The Future of PERRY MASON (Season 6 & beyond) (1 Viewer)

Gary OS · Feb 9, 2011

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.

RickER · Feb 9, 2011

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

Such is life.

Jeff Willis · Feb 9, 2011

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.

Jack P · Feb 9, 2011

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.

MCCLOUD · Feb 9, 2011

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

Gary OS · Feb 11, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCCLOUD
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

Robert, thanks for the reply. I think you mean that Season 3 of Mannix was released in October of 2010, though. So CBS/P actually is fast-tracking that series. I'd like to believe that Perry Mason is safe and sound in terms of continued releases. Unfortunately I'm not at all confident that's the case.

God bless you too, Robert.

Gary "I'm pretty sure if we don't hear something in the next month about PM season 6 the crystal ball is right once again" O.

FanCollector · Feb 11, 2011

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.

HenryDuBrow · Feb 11, 2011

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.

Steve...O · Feb 11, 2011

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

Gary OS · Feb 11, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanCollector
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.

Oops. Mea Culpa on that one. My apologies to Robert. I misread the release schedule (think I mistook Marcus Welby for Mannix, but not sure). Anyhow, it sure didn't seem like a year+ had gone by on that series in my mind. I'm not sure the crystal ball had completely doomed it. The crystal ball only looks so far into the future and cannot account for CBS's sudden change in plans.

Having said all that, I definitely agree with you that we are seeing a slowdown when it comes to vintage shows. Of course, this has been the trend for a couple of years now. But the downturn may be very extreme this year. We'll have to wait and see.

Gary "the crystal ball has an extremely high rate of accuracy, but is not omniscient" O.

Gary OS · Feb 11, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve...O
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

You know I'm a big fan of this series as well, Steve, and there's no doubt that we should be at least a little concerned at this point. I'm not ready to press the panic button but I'm also not comfortable about the lack of news. In all seriousness, the crystal ball really does have a good record and at this moment things look cloudy and dim. Of course, there's definitely nothing that's ever completely dead because the studio can go back and change their plans. That's a fact that I think will be proven true yet again in another month or so with news of a long-stalled series getting back on track.

I also think you are spot on with the comments about why PM might be placed on the backburner (assuming it really is stalled out). 10 releases, over a long course of time, definitely doesn't help. And it's been priced high, even for a split season release, for quite a while. Since it's one of my all-time favorites I've been pre-ordering just about every volume, trying to do my part in letting the studio know I want more seasons. Guess we will have to wait and see.

Gary "come on CBS, don't stall this series out" O.

jdee28 · Feb 11, 2011

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?

ToddR2 · Feb 12, 2011

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?

MCCLOUD · Feb 12, 2011

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

HenryDuBrow · Feb 13, 2011

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.

Matt Hough · Feb 16, 2011

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 Obsolete Man · Feb 16, 2011

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

Steve...O · Feb 16, 2011

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.

Matt Hough · Feb 17, 2011

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.

FrancisP · Feb 17, 2011

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.

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