David Woody

The original Perry Mason series is simply one of the greatest TV shows ever. By every measure, nearly every episode is worth watching again and again. I have seen every episode at least 6 times. I will someday watch them all again. The characters are compelling, the plots engaging, the legal lessons multitudinous. I first saw the series when I was very young, but many of the moral values and legal complexities have stayed with me all my life. Perry is clever, but not illegally devious. The relationships with Paul and Della are complex, alternating between serious care for each other and humorous interplay. The accused are sometimes easy to empathize with and sometimes difficult to support, but Perry gives them all the best he has. The current HBO series is something of an abomination. Why some elements were changed so radically might be chalked up to “artistic license” but it is also hard to escape the feeling that there was an agenda of some sort being promoted. They could have achieved the same story without demeaning the characters in so many ways.