Three HBO shows, consisting of Perry Mason, get a cautious update from the network’s head of drama. A legal drama led by Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason season 2 covered in April 2023. At the time, co-showrunner Michael Begler struck a positive tone about the program’s future and kept in mind that there’s more story to inform. But as it stands, it is among a number of shows that HBO has yet to restore.

Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama, talked to Deadline about the status of Perry Mason season 3 and the future of Winning Time and The Gilded Age. Unlike Perry Mason, Winning Time and The Gilded Age have actually been restored for a season 2. Orsi states their future beyond that is a discussion about spending plan versus viewership. Read her reaction below:

“At this point, we are having conversations regarding viewership relative to budget, but it’s not just a Perry Mason conversation. We’re just assessing various shows, what more we need to be making, what more we can make, what more we have, the return in life of a series. Of course, 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. But we’re really proud of Perry Mason and loved working with Team Downey and [showrunner] Michael Begler this season on the show. I’m really proud of what we delivered for Season 2.”

HBO’s Next Hit Could Already Exist

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Willa, Connor, Roman, Kendall, and Shiv at Logan's funeral in Succession season 4

With Succession and the hit man funny Barry ending, there’s been a concern of what HBO’s next success might be. It’s a concern that happened after the endings of Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos. But even taking a look at Succession, the dark funny wasn’t constantly at the center of the cultural discussion. At initially, some critics dismissed it, and audiences weren’t fast to welcome it either.

That might imply that a program like Perry Mason, the NBA Lakers-focused sports drama Winning Time, or the historic dramedy Gilded Age might still possibly become a hit if it’s offered the space and the area to grow. But even if that’s not the case, HBO has a long custom of dramas that might not have actually been the greatest hits however got an outsized tradition nevertheless. The Wire is a good example of this, as is Enlightened, a comedy that future White Lotus creator Mike White wrote with Big Little Lies star Laura Dern.

So even though a buzzy show like Euphoria is secure through its delays, smaller shows like Perry Mason, Winning Time, and The Gilded Age still fit neatly into HBO’s brand of prestige projects that appeal to different genres. Given that two of the three are returning for at least another round, hopefully, more of the network’s titles will have actually the exact same chance to progress.

Source: Deadline