Oz
Series

Oz (1997)

2 critics 125 lists ★ 8.0 TMDb 60 min 6 seasons CrimeDrama

The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorize their mutual enemies.

Shows like Oz ↓

Where to watchStreaming availability by region · data by JustWatch

The Generation GapWhat our critics say

The Broadcast Fossil
The Broadcast FossilBoomer

Well, this wasn't for the faint of heart, not one bit. A prison drama, and utterly uncompromising. The violence, the language, the sheer brutality of it all. It was on cable, mind you, so they could get away with quite a lot. And the long-form storytelling, following these characters through endless cycles of despair. It redefined what "adult programming" truly meant, pushing every boundary with a grim, unflinching gaze at humanity's darkest corners.

from “Well, I Never! 12 Television Spectacles That Truly Shocked the System.” →
The Arc Analyst
The Arc AnalystMillennial

HBO threw down the gauntlet with 'Oz.' This was raw, brutal, and unapologetic, diving deep into prison life with an unflinching gaze. It was serialized storytelling at its most intense, forcing you to confront difficult themes and characters without any easy answers. For many, this was the first time they saw a cable show push boundaries that broadcast TV wouldn't dare touch, solidifying HBO's place as a serious drama contender.

from “Before Binge-Watching Was A Verb: 7 Shows That Redefined TV” →

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Shows like Oz

What most often shares a list with it, according to our critics.

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