Perry Mason - Season 3 Coming in August (1 Viewer)

[Steve...O]

Only shows on film go to HD. Matlock was shot on film but edited (and aired) using videotape thus it would not be a candidate for HD. The same was true for Diagnosis Murder. I'd guess the same is true for JAKE/FATMAN but admit I haven't seen those discs. The only way Matlock could ever be in HD is if CBS/P went back to the original film negatives and re-edited each and every episode and redid all the graphics, etc. Not gonna happen in all liklihood.

I netflixed Cannon disc 1 and it definitely was not sourced from an HD master (if it was, it was one of the worst looking transfers to HD I'd ever seen) so my speculation is that the elements existed only on videotape or CBS just cheaped out on this one series.

Gary - I hope for your sake that RAWHIDE is simply out of date on the CBS website. MASON S3V1 was already released before this latest update.

Question for Gary or anyone else who frequents the CBS site: has anyone ever gotten the "LATEST REVISIONS AND ADDITIONS" link on the main page to work? I never have; and it would be much easier to see the changes listed than go hunting and pecking individual series.

 

[FanCollector]

Excellent point about the videotape-edited shows. All the Hargrove-Silverman shows were done that way, so I guess if we ever see Father Dowling Mysteries, it will be the same story. Have Gun, Will Travel would also fall into the Cannon-esque cheaping out category. Although they look a little better than Cannon, those shows were not transferred to HD either.

And I have never seen anything on the Additions page to the CBS Syndication website either.

 

[jdee28]

Rawhide is an interesting case as it says Season 1-3 are HD, but the first Season DVD release was not from HD masters.

I do have hope that we will see Rawhide: Season 4, Volume 1, if anything because of Gunsmoke: Season 3, Volume 2. That release should be coming out next year (they haven't dropped a show mid-season yet), and they have paired both Gunsmoke and Rawhide together this year, releasing both shows on the same date. Hopefully, they'll continue to do so next year; just hope they speed up the schedule. May-Dec is too long in between releases.

 

[jdee28]

Not sure how long this is lasting, but deepdiscount currently has Perry Mason Season 3, Volume 2 at $23.94, 52% off its standard retail price. Not too bad, I guess. I'm in.

 

[Bob Gu]

Thanks, John, I thought I'd have to wait until DD's June sale for this.

 

[silverking]

Thanks for this info. A more sensible price for this half-season.

There has been a lot of justifiable disquiet about the prices on the S3 Perrys.
I wonder if a lack of pre-orders prompted this reduction.

In addition I think the Fugitive debacle has certainly hurt CBS/P, probably more than they thought, with fans waiting for reviews before splashing out.

 

[EricSchulz]

On Topic: I HATE the new packaging!

Off Topic: Does anyone know how many of the TV episodes were actually based on the original books? Just curious as I have read about twenty-five of the books and have seen some that did make it to the show.

 

[Hakan Andersson]

If you compare the book list:

Perry Mason (novels - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

with the tv episode list:

List of Perry Mason episodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Then you can count the identical titles!

I think they did almost all the books (that had been written up until then).

Please let us know how many you can find! ;-)

 

[Carabimero]

In case someone hasn't mentioned it, you can get Mason S3V2 at Deep Discount for around $23 and free shipping.

 

[jdee28]

I just received Perry Mason Season 3, Volume 2 from Deepdiscount. It looks good. Hope we see Season 4.

I find that in Season 1 and the first half of Season 2, that those episodes based on Earle Stanley Gardner books are much stronger than those that are completely original screenplays. The original screenplays get better during the second half of Season 2, but still, Mason is more unconventional and a little more underhanded in the shows based on the Gardner books.

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks to the 4 day New Year's weekend I was able to polish off S3 V2.

Great, almost pristine, transfers and all episodes appear to be uncut. CBS/P has reinstated the original ending credit sequences for those episodes (usually on alternate weeks) that had a visual sponsor credit superimposed on the credits. Several of these episodes were not part of the rotation when they aired on Hallmark several years back so it was nice to see them again.

The writing was exceptionally strong as many "new" (not sourced from the original novels) episodes worked their way into the rotation.

The guest list is amazing with familar faces abounding in every episode. Wait until you see Norman Fell with a peach fuzz mustache

For trivia buffs: the end of S3 marked the start of William Talman's brief exile from the show as a parade of assistant DAs and out of town prosecutors take over. Talman will also be absent from S4 Vol 1 but will return in S4 Vol 2 and every release thereafter. In a nod to the original novels, one of the replacements in S3 was named "Claude Drumm" who was Gardner's first D.A. before being replaced by Hamilton Burger.

Hopefully S4 (being remastered to HD per the syndication bible) isn't too far off...

P.S. HTF members may get a kick of out the episode called "Crying Cherub" as one of main characters is known as "David Lambert"

 

[Jeff Willis]

Steve,

Same here, mostly...with the holiday time off, I'm going too fast through my PM sets The problem with this show on DVD is that I'm not having much luck pacing my viewing as with most other shows


Now, that's a name that's truly famous....deservedly so How's things in Memphis, Dave? Been to Leonard's BBQ lately?

 

[Steve...O]

Hi Jeff,

Perry defends Paul in "Paul Drake's Dilemma" which is in Vol 1 of S3 (episode 6). In episode 14 of S3 (vol 2) Perry shows Hamilton Burger he has no hard feelings by essentially dropping everything to defend a friend of Burger's in TCOT "Prudent Prosecutor".

Normal Fell and Beverly Garland are in Vol 2's "Mythical Monkeys".

Regarding Talman, he had some legal troubles. His story was that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time (showed up at someone's house for a party and unfortunately there was some drug use going on and clothign was optional for some attendees). Talman was eventually cleared of the charges but CBS had already fired him citing a morals clause. Burr and the rest of the cast demanded he be reinstated because he was so crucial to the show. Viewers agreed and wrote many letters of support. Eventually things were worked out and Talman returned midway through S4.

Steve

 

[Gary OS]

Steve, thanks for that info on William Talman and his off-screen troubles during that stretch of PM. I'm just glad they got that resolved and that everyone fought to get him back on the show. And it certainly wasn't the same when he wasn't there and I believe the show would have suffered big time had he not been reinstated to the role.

Gary "Steve is the man when it comes to PERRY MASON" O.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Steve,

Ditto on that Talman story. I'd never have guessed the reason for missing those PM episodes!

Thanks again for the episode info on those 2 shows. This time, I wrote it down (should have done that earlier)


Ain't that the truth, as we say in Texas

 

[betty51]

That's great to hear about season 3. It's a great entertainment show.

You can also checkout internet tv sites. You may get missed episodes of Perry Mason.