The Future of PERRY MASON (Season 6 & beyond)

If they had released full season sets...it would be done now!

Such is life.

    Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary OS 

Is it time to start getting concerned about the future of this series?  We are now getting announcements for April releases from CBS/Paramount and we've not heard about the next installment of Perry Mason.  Last year we did see an April release for this series, but in previous years the release schedule has been all over the map with this show. 

 

So, is it time to start worrying or not?  Normally I'd say no because I've always been told that these releases were doing great for the studio.  And from what little I could personally glean from places like Amazon.com that seemed to be the case.  However, I have to say I'm getting worried.  As I looked into my crystal ball a few weeks back I saw a man holding a coin, while his children were hurridly devouring their Easter candy.  On one side of this coin I saw the face of Raymond Burr.  On the other side I saw the face of the Grim Reaper.  The man tossed the coin into the air like an NFL official would.  As I watched the coin flipping over and over in the air I realized what the crystal ball was saying - Perry Mason Season 6 was literally a 50-50 proposition.  It might get a release in April (clearly that's what the Easter candy was all about) or it might be stalled out.  Not hearing any release news yet has me a bit spooked now.  Surely this series hasn't fallen out of the CBS rotation, has it?  I guess only time will tell, but with each passing day I fear it may have.

 

Gary "I've viewed similar scenes in the crystal ball for other series too - might be a lean year for vintage TV fans when it comes to CBS/Paramount" O.

All I'll say is that I hope the coin-tosser is a Green Bay fan ;).  That might be a good omen.

I just have to think that this show has generated enough sales #'s, even with the lengthy series run, so that we'll continue to see CBS releasing the show.

This is one of the rare series releases where I've bit the bullet and bought the split-season sets.
 

If no release of S6 is forthcoming then in a couple months, what would have seemed impossible two years ago will have happened with "Ironside" getting completely caught up to "Perry Mason" in terms of number of seasons out on DVD.    

No, I don't think you should worry about Perry Mason at this time.  Paramount just released Season 5 Volume 2 in November.  It hasn't even been 3 months yet.  After releasing Mannix Season 3 in  October  2009 , Paramount waited over 1 year till January 2011 to release Mannix Season 4.  I would think that for now there is nothing to worry about.  It does look, however, that Paramount has almost abandoned releasing there classic shows.  I really wish Paramount would at least release Cannon Season 3 , The Streets Of San Francisco Season 3, and Barnaby Jones Season 2.  Maybe fans of Paramount shows would be better served if Paramount would start a MOD program or start liscensing its shows to Shout Factory.  Take Care Gary!

God Bless!

Robert  

In fact, the original post was correct. Mannix Season 3 was released in October 2009, and it took over a year to get Season 4. CBS was fast tracking it, but then slowed down to the point where, as I recall, the crystal ball had doomed it. I think it just shows that the days of CBS fast tracking are over and the classic series are still coming, but slower and slower.

They're riding pretty fast through with Have Gun - Will Travel now by the look of it as well, just one more season to go and it's home free. Same with Vega$ and one more season surprisingly, of course some will stress there's no guarantee.

Gary is spot on with this; there is a legitimate concern about the future of Perry Mason on DVD.

I had previously made a mental note that if we got to mid February and there was no announcement regarding season 6, it would be time to start having concerns.  We are now at that point and it's looking more and more likely that an April release is unlikely.  These releases have been coming out like clockwork, albeit at a frustratingly slow pace, for the last 5 years.  There is no reason to assume that CBS/P would suddenly change the pace of releases on PM.

If this stalled, why did it?  My educated guess is that consumers got tired of the relatively high priced half seasons and the slow pace.  Although 5 seasons were released, there were actually 10 separate releases.  If sales fall with each subsequent release, think how much they fell by S5V2.  The same consumers who bought PM probably saw Mannix, Five-0, Mission Impossible, and some others getting full season releases.  That couldn't have helped. 

I really, really hope I'm wrong here.  The quality of these releases has been generally excellent (with only interlaced transfers and closed captions instead of English subtitles preventing perfection) and this show stayed enjoyable all the way through 9 seasons.  In fact, the next to last episode with Cloris Leachman and Gary Collins is one of the best written and most suspenseful of the entire series.   It would be a real shame not to get S6-S9 released.

We are fortunate to have a CBS/P representative as an "insider" on HTF.  Perhaps they could provide some insight?  Maybe the delay is to allow for a switch to full season releases?? 

Thanks,

Steve

According to the grapevine, are there any new black and white releases coming from CBS/Paramount in the upcoming year? Will we see Gunsmoke Season 5; Have Gun-Will Travel Season 6; The Untouchables Season 4; Rawhide Season 4; One Step Beyond Season 2; Phil Silvers Season 2; My Three Sons Season 3? Maybe Perry Mason is just joining the group. Although there have been whispers about Rawhide Season 4. Who would have thunk it -- a new Rawhide release while Perry Mason takes a year off. The worm has turned. For a long time, it seemed like Perry Mason was the only black and white show guaranteed a yearly release. What's happened? What does this bode for any of their other shows?

John, I'm glad to see someone else is thinking of The Phil Silvers Show. I didn't expect to see S1 ever released, given the relatively poor sales of the 50th Anniversary Collection. I was quite happy to pick it up, but I am extremely unsure if we'll see S2 of this classic. It is a sad statement on the taste of vintage DVD collectors that a show like this might not do well enough for CBS/Paramount to continue releasing it, while something like The Lucy Show sells. I feel fairly confident about Have Gun, Will Travel finishing, perhaps this year. I would be a bit surprised if Perry Mason S6 didn't come out this year. Aren't Perry Mason and Hawaii Five-O the two best selling (unfinished) vintage shows CBS/Paramount own?

In addition to the over 14 month wait between Mannix Season 3 and Mannix Season 4, here are some other CBS Paramount shows and their time between season releases:

The Unotuchables Season 2 Volume 2  August 2008  

The Untouchables Season 3 Volume 1  August 2009

1 year wait for The Untouchables

The Fugitive Season 3 Volume 2  December 2009

The Fugitive Season 4 Volume 1 November 2010

Approximately 11 months wait for The Fugitive

The Streets Of San Francisco Season 1 Volume 2  September 2007

The Streets Of San Francisco Season 2 Volume 1 July 2008

Approximately 9 month wait for Streets

I would say it is way to early to be worried about Perry Mason Season 6 yet.

Take Care!

Robert 

Yes, looks like a thin line this stalled or abandoned business, but it doesn't necessarily mean the same thing these days just because there's a substantial gap in releases. Some titles speed through while others take a year to be followed up, I haven't entirely given up on Barnaby Jones yet even if it's now been 12 months in a few days time. 

Were the PERRY MASON TV-movies ever released on tape or disc? I've been watching them for the past month or so on Encores Mystery and just wondered if anything had ever been done with them?

The first Perry Mason TV Movie was released as a part of the Perry Mason 50th Anniversary Edition box set.

At least one of the movies (Lost Love?) was issued on VHS. 

If/when CBS/P finishes up with the 9 seasons of the TV series, it would be nice to get a collection of the 26 or so reunion movies.  However I'd really prefer they focus on the series first.  The movies are decent, but they are a far cry from the series.  The idea of introducing a character called "Paul Drake Jr." still rankles me.  Gardner would have had a fit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve...O 

At least one of the movies (Lost Love?) was issued on VHS. 

 

If/when CBS/P finishes up with the 9 seasons of the TV series, it would be nice to get a collection of the 26 or so reunion movies.  However I'd really prefer they focus on the series first.  The movies are decent, but they are a far cry from the series.  The idea of introducing a character called "Paul Drake Jr." still rankles me.  Gardner would have had a fit.

I agree with you. The pacing is rather plodding given that they have to pad the stories to reach TV-movie length. Still, I wouldn't mind having them, but not at the expense of the original series.

Thanks for the info, guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattH. 

I agree with you. The pacing is rather plodding given that they have to pad the stories to reach TV-movie length. Still, I wouldn't mind having them, but not at the expense of the original series.

 

Thanks for the info, guys.

The trouble is that the padding was the same. Paul drake Jr looks for the paid assassin, finds him and the assassin is killed. I did like the episodes with William R Moses and Alexandra Paul because they were entertaining to watch. However once Alexandra Paul moved to Baywatch, Ken Malansky became a new Romeo with a new girl every movie.

I thought the Erle Stanley Gardner novels were rich and found ways to pad the story in interesting ways.

Case of the Calendar Girl - There are actually two trials. Perry Mason gets George Ainsley off by pointing the finger at Dawn Manning. Dawn Manning is arrested and Mason defends her

Case of the Lucky Loser - Balfour's private secretary is in love with Ted Balfour. She pays for Mason to sit in court during the hit and run trial. Her desire to help Ted conflicts with her job with Balfour Industries

Case of the Careless Cupid - Mason's client flees while the police inestigation is underway. Mason must find her and figure out how to explain it to the police.

The trouble is that we have to wait at least 4 years for the movies? I wish they would offer them a couple at a time right now or add one to the tv series as a bonus. Might be willing to pay a little more.

Pay a little more for it?  All you here now is how high priced these half sets are.  I've gone on record saying that I want CBS/P to make a fair profit and that I realize this isn't a volume piece and that the price will be higher, therefore.  I'm willing to pay for it.  Please release seasons 6 through 9.  I want them.

Steve Lecher

Some of the movies are playing right now on Encore Mystery if you get that channel. I've recorded about 12 of them so far just in case they never get released.

Perry Mason is one I would like to see completed as well. As I start to wind down on my purchasing (finding less and less to buy), I'd be willing to fork over more cash to see this one get completed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithb 

 

Some of the movies are playing right now on Encore Mystery if you get that channel. I've recorded about 12 of them so far just in case they never get released.

 

Perry Mason is one I would like to see completed as well. As I start to wind down on my purchasing (finding less and less to buy), I'd be willing to fork over more cash to see this one get completed.

 

I came late to the party with those TV-movies that have been showing on Encore Mystery, so I hope they go back and begin repeating them from the start so I can get them all recorded. I think they've gotten to the end of them. They stopped in 1995 with Hal Holbrook, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattH. 

I came late to the party with those TV-movies that have been showing on Encore Mystery, so I hope they go back and begin repeating them from the start so I can get them all recorded. I think they've gotten to the end of them. They stopped in 1995 with Hal Holbrook, right?

 

The 5 movies after Raymond Burr died did include Hal Holbrook, which just finished up (I believe this month). I also was recording randomly so missed quite a few. Like you I would like to get at least all the Raymond Burr movies (I believe 25). So I checked the Encore website and it does appear they are starting over in April with:

PERRY MASON RETURNS, (4/4, 4/10)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MADAM, (4/17, 4/25)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE NOTORIOUS NUN, (4/11, 4/17)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SHOOTING STAR, (4/18, 4/24)

Glad this came up because it got me to check. At around 4 a month it will take 6 months to probably get them all, but well worth it. My father-in-law and I just watched "Returns" the other night off my 50th anniversary collection.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smithb 

 

The 5 movies after Raymond Burr died did include Hal Holbrook, which just finished up (I believe this month). I also was recording randomly so missed quite a few. Like you I would like to get at least all the Raymond Burr movies (I believe 25). So I checked the Encore website and it does appear they are starting over in April with:

 

PERRY MASON RETURNS, (4/4, 4/10)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MADAM, (4/17, 4/25)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE NOTORIOUS NUN, (4/11, 4/17)
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SHOOTING STAR, (4/18, 4/24)

 

Glad this came up because it got me to check. At around 4 a month it will take 6 months to probably get them all, but well worth it. My father-in-law and I just watched "Returns" the other night off my 50th anniversary collection.

 

Thank you so much for this great and timely information! This is terrific news to fans who have access to this channel!
 

I'll be glad to support the release of the 80s & 90s tv movies (and the Monte Markham series for that matter). But, first things first, let's have seasons six through nine of the original series.

Perry Mason is my only must-have show. Hopefully, once CBS Paramount is done with their incomprehensible fixation with Hawaii Five-O, they'll make Perry Mason the priority it should be ;-)

Reluctantly, I am coming to the realization that MASON is most likely a stalled show at best and abandoned at worst.  Now that we're at the point that most releases for the first half of the year have been announced (with two weeks left in April, the 60 day window is up to 6/15) it seems unlikely that CBS/P would put Vol 1 and Vol 2 both in the latter half of the year. 

Adding further evidence is the recently rediscovered CBS/P Syndication Bible (credit to Mark for finding in the other thread) shows PM's HD transfers stopping at S5.

What's nice about this "new" Bible is that we can actually see the specific changes made (by date and by series) and they've added a page identifying Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holiday episodes. If that was there before, I don't remember it.

http://syndicationbible.cbstvd.com/ 

I can't believe 2011 won't see a Perry Mason release. I thought it was their one black and white show that did well, hence justifying their yearly release schedule. Did the latest season nose dive, or do they want out of the retail DVD business? 

But what a slap in the face to long term fans, people who have bought these releases year in, year out, hoping that they'd finally complete the series circa 2014. Obviously that was a pipe dream. With DVDs on the decline, the only way this series gets completed through its final season is by a MOD service. 

To think, if they hadn't split the seasons, the show would be completed. But then again, maybe they could only afford to remaster one season a year. I hope the remastering is still going on, and if they do turn to MOD in 2012 or 13, that they continue to offer Perry Mason in HD remasters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdee28 

I can't believe 2011 won't see a Perry Mason release. I thought it was their one black and white show that did well, hence justifying their yearly release schedule. Did the latest season nose dive, or do they want out of the retail DVD business? 

 

But what a slap in the face to long term fans, people who have bought these releases year in, year out, hoping that they'd finally complete the series circa 2014. Obviously that was a pipe dream. With DVDs on the decline, the only way this series gets completed through its final season is by a MOD service. 

 

To think, if they hadn't split the seasons, the show would be completed. But then again, maybe they could only afford to remaster one season a year. I hope the remastering is still going on, and if they do turn to MOD in 2012 or 13, that they continue to offer Perry Mason in HD remasters.

How can you tell that?  I tried looking at the Syndication Bible, but I don't think that I could read it very well.  I didn't see anything that seemed to indicate anything about future release plans.