Why was Perry Mason canceled by HBO?

Perry Mason fans, we’re sorry to report that after two seasons, the popular period drama has been canceled by HBO. That means the series won’t be coming back for a third season. Why did the network decide to do this?

Season 2 saw the titular character doing what he does best as a defense lawyer in the time of the Great Depression in the U.S. Perry, Della, and Paul are roped into a case that has all sorts of conspiracies. It all culminates at the end of the season 2 finale where Perry has to serve out a four-month prison sentence, while Mateo gets 30 years.

We’re a bit surprised that HBO decided to cancel the show as it’s been a popular one amongst fans. It’s also expected to earn Emmy nominations in 2023. The series already snagged four in 2021 for the first season.

So what happened? Why has the story been cut short? We’ve got the answer for you below.

Why was Perry Mason canceled by HBO?

The cancellation may have to do with the way HBO looks at their “viewership relative to budget,” per Deadline. Francesca Orsi, who is the head of drama at HBO, told the news outlet the following a few weeks earlier:

"Each show has a job to do, given the price tag that we give to it. And there’s a viewership component, and there’s a critical response element to it and of course, the buzz nature of a show. It’s those elements that we are always keeping in mind and discussing relative to whether or not a show will continue. That factors in for Perry Mason, for Winning Time, for instance, for Gilded Age, so we have to play everything out and see how well they do."

Of course we all hoped to get more of the story. And while the season 2 finale does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, at least we know that Perry won’t be behind bars for long. It’s a shame the story didn’t get a proper ending, but unfortunately this happens at times.

The period drama starred Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason, Juliet Rylance as Della Street, Chris Chalk as Paul Drake, Diarra Kilpatrick as Clara Drake, Peter Mendoza as Mateo Gallardo, Eric Lange as Detective Holcomb, Justin Kirk as Hamilton Burger, Katherine Waterston as Ginny Aimes, Hope Davis as Camilla Nygaard, and Fabrizio Guido as Rafael Gallardo.

Both seasons of Perry Mason are streaming on Max.