Summary

• Monsieur Spade is a perfect replacement for the canceled Perry Mason, with similar stylistic elements and a modern take on the classic detective genre.
• Both Monsieur Spade and Perry Mason have rich and complex adaptations of outstanding novels, but Monsieur Spade feels more modern and accessible.
• Monsieur Spade has a better chance at longevity due to being an Amazon Prime Video series with less competition and a potentially lower production cost.

Following the shocking cancelation of the HBO detective noir series Perry Mason after two seasons, the new Amazon show Monsieur Spade has emerged as its perfect yet underrated replacement. The six-part Amazon limited series from Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit) stars Clive Owen as Sam Spade, a famous detective working as an expat in the south of during the early 1960s. Spade is the same protagonist from the classic 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon written by Dashiell Hammett as well as the 1941 film adaptation directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart.

Perry Mason received critical acclaim during its first two seasons on HBO and MAX, making its cancelation one of the biggest surprises of 2023 for the streaming and cable platform. While the series featured great performances from well-known actors, detailed set pieces, and a solid, captivating narrative, Perry Mason ultimately proved to be too expensive to produce with regard to its relatively low viewership ratings. Set in 1932 Los Angeles, Perry Mason was a modern take on the classic film noir genre, a theme that Monsieur Spade is currently expanding on.

Monsieur Spade Is Another Show About A Private Investigator Of The Past

Monsieur Spade carries many of the same stylistic elements and narrative trappings of the film noir genre that have been celebrated for decades in Hollywood, with films such as The Maltese Falcon, Sunset Boulevard (1950), Double Indemnity (1944), and Touch of Evil (1958). Clive Owen also appears to be taking great influence from Humphrey Bogart's rendition of Sam Spade in the 1941 classic, making it a fantastic modern option for film noir fans who were hoping for Perry Mason season 3.

Monsieur Spade also features direct similarities to Perry Mason, considering they share very similar characteristics in their detective protagonists and their 20th century period settings. Both story worlds of Monsieur Spade and Perry Mason are rich and complex adaptions of outstanding novels, allowing for great depth to be reached in both acclaimed series. Monsieur Spade also feels somewhat more modern and accessible than Perry Mason, including some potential paranormal elements from Teresa, played by co-star Cara Bossom.

Why Monsieur Spade Could Succeed (While Perry Mason Was Canceled After Season 2)

While Perry Mason's cancelation at HBO and MAX was surprising and disappointing, it was up against the very competitive and saturated marketplace at one of the most established streaming platforms. Monsieur Spade could stand out more as an Amazon Prime Video original series, which has much less original content than HBO/MAX does. Monsieur Spade also looks like an expensive production but is limited to just six episodes, meaning that it likely costs less to make than Perry Mason and could have a better chance at longevity following its potential season 1 success.