Perry Mason

Perry Mason
Premiere	series September 21, 1957 TV movies December 1, 1985
Finale	series May 22, 1966 TV movies April 10, 1995
Airs	Weekdays at 9 AM & 11:30 PM on MeTV
Based on	characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Network/Provider	CBS NBC (television movies)
Style	60-minute legal drama
Company	Paisano Productions, CBS
Distributor	CBS Films/Enterprises (1966–1971) Viacom Enterprises (1971–1995) Paramount Domestic Television (1995–2006) CBS Paramount Television (2006–2007) CBS Television Distribution (2007–2021) CBS Media Ventures (2021– )
Seasons	9
Episodes	271 + 30 TV movies
Origin	USA

Perry Mason is a legal drama that aired on CBS.

Perry Mason is a distinguished criminal defense lawyer practicing in Los Angeles, California. Perry Mason records his cases, most of which include a murder trial. Each episode typically follows a formula. The first half of the show introduces a prospective murder victim and a situation that presents a legal danger to someone Mason accepts as a client. The body is found, often through circumstance by Mason and private investigator Paul Drake, or with his secretary Della Street. Clues point to Mason's client, who is charged with murder. In the second-half courtroom setting, Mason spars most often with his legal adversary Hamilton Burger, Los Angeles district attorney, and police homicide detective Lt. Arthur Tragg. Mason establishes his client's innocence by dramatically demonstrating the guilt of another character. The murderer often breaks down and confesses to the crime in the courtroom. In the closing scene, the characters gather together to discuss how the case was solved.

In many episodes, the identity of the guilty party is uncovered without an actual trial being held. Instead, this occurs at the preliminary hearing stage, in which the district attorney is required to produce just enough evidence to convince the judge that the defendant should be bound over for trial. During this stage, other malefactors — such as blackmailers, frauds and forgers — are frequently forced into confessions by Mason's relentless and clever questioning, and the killer is exposed.

Cast

Actor	Character	Duration
Main Cast		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Raymond Burr	Perry Mason	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Barbara Hale	Della Street	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
William Hopper	Paul Drake	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
William Talman	D.A. Hamilton Burger	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Ray Collins	Lt. Arthur Tragg	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Supporting/Recurring Cast		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Connie Cezon	Gertrude "Gertie" Lade	*	*		*			*
Lee Miller	Sergeant Brice		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Wesley Lau	Lt. Andy Anderson					*	*	*	*
Richard Anderson	Lt. Steve Drumm									*
Dan Tobin	Terrence Clay									*

Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale				#
CBS
Season One	September 21, 1957	June 28, 1958				39
Season Two	September 20, 1958	June 27, 1959				30
Season Three	October 3, 1959	June 11, 1960				26
Season Four	September 17, 1960	June 10, 1961				28
Season Five	September 2, 1961	May 26, 1962				30
Season Six	September 27, 1962	May 16, 1963				28
Season Seven	September 26, 1963	May 21, 1964				30
Season Eight	September 24, 1964	May 13, 1965				30
Season Nine	September 12, 1965	May 22, 1966				30

TV Movies

Title			Airdate
NBC
Perry Mason Returns			December 1, 1985
The Case of the Notorious Nun			May 25, 1986
The Case of the Shooting Star			November 9, 1986
The Case of the Lost Love			February 23, 1987
The Case of the Sinister Spirit			May 24, 1987
The Case of the Murdered Madam			October 4, 1987
The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel			November 15, 1987
The Case of the Avenging Ace			February 28, 1988
The Case of the Lady in the Lake			May 15, 1988
The Case of the Lethal Lesson			February 12, 1989
The Case of the Musical Murder			April 9, 1989
The Case of the All-Star Assassin			November 19, 1989
The Case of the Poisoned Pen			January 21, 1990
The Case of the Desperate Deception			March 11, 1990
The Case of the Silenced Singer			May 20, 1990
The Case of the Defiant Daughter			September 30, 1990
The Case of the Ruthless Reporter			January 6, 1991
The Case of the Maligned Mobster			February 11, 1991
The Case of the Glass Coffin			May 14, 1991
The Case of the Fatal Fashion			September 24, 1991
The Case of the Fatal Framing			March 1, 1992
The Case of the Reckless Romeo			May 5, 1992
The Case of the Heartbroken Bride			October 30, 1992
The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal			February 19, 1993
The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host			May 21, 1993
The Case of the Killer Kiss			November 29, 1993
The Case of the Wicked Wives			December 17, 1993
The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle			May 10, 1994
The Case of the Grimacing Governor			November 9, 1994
The Case of the Jealous Jokester			April 10, 1995

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

Title			Release			Discs
Season Sets  (Region 1)
Season 1, Volume 1			July 11, 2006	purchase		5
Season 1, Volume 2			November 21, 2006	purchase		5
Season 2, Volume 1			June 19, 2007	purchase		5
Season 2, Volume 2			November 13, 2007	purchase		5
Season 3, Volume 1			August 19, 2008	purchase		3
Season 3, Volume 2			December 2, 2008	purchase		3
Season 4, Volume 1			June 9, 2009	purchase		3
Season 4, Volume 2			December 8, 2009	purchase		3
Season 5, Volume 1			April 20, 2010	purchase		3
Season 5, Volume 2			November 16, 2010	purchase		4
Season 6, Volume 1			October 4, 2011	purchase		4
Season 6, Volume 2			November 22, 2011	purchase		4
Episode Collections  (Region 1)
50th Anniversary Edition			April 8, 2008	purchase		4

External Sites

• Perry Mason on IMDb

• Perry Mason TV series wiki