Perry Mason on HBO

Previous thread: Robert Downey Jr. as Perry Mason [EDIT: Without RDJ] - #5 by Elendil_s_Heir

I liked it, and will watch the rest of the series (it’ll be eight episodes in all). Lots of good Thirties LA atmosphere. And some clever touches - a diner called Ptomaine Tommy’s, and Robert Patrick (perhaps best known as an LAPD-cop-impersonating killer robot in Terminator 2) plays a wealthy man who says… he doesn’t trust the LAPD!

Good to see Angels Flight, the famous funicular railway. From Wiki: “The only color episode of the original Perry Mason TV series, the February 1966 episode “The Case of the Twice-Told Twist,” has a brief scene in the opening act, where Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) ride Angels Flight.”

Interesting plot and some major obstacles are set up for Mason to overcome, including crooked cops and uncooperative witnesses. The dead baby with its eyelids stitched open was pretty creepy - but it might have been better if we didn’t see it at all, but only Mason’s and others’ reactions to it.

A fine cast, including the lead actor, and John Lithgow is excellent as always.