IN THE NAME OF THE LAW

Matthew Rhys plays a young Perry Mason in a dark and compelling new version of the classic crime drama

- CAREN CLARK

Few fictional crime-solvers are more iconic than Perry Mason. The shrewd, compassionate US defense lawyer with an uncanny knack for sniffing out criminals is a firm favorite thanks to the much-loved TV series, starring Raymond Burr, which ran from the late 1950s.

Now, Matthew Rhys is bringing his own spin to the role in Sky Atlantic’s brooding eight-part thriller Perry Mason, executive produced by Robert Downey Jr, which turns back the clock to when a young, down-on-his-luck Perry is honing his crime-solving skills by working as a private investigator in LA in the early 1930s.

Despite winning an Emmy for his role in The Americans, Rhys admits he was initially apprehensive about the idea of stepping into such illustrious shoes.