don't really care. It's a ride worth taking no matter what. It feels like Chinatown; it's got some things in common with Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. The acting and production values are first-rate. Like many series first episodes, it takes time to set up characters and situations - the pace should pick up. I'm intrigued enough to see where it goes from here.