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I hesitate to write this, as I am not a huge fan of reviving classics. However, three factors - the chemistry amongst the cast members, the combination of devoted former viewers and their kids who became new viewers, and the age-old American moral story that the good guys always win in the end - ensured that the revival of the Perry Mason franchise in the guise of two-hour TV movies would be a ratings smash.

As with a few other revivals of older franchises - the first Star Trek movie is a prime example - this plodded along at times, but its main purpose was to re-acquaint former viewers with an updated cast and to introduce new viewers to the show and its format. Later Mason TV movies were better than this; but after 19 years off the air, I think die-hard fans would have looked at a filmstrip of old stills from the original series. Just having Mason back in the saddle again, with his old confidential secretary at his side (and on trial for murder, no less) along with the son of his old detective pal was enough to put a grin on my face. The premise was a bit of a stretch, in that a well-respected appellate-court justice will impulsively resign his court to defend his faithful old sidekick but Mason is a stand-up guy.

The plot in a nutshell is that someone has it in for Arthur Gordon, a wealthy businessman. Any number of people want him dead, including everyone in his family and undoubtedly some of his business competitors. Someone goes to extreme lengths to not only do him in, but to frame Della Street for the murder as well. Suffice it to say that by framing her, two birds will be killed with one stone. Mason has his work cut out for him to get to the bottom of the mess.

William Hopper, Bill Talman and Ray Collins all died between 1965 and 1970. It would have been a kick to have seen them, too, but two out of five ain't bad. All things considered, not a bad watch at all.

Giving this one two extra stars just for Victor Buono. He once told Johnny Carson that Batman allowed him to do the one thing actors are taught not to do - OVERACT. I'm thankful Buono didn't over-emote here; I am less than thankful that the rest of the cast seemed to be "phoning it in." Even Burr's performance was wooden (I've sen Al Gore look more animated than this) and the attempts to be forgiving and understanding toward juvies really are laughable, 50 years later. Ray Collins would have had a field day with the kid Perry keeps forgiving. Perry Mason á la 1965 doesn't cut it. This series was based on film noir, and the B&W treatment just accentuated that as the years went by and more and more shows went to color. Film noir became passé, and regrettably so Perry Mason had to do so as well. I am grateful Burr had the good judgment to end the series when he did - close to the top and on his own terms - rather than soldier on as a caricature of his earlier shows.

Watching this episode in color made no sense to me the first time around - I was only ten, but I liked the show back then - until I saw Ironside on TV three years later. Burr's increasing body mass over the years looked better in color. (I gotta admit, though, Barbara Hale in real color was a BABE.) This almost looked like a hidden pilot for Ironside. The plot was straight from Dickens's Oliver Twist; Buono played it straight and delightfully despicable. Too bad the rest of the cast thought they were in an episode of Mod Squad.

Three stars for the storyline, two extra stars for the late, lamented Victor Buono.