From radio plays to an ill-fated '70s reboot that only lasted a single season, Perry Mason has been part of the pop culture landscape since the '30s. However, the character has never gotten the origin story treatment until now. Rhys will be the first actor to play Perry before he earned his law license; instead, he'll be delving into the character's past as a P.I. in 1932 Los Angeles. The future attorney is set to become embroiled in a grisly case of kidnapping gone wrong that will find him entangled in a twisted web of corruption that encompasses everything from the police force to an early example of a megachurch. It's a noirish departure that could redefine the character for a new generation, but before the sure to be pitch black series premieres, let's take a look at how HBO transformed Perry Mason from a competent courtroom procedural into an unflinching character study of a broken P.I. in over his head.