Oz
Forget Prison Break, this HBO series that ran from 1997 - 2003 is the real-deal when it comes to prison drama’s. I’ve only just got into the series and am half-way way through the season 4 DVDs but before The Sopranos and The Wire, was this incredibly well-crafted and extraordinary acted piece of television. There’s a reason why it ran for six seasons and to think that every episode was written by just one man, Tom Fontana. Fontana cut his teeth on TV shows such as Homicide: Life on the Street and St Elsewhere and whilst they were cutting edge at the time, it wasn’t until he moved onto Oz and HBO, that he could have free reign in terms of content. Oz is brutal, uncompromising and it doesn’t paint life in a maximum security prison as a holiday. And whereas The Sopranos and The Wire had its squrim-in-your-seat moments, by comparison, Oz has them pretty much in every episode. I cannot recommend this show highly enough and if you missed it the first time around and can stomach both the hardest visceral and mental anguish TV or cinema has to offer, then strap yourself in.
