Perry Mason

'50's TV Perry Mason was tightly scripted and elegantly choreographed - a major advance in TV drama at the time and one the best series, ever. HBO's prequel is a bloated, pandering abomination. World War I trench warfare! Murdered tots with eyes sewed open! The young Perry shellshocked and alcoholic (and vigorously heterosexual)! An origin story for Raymond Burr's Perry is completely unnecessary --- but it is worth pointing out '50's Perry was sexually ambiguous, lived alone and never had a girlfriend. Raymond Burr was in a committed gay relationship most of his adult life. Wouldn't it have been more interesting to chart Perry's development from shy, gay teenager to prominent criminal lawyer? Also, Raymond Burr solved a crime each week in 50 minutes -- looks like prequel Perry will take the whole mini-series. And, Burr was cool -here's a screen grab from S1, E15 The Case of the Fan Dancer's Horse (December 28, 1957). Perry is meeting a client in a record shop listening booth -- Miles Davis's 1957 'Round About Midnight prominently displayed.