Perry Mason: Season 07 (1963)

Although Perry Mason was showing signs of fatigue as the series entered its seventh season, the producers were able to stir up a great deal of publicity and audience interest with the announcement that, in the season's fourth episode "The Case of the Deadly Verdict", the unthinkable would happen: Brilliant defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) would finally lose a case to prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman), and his client (played by Julie Adams) would be sentenced to death). Not to give anything away, but it can be noted that Mason loses only because his client withholds information--a fact that affords our hero the opportunity to clear the poor woman in a second trial. Otherwise, Season Seven is fairly undistinguished, save for the always solid performances of supporting players Barbara Hale (as Della Street), William Hopper (Paul Drake), and Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg), who makes his final appearance this season due to illness. Of the guest stars, standouts include little Billy Mumy (pre-Lost in Space, and very pre-Babylon Five) in "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox", future superstar Ryan O'Neal in "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty", Oscar-winnner-to-be Strother Martin in "The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito", Man From UNCLE's David McCallum in "The Case of the 50 Millionth Frenchman", ventriloquist Paul Winchell as the murder victim in "The Case of the Nervous Neighbor", and Jerry Van Dyke in his first non-comic role in "The Case of the Woeful Widower". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi