"The New Perry Mason" TV Intro 

There is Only One Man Who can Play PERRY MASON... And That's My Buddy, RAYMOND BURR!!

when I was a kid, Mr. Markham just cracked me up when he debuted on his journeyman series "The Second Hundred Years". Not only was he hilarious, and outstanding as a character actor, but truly "infectious"; which is why I'm surprised he didn't become a "break-out" television star! Made all the gals in my neighborhood swoon!!!

This opening sequence is truly awful...and so is the show.. and yet, I find it a true guilty pleasure. I once asked Monte Markham what the heck the sequence meant...Perry Mason walking over to the window and night turning suddenly into day...and he had no idea.

What the hell were they thinking! Also, they spelled Fionulla Flanagan's name wrong in the credits!

Nothing against Monte Markham, but nobody could do Perry Mason like Raymond Burr. Unfortunately, Burr was by this time sleuthing around on a wheelchair in his other iconic series "Ironside." Also, Barbara Hale (who died recently) was missing; she was probably hawking Amana Radaranges by this time. Sharon Acker played Della in this version...and a second female character (I can't think of her name right now) was played by Match Game's Brett Somers.

If I were to hazard a guess, maybe they were trying to signify the defendant being in a dark place until Mason comes to the rescue. I agree it's pretty wretched; my favorite part is "Place Commercial Here." LOL

Raymond Burr was a tough act to follow. Still, I liked Monte Markham in everything I saw him in. I can't think of a more thoughtful, stoic actor to play Mason. He wasn't Burr, but who is?

Heck! this series was so full of 70s, formulaic "L.A." "fluff", no wonder it "died". I remember how C.B.S. used the same method to "neuter" Richard Roundtree's character "Shaft", by making look, and act like "Joe College"!

Yeah, the series opening theme didn't have that "classic", menacing horn-powered, swaggering jazz theme! The music made the audience aware, and anticipate that it was being pulled into a "noir" Suspense mystery environment on television, rather than cinema, largely played-out in the court room! Just like "Law and Order"'s theme with its curious "flute" lead, or the somber "Hill Street Blues" opener, anticipating that the episodes would rarely end with "happy endings"! I think that's largely what "Killed' the revived series!!!

I never knew about this early 1970's reboot. I can tell by the intro that it sucked.

It debuted in Sept 73 and was cancelled by Jan 74 so this did not last too long.

As Monte Markham is a remarkable character actor (I suppose his "anti-pole" would be the notorious B.I.L.L. Shatner,) i would have thought him to take the initiative to develop the "Mason" character; or take it into another 'direction' form Raymond Burr's iteration! Damn curious!!!

...he stayed up all night, poring over his law books, hoping to find a statute he could use to increase his show's ratings by suing everyone who didn't watch it