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Wikipedia

Oz (TV series)

Oz is an American prison drama television series set at a fictional men's prison created and principally written by Tom Fontana.[1][2] It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by the premium cable network HBO.[3] Oz premiered on July 12, 1997, and ran for six seasons. The series finale aired on February 23, 2003.

Oz
Genre
Created byTom Fontana
Written by
  • Tom Fontana
  • Various (seasons 2–6)
Starring
Theme music composer
  • Steven Rosen
  • Dave Darlington
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes56 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Cinematography
Editors
  • Sue Blainey
  • Cindy Mollo
  • Vanessa Procopio
  • Jay Pires
  • James Y. Kwei
  • Ken Eluto
  • Deborah Moran
Running time55–60 minutes
80 minutes (series finale)
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseJuly 12, 1997 (1997-07-12) –
February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23)

Overview edit

"Oz" is the nickname for the Oswald State Correctional Facility, formerly Oswald State Penitentiary, a fictional level 4 maximum-security state prison in New York.[4] The nickname "Oz" is also a reference to the classic film The Wizard of Oz (1939), which popularized the phrase, "There's no place like home." A poster for the series uses the tagline: "It's no place like home".[5] Most of the series' story arcs are set in "Emerald City", a wing named after a setting from the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

Plot edit

In an experimental unit of the prison, unit manager Tim McManus emphasizes rehabilitation and learning responsibility during incarceration, rather than carrying out purely punitive measures. Emerald City is an extremely controlled environment, with a carefully managed balance of members from each racial and social group, intended to ease tensions among these various factions. However, almost all of these factions are constantly at war with one another which often results in many prisoners being beaten, raped, or murdered.

Under McManus and Warden Leo Glynn, all inmates in "Em City" struggle to fulfill their own needs. Some fight for power – either over the drug trade or over other inmate factions and individuals. Others, corrections officers and inmates alike, simply want to survive, some long enough to make parole and others just to see the next day. The show's narrator, inmate Augustus Hill, explains the show, and provides context, thematic analysis, and a sense of humor.

Oz chronicles McManus' attempts to keep control over the inmates of Em City. There are many groups of inmates throughout the show, and not everyone within each group survives the show's events. There are the African-American Homeboys (Wangler, Redding, Poet, Keane, Adebisi) and Muslims (Said, Arif, Khan), the Wiseguys (Pancamo, Nappa, Schibetta, Zanghi, Urbano), the Aryan Brotherhood (Schillinger, Robson, Mack), the Latinos of El Norte (Alvarez, Morales, Guerra, Hernandez), the Irish (The O'Reilly brothers, Kirk, Keenan), the Gays (Hanlon, Cramer, Ginzburg), the Bikers (Hoyt, Sands, Burns), the Christians (Cloutier, Coushaine, Cudney) and many other individuals not completely affiliated with one particular group (Rebadow, Busmalis, Keller, Stanislofsky). In contrast to the dangerous criminals, central character Tobias Beecher gives a look at a usually law-abiding albeit alcoholic man who made one fatal drunk-driving mistake.

Cast and characters edit

 
From left to right: Ryan O'Reily, Vernon Schillinger, Miguel Alvarez, Tobias Beecher, Kareem Saïd, In the front sits Augustus Hill (this photo was also used as the cover for Hill's book)

Main actors are credited as "starring" in the opening title sequence, while supporting actors are listed under "also starring". Guest actors are listed in the show's end credits.

Main edit

Supporting edit

Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6
B.D. Wong Father Ray Mukada Supporting
Edie Falco Officer Diane Whittlesey Supporting Guest
Sean Whitesell Donald Groves Supporting
Tony Musante Nino Schibetta Supporting
Leon Robinson Jefferson Keane Supporting Guest
Jon Seda Dino Ortolani Guest Guest
Lauren Vélez Dr. Gloria Nathan Guest Supporting
George Morfogen Bob Rebadow Guest Supporting
J. D. Williams Kenny Wangler Guest Supporting
Željko Ivanek Governor James Devlin Guest Supporting
muMs da Schemer Arnold "Poet" Jackson Guest Supporting
Granville Adams Zahir Arif Guest Supporting
Rick Fox Jackson Vahue Guest Supporting Supporting
Eddie Malavarca Peter Schibetta Guest Supporting
Tom Mardirosian Agamemnon Busmalis Guest Supporting
Christopher Meloni Chris Keller Guest Supporting
Scott William Winters Cyril O'Reily Guest Supporting
Austin Pendleton William Giles Guest Supporting
Kathryn Erbe Shirley Bellinger Guest Supporting Guest
Luis Guzmán Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez Guest Supporting
Mark Margolis Antonio Nappa Guest Supporting Guest
Chuck Zito Chucky Pancamo Guest Supporting
R.E. Rogers James Robson Guest Supporting
Evan Seinfeld Jaz Hoyt Guest Supporting
Otto Sanchez Carmen "Chico" Guerra Guest Supporting
Sean Dugan Timmy Kirk Guest Guest Supporting
Robert Clohessy Officer Sean Murphy Supporting
Kristin Rohde Officer Claire Howell Supporting
Philip Casnoff Nikolai Stanislofsky Supporting
Seth Gilliam Officer Clayton Hughes Supporting
Kevin Conway Seamus O'Reily Guest Supporting
Charles Busch Nathaniel "Nat" Ginzburg Guest Supporting
David Zayas Enrique Morales Supporting
Reg E. Cathey Martin Querns Supporting Guest
Erik King Moses Deyell Supporting
Lance Reddick Johnny Basil / Desmond Mobay Supporting
Lord Jamar Supreme Allah / Kevin Ketchum Supporting
Michael Wright Omar White Supporting
Anthony Chisholm Burr Redding Supporting
Luke Perry Jeremiah Cloutier Supporting
Betty Buckley Suzanne Fitzgerald Supporting
Blake Robbins Officer Dave Brass Guest Supporting
Patti Lupone Stella Coffa Supporting
Joel Grey Lemuel Idzik Supporting
Bobby Cannavale Alonzo Torquemada Supporting

Episodes edit

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
18July 12, 1997 (1997-07-12)August 25, 1997 (1997-08-25)
28July 11, 1998 (1998-07-11)August 31, 1998 (1998-08-31)
38July 14, 1999 (1999-07-14)September 1, 1999 (1999-09-01)
4168July 12, 2000 (2000-07-12)August 30, 2000 (2000-08-30)
8January 7, 2001 (2001-01-07)February 25, 2001 (2001-02-25)
58January 6, 2002 (2002-01-06)February 24, 2002 (2002-02-24)
68January 5, 2003 (2003-01-05)February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23)

Oz took advantage of the freedoms of premium cable to show elements of coarse language, drug use, violence, frontal nudity, homosexuality, and rape of males, as well as ethnic and religious conflicts that would have been unacceptable to traditional advertiser-supported American broadcast television.[6][7][3]

On an episode of Saturday Night Live that Jerry Seinfeld hosted on October 2, 1999, a sketch was produced that showed what life was like for his character of the same name behind bars after being transferred to the Oswald State Correctional Facility sometime after the events of Seinfeld (1989–1998).[8] The roughly four-minute sketch shows the opening credits for the HBO series with clips of Jerry mixed in doing various activities around the prison. The sketch continues and mixes in different story lines from both Oz and Seinfeld and has Jerry interacting with various characters from the show in his typical quick-witted, sarcastic way.[9] Seinfeld's second cousin, Evan Seinfeld, plays Jaz Hoyt in Oz.

Broadcast edit

Syndication edit

On April 21, 2009, Variety announced that starting May 31, DirecTV will broadcast all 56 episodes in their original form without commercials and in up-scaled "high definition" on The 101 Network available to all subscribers. The episodes will also be available through DirecTV's On Demand service.[10]

International broadcast history edit

In Australia, Oz was screened uncensored on Channel "OH" on Optus TV, then free-to-air channel, SBS. This was also the case in Brazil, where it was aired by the SBT Network Corporation, late at night; in Ireland, where the series aired on free-to-air channel TG4 at 11 p.m.; in Israel, where Oz was displayed on the free-to-air commercial Channel 2; in Italy, where it was aired on the free-to-air Italia 1; and in the United Kingdom, where Channel 4 aired the show in a late-night time slot.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was aired on the federal TV station called FTV. In Canada, Oz aired on the Showcase Channel at Friday 10 p.m. EST. In Croatia, Estonia, and Slovenia, the show was aired late at night on public, non-commercial, state-owned channels HRT, ETV, and RTV SLO, respectively. In Denmark, it appeared late at night on the non-commercial public service channel DR1. In Finland, it broadcast on the free-to-air channel Nelonen (TV4). In France, the show aired on commercial cable channel 'Serie Club,' also late at night. In Malaysia, full episodes of Oz aired late at night on ntv7, while the censored version aired during the day. In the Netherlands, Oz aired on the commercial channel RTL 5. In New Zealand Oz aired on The Box at 9.30pm on Wednesdays in the early 2000s (decade). In Norway and Sweden, it aired on the commercial channels ZTV and TV3 late at night. In Panama, Oz aired on RPC-TV Channel 4 in a late-night hour. In Portugal, Oz aired late at night on SIC Radical, one of the SIC channels in the cable network. In Serbia, Oz aired on RTV BK Telecom. In Spain, the show aired on premium channel Canal+. In Turkey, Oz was aired on Cine5; DiziMax also aired the re-runs. In Japan, it aired on SuperChannel (now, Super! Drama TV) from 29 December 2001 to 22 July 2005.

Rights edit

The series was co-produced by HBO and Rysher Entertainment (who owns the copyright), and the underlying U.S. rights lie with HBO Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment, which has released the entire series on DVD in North America. The international rights were owned originally by Rysher, then Paramount Pictures/Domestic Television after that company acquired Rysher. CBS Studios International currently owns the international TV rights, and Paramount Home Entertainment/CBS DVD owns the international DVD rights.

Reception edit

Critical response of Oz
SeasonRotten Tomatoes
180% (25 reviews)[11]
2100% (6 reviews)[12]
3100% (6 reviews)[13]
692% (12 reviews)[14]

Critical reception edit

Critical reception of Oz was mostly positive. The first season of Oz has been ranked a 70 based on the rating aggregator website Metacritic, indicating generally favorable reviews by critics.[15] Caryn James from The New York Times stated: "Set almost entirely in the prison, a high-tech horror with glass-walled cells, Oz can also be unpleasant to watch, it is so gruesome and claustrophobic. Yet... as the series moves beyond its introductory shock value, it becomes more serious, disturbing and gripping.... The point of Oz, with its depiction of guilty men in torturous circumstances, is never subtle, but it is complicated and strong."[16] Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "Engaging, often Brutal."[17]

Other reviews were more critical of the series. Frederic Biddle of the Boston Globe said: "A pretentious exercise in cheap thrills, by great talents allowed to run amok."[18][19] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times reported: "Its uniqueness and arresting style don't earn it an unqualified endorsement here, for its first two Fontana-written episodes are absolute downers--there's no light at the end of a tunnel, nor even a tunnel--that offer no central characters to like or pull for...Be forewarned, too, that Oz is flat-out the most violent and graphically sexual series on TV."[20]

Awards and nominations edit

Oz has had a successful run at many award associations,[21] including, four wins out of sixteen nominations at the ALMA Awards, three wins out if six nominations at the Artios Awards,[22][23][24][25][26] three wins out of seven nominations at the CableACE Awards,[27][28] one win out of twenty-two nominations at the Online Film & Television Association Awards,[29][30] and two wins out of five nomination at the Satellite Awards.[31][32] It has also received awards at Il Festival Nazionale del Doppiaggio Voci nell'Ombra and the Edgar Awards.[33]

Additional nominations consist of the NAACP Image Awards (seven), a GLAAD Media Award,[34] a Producers Guild of America Award,[35][36] a Writers Guild of America Award,[36] and although the series has not been the recipient of any major awards, it was however nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Charles S. Dutton),[37] and Outstanding Casting for a Series (Alexa L. Fogel).[38]

Home media edit

VHS & DVD edit

The first two seasons of Oz were released on VHS in box sets.[39][40] HBO Home Video has released all six seasons of Oz on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2. The Region 1 releases contain numerous special features including commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes. The Region 2 releases do not contain any special features.

Season Release date Additional
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
The Complete First Season March 19, 2002 February 5, 2007[41] February 15, 2007[42]


  • Released on VHS & DVD in U.S.
  • 8 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 15
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Second Season January 7, 2003 August 6, 2007[43] August 16, 2007[44]


  • Released on VHS & DVD in U.S.
  • 8 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Third Season February 24, 2004 October 29, 2007[45] November 8, 2007[46]


  • 8 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Fourth Season February 1, 2005 March 3, 2008[47] March 20, 2008[48]


  • 16 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Fifth Season June 21, 2005 June 30, 2008[49] June 19, 2008[50]


  • 8 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Sixth Season September 5, 2006 September 22, 2008[51] September 18, 2008[52]
  • 8 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • ACB rating: MA15+
The Complete Series (Seasons 1–6) September 5, 2006 September 7, 2009[53] TBA


  • Released as Special Edition (U.S.)
  • Released as The Emerald City Collection (UK)
  • 56 episodes
  • BBFC rating: 18
  • Re-released in UK on February 3, 2014

Soundtrack edit

Avatar Records released a soundtrack containing East Coast, West Coast, and Southern hip hop on January 9, 2001. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Charts, #42 on the Billboard 200, and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[54] The soundtrack featured the song "Behind the Walls" recorded by Kurupt & Nate Dogg.

References edit

  1. ^ Adam Dunn (21 February 2003). "The end of 'Oz'". CNN. from the original on 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  2. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  3. ^ a b Bruce Fretts (11 July 1997). "Nasty As He Wanna Be". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  4. ^ Bish, Joe (2017-06-06). "20 Years of 'OZ': The Show That Changed TV Forever". Vice. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  5. ^ Beeler, Karin (Nov 7, 2005). Tattoos, Desire and Violence: Marks of Resistance in Literature, Film. p. 120. ISBN 978-0786423897.
  6. ^ Dilday, K. A. (5 January 2003). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  7. ^ Klemm, Michael D. (July 2003). . Outcome. via cinemaqueer.com. Archived from the original (Reprint) on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  8. ^ Saturday Night Live season 25
  9. ^ "SNL Transcripts: Jerry Seinfeld: 10/02/99: Oz". October 8, 2018. from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  10. ^ MICHAEL SCHNEIDER (20 April 2009). "'Oz,' 'Deadwood' join DirecTV". Variety. Reed Business Information. from the original on 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2009-10-21.
  11. ^ "OZ: SEASON 1 (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  12. ^ "OZ: SEASON 2 (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "OZ: SEASON 3 (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "OZ: SEASON 6 (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "Oz Season 1". Metacritic. OCLC 911795326. from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  16. ^ James, Caryn (12 July 1997). "High Tech Prison and the Face of Horrors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  17. ^ "Oz Season 1". Metacritic. OCLC 911795326. from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  18. ^ Biddle, Frederic M. (1997-07-11). "Prison Drama 'Oz' Locked in Bad Concept 'Homicide' Creators Fail Inside". The Boston Globe. ProQuest document ID 403849210, Accession number 04647083: The New York Times Company. p. D, 1. ISSN 0743-1791. OCLC 66652431.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  19. ^ Biddle, Frederick. "Metacritic". Boston Globe. OCLC 911795326. from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  20. ^ Rosenberg, Howard. "Metacritic". Los Angeles Times. OCLC 911795326. from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  21. ^ "Oz (1997–2003) Awards". IMDb. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  22. ^ "1998 Artios Awards". castingsociety.com. November 4, 1998. from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  23. ^ "1999 Artios Awards". castingsociety.com. September 22, 1999. from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  24. ^ "2000 Artios Awards". castingsociety.com. November 1, 2000. from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  25. ^ "2001 Artios Awards". castingsociety.com. October 4, 2001. from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  26. ^ "2002 Artios Awards". castingsociety.com. from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  27. ^ "CableAce Nominations". Variety. September 24, 1997. from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  28. ^ "CableAce Awards". Variety. November 16, 1997. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  29. ^ "2nd Annual TV Awards (1997-98)". oftaawards.com. from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  30. ^ "3rd Annual TV Awards (1998-99)". oftaawards.com. from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  31. ^ . pressacademy.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  32. ^ . pressacademy.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  33. ^ "Category List – Special Edgars". edgarawards.com. from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  34. ^ . The Advocate. Pride Media. January 19, 2020. ISSN 0001-8996. Archived from the original on October 25, 2000. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  35. ^ . Producers Guild of America. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  36. ^ a b "Oz (TV Series) (1997)". filmaffinity.com. from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  37. ^ "Charles S. Dutton". emmys.com. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  38. ^ "Alexa L. Fogel". emmys.com. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  39. ^ . February 7, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07.
  40. ^ . February 5, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-02-05.
  41. ^ "Oz : Complete Season 1 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  42. ^ OZ Season 1. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  43. ^ "Oz : Season 2 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  44. ^ OZ Season 2. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  45. ^ "Oz : Season 3 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  46. ^ OZ Season 3. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  47. ^ "Oz : Season 4 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  48. ^ OZ Season 4. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  49. ^ "Oz : Season 5 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  50. ^ OZ Season 5. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  51. ^ "Oz - Season 6 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  52. ^ OZ Season 6. from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022 – via Booktopia.
  53. ^ "Oz - Complete Season 1-6 [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  54. ^ Steve Rosen
    Dave Darlington. "Oz – Original Soundtrack (2001)". Billboard. from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2009-10-21.

Sources edit

  • Season 1, Episode 2, DVD Commentary on "Oz: The Complete First Season."
  • Season 2, Episode 5, "Oz: The Complete Second Season."

Further reading edit

  • Chavez, Dannette (12 July 2017). . AVClub. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  • Jarvis, Brian. "The Violence of Images: inside the prison TV drama Oz". ResearchGate. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  • Oz: behind these walls: the journal of Augustus Hill. New York: HarperEntertainment. 2003. ISBN 0-06-052133-3. OCLC 51241977.
  • Peden, Laura David (15 July 2001). . The New York Times. p. 2:24. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  • Stemple, Lara (2007). "HBO's OZ and the Fight against Prisoner Rape: Chronicles from the Front Line". In Johnson, Merri Lisa (ed.). Third Wave Feminism and Television: Jane Puts it in a Box. London: I.B. Tauris. pp. 166–188. ISBN 978-1-84511-245-5. OCLC 72151012.
  • Van Elteren, Mel. Hart, Kylo-Patrick (ed.). "Mediated deviance and social otherness: Interrogating influential representations". Journal of American Culture. Michigan State University East Lansing: Wiley-Blackwell. doi:10.1111/j.1542-734X.2008.00674_33.x. ISSN 1540-5931. OCLC 1754751.

External links edit

series, american, prison, drama, television, series, fictional, prison, created, principally, written, fontana, first, hour, dramatic, television, series, produced, premium, cable, network, premiered, july, 1997, seasons, series, finale, aired, february, 2003,. Oz is an American prison drama television series set at a fictional men s prison created and principally written by Tom Fontana 1 2 It was the first one hour dramatic television series to be produced by the premium cable network HBO 3 Oz premiered on July 12 1997 and ran for six seasons The series finale aired on February 23 2003 OzGenreCrimeDramaThrillerBlack ComedyCreated byTom FontanaWritten byTom Fontana Various seasons 2 6 StarringErnie HudsonTerry KinneyHarold PerrineauEamonn WalkerKirk AcevedoRita MorenoJ K SimmonsLee TergesenDean WintersAdewale Akinnuoye AgbajeTheme music composerSteven RosenDave DarlingtonCountry of originUnited StatesNo of seasons6No of episodes56 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersTom FontanaBarry LevinsonJim FinnertyProducersDebbie SarjeantMark A BakerIrene BurnsBridget PotterJorge ZamaconaGreer YeatonCinematographyAlex ZakrzewskiJean de SegonzacCraig DiBonaGlenn KershawEditorsSue BlaineyCindy MolloVanessa ProcopioJay PiresJames Y KweiKen ElutoDeborah MoranRunning time55 60 minutes80 minutes series finale Production companiesThe Levinson Fontana CompanyHBO Original ProgrammingViacom Productions seasons 4 5 Rysher Entertainment seasons 1 5 Original releaseNetworkHBOReleaseJuly 12 1997 1997 07 12 February 23 2003 2003 02 23 Contents 1 Overview 2 Plot 3 Cast and characters 3 1 Main 3 2 Supporting 4 Episodes 5 Broadcast 5 1 Syndication 5 2 International broadcast history 6 Rights 7 Reception 7 1 Critical reception 7 2 Awards and nominations 8 Home media 8 1 VHS amp DVD 8 2 Soundtrack 9 References 10 Sources 11 Further reading 12 External linksOverview edit Oz is the nickname for the Oswald State Correctional Facility formerly Oswald State Penitentiary a fictional level 4 maximum security state prison in New York 4 The nickname Oz is also a reference to the classic film The Wizard of Oz 1939 which popularized the phrase There s no place like home A poster for the series uses the tagline It s no place like home 5 Most of the series story arcs are set in Emerald City a wing named after a setting from the fictional Land of Oz in L Frank Baum s Oz books first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 1900 Plot editIn an experimental unit of the prison unit manager Tim McManus emphasizes rehabilitation and learning responsibility during incarceration rather than carrying out purely punitive measures Emerald City is an extremely controlled environment with a carefully managed balance of members from each racial and social group intended to ease tensions among these various factions However almost all of these factions are constantly at war with one another which often results in many prisoners being beaten raped or murdered Under McManus and Warden Leo Glynn all inmates in Em City struggle to fulfill their own needs Some fight for power either over the drug trade or over other inmate factions and individuals Others corrections officers and inmates alike simply want to survive some long enough to make parole and others just to see the next day The show s narrator inmate Augustus Hill explains the show and provides context thematic analysis and a sense of humor Oz chronicles McManus attempts to keep control over the inmates of Em City There are many groups of inmates throughout the show and not everyone within each group survives the show s events There are the African American Homeboys Wangler Redding Poet Keane Adebisi and Muslims Said Arif Khan the Wiseguys Pancamo Nappa Schibetta Zanghi Urbano the Aryan Brotherhood Schillinger Robson Mack the Latinos of El Norte Alvarez Morales Guerra Hernandez the Irish The O Reilly brothers Kirk Keenan the Gays Hanlon Cramer Ginzburg the Bikers Hoyt Sands Burns the Christians Cloutier Coushaine Cudney and many other individuals not completely affiliated with one particular group Rebadow Busmalis Keller Stanislofsky In contrast to the dangerous criminals central character Tobias Beecher gives a look at a usually law abiding albeit alcoholic man who made one fatal drunk driving mistake Cast and characters edit nbsp From left to right Ryan O Reily Vernon Schillinger Miguel Alvarez Tobias Beecher Kareem Said In the front sits Augustus Hill this photo was also used as the cover for Hill s book Main article List of Oz TV series characters Main actors are credited as starring in the opening title sequence while supporting actors are listed under also starring Guest actors are listed in the show s end credits Main edit Actor Character Seasons1 2 3 4 5 6Ernie Hudson Warden Leo Glynn MainTerry Kinney Tim McManus MainHarold Perrineau Augustus Hill MainEamonn Walker Kareem Said MainKirk Acevedo Miguel Alvarez Supporting MainRita Moreno Sister Peter Marie Reimondo Supporting MainJ K Simmons Vernon Schillinger MainLee Tergesen Tobias Beecher MainDean Winters Ryan O Reily Supporting MainAdewale Akinnuoye Agbaje Simon Adebisi Guest Supporting MainSupporting edit Actor Character Seasons1 2 3 4 5 6B D Wong Father Ray Mukada SupportingEdie Falco Officer Diane Whittlesey Supporting GuestSean Whitesell Donald Groves SupportingTony Musante Nino Schibetta SupportingLeon Robinson Jefferson Keane Supporting GuestJon Seda Dino Ortolani Guest GuestLauren Velez Dr Gloria Nathan Guest SupportingGeorge Morfogen Bob Rebadow Guest SupportingJ D Williams Kenny Wangler Guest SupportingZeljko Ivanek Governor James Devlin Guest SupportingmuMs da Schemer Arnold Poet Jackson Guest SupportingGranville Adams Zahir Arif Guest SupportingRick Fox Jackson Vahue Guest Supporting SupportingEddie Malavarca Peter Schibetta Guest SupportingTom Mardirosian Agamemnon Busmalis Guest SupportingChristopher Meloni Chris Keller Guest SupportingScott William Winters Cyril O Reily Guest SupportingAustin Pendleton William Giles Guest SupportingKathryn Erbe Shirley Bellinger Guest Supporting GuestLuis Guzman Raoul El Cid Hernandez Guest SupportingMark Margolis Antonio Nappa Guest Supporting GuestChuck Zito Chucky Pancamo Guest SupportingR E Rogers James Robson Guest SupportingEvan Seinfeld Jaz Hoyt Guest SupportingOtto Sanchez Carmen Chico Guerra Guest SupportingSean Dugan Timmy Kirk Guest Guest SupportingRobert Clohessy Officer Sean Murphy SupportingKristin Rohde Officer Claire Howell SupportingPhilip Casnoff Nikolai Stanislofsky SupportingSeth Gilliam Officer Clayton Hughes SupportingKevin Conway Seamus O Reily Guest SupportingCharles Busch Nathaniel Nat Ginzburg Guest SupportingDavid Zayas Enrique Morales SupportingReg E Cathey Martin Querns Supporting GuestErik King Moses Deyell SupportingLance Reddick Johnny Basil Desmond Mobay SupportingLord Jamar Supreme Allah Kevin Ketchum SupportingMichael Wright Omar White SupportingAnthony Chisholm Burr Redding SupportingLuke Perry Jeremiah Cloutier SupportingBetty Buckley Suzanne Fitzgerald SupportingBlake Robbins Officer Dave Brass Guest SupportingPatti Lupone Stella Coffa SupportingJoel Grey Lemuel Idzik SupportingBobby Cannavale Alonzo Torquemada SupportingEpisodes editMain article List of Oz episodes SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast aired18July 12 1997 1997 07 12 August 25 1997 1997 08 25 28July 11 1998 1998 07 11 August 31 1998 1998 08 31 38July 14 1999 1999 07 14 September 1 1999 1999 09 01 4168July 12 2000 2000 07 12 August 30 2000 2000 08 30 8January 7 2001 2001 01 07 February 25 2001 2001 02 25 58January 6 2002 2002 01 06 February 24 2002 2002 02 24 68January 5 2003 2003 01 05 February 23 2003 2003 02 23 Oz took advantage of the freedoms of premium cable to show elements of coarse language drug use violence frontal nudity homosexuality and rape of males as well as ethnic and religious conflicts that would have been unacceptable to traditional advertiser supported American broadcast television 6 7 3 On an episode of Saturday Night Live that Jerry Seinfeld hosted on October 2 1999 a sketch was produced that showed what life was like for his character of the same name behind bars after being transferred to the Oswald State Correctional Facility sometime after the events of Seinfeld 1989 1998 8 The roughly four minute sketch shows the opening credits for the HBO series with clips of Jerry mixed in doing various activities around the prison The sketch continues and mixes in different story lines from both Oz and Seinfeld and has Jerry interacting with various characters from the show in his typical quick witted sarcastic way 9 Seinfeld s second cousin Evan Seinfeld plays Jaz Hoyt in Oz Broadcast editSyndication edit On April 21 2009 Variety announced that starting May 31 DirecTV will broadcast all 56 episodes in their original form without commercials and in up scaled high definition on The 101 Network available to all subscribers The episodes will also be available through DirecTV s On Demand service 10 International broadcast history edit In Australia Oz was screened uncensored on Channel OH on Optus TV then free to air channel SBS This was also the case in Brazil where it was aired by the SBT Network Corporation late at night in Ireland where the series aired on free to air channel TG4 at 11 p m in Israel where Oz was displayed on the free to air commercial Channel 2 in Italy where it was aired on the free to air Italia 1 and in the United Kingdom where Channel 4 aired the show in a late night time slot In Bosnia and Herzegovina it was aired on the federal TV station called FTV In Canada Oz aired on the Showcase Channel at Friday 10 p m EST In Croatia Estonia and Slovenia the show was aired late at night on public non commercial state owned channels HRT ETV and RTV SLO respectively In Denmark it appeared late at night on the non commercial public service channel DR1 In Finland it broadcast on the free to air channel Nelonen TV4 In France the show aired on commercial cable channel Serie Club also late at night In Malaysia full episodes of Oz aired late at night on ntv7 while the censored version aired during the day In the Netherlands Oz aired on the commercial channel RTL 5 In New Zealand Oz aired on The Box at 9 30pm on Wednesdays in the early 2000s decade In Norway and Sweden it aired on the commercial channels ZTV and TV3 late at night In Panama Oz aired on RPC TV Channel 4 in a late night hour In Portugal Oz aired late at night on SIC Radical one of the SIC channels in the cable network In Serbia Oz aired on RTV BK Telecom In Spain the show aired on premium channel Canal In Turkey Oz was aired on Cine5 DiziMax also aired the re runs In Japan it aired on SuperChannel now Super Drama TV from 29 December 2001 to 22 July 2005 Rights editThe series was co produced by HBO and Rysher Entertainment who owns the copyright and the underlying U S rights lie with HBO Entertainment and Warner Bros Entertainment which has released the entire series on DVD in North America The international rights were owned originally by Rysher then Paramount Pictures Domestic Television after that company acquired Rysher CBS Studios International currently owns the international TV rights and Paramount Home Entertainment CBS DVD owns the international DVD rights Reception editCritical response of OzSeasonRotten Tomatoes180 25 reviews 11 2100 6 reviews 12 3100 6 reviews 13 692 12 reviews 14 Critical reception edit Critical reception of Oz was mostly positive The first season of Oz has been ranked a 70 based on the rating aggregator website Metacritic indicating generally favorable reviews by critics 15 Caryn James from The New York Times stated Set almost entirely in the prison a high tech horror with glass walled cells Oz can also be unpleasant to watch it is so gruesome and claustrophobic Yet as the series moves beyond its introductory shock value it becomes more serious disturbing and gripping The point of Oz with its depiction of guilty men in torturous circumstances is never subtle but it is complicated and strong 16 Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote Engaging often Brutal 17 Other reviews were more critical of the series Frederic Biddle of the Boston Globe said A pretentious exercise in cheap thrills by great talents allowed to run amok 18 19 Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times reported Its uniqueness and arresting style don t earn it an unqualified endorsement here for its first two Fontana written episodes are absolute downers there s no light at the end of a tunnel nor even a tunnel that offer no central characters to like or pull for Be forewarned too that Oz is flat out the most violent and graphically sexual series on TV 20 Awards and nominations edit Main article List of awards and nominations received by Oz Oz has had a successful run at many award associations 21 including four wins out of sixteen nominations at the ALMA Awards three wins out if six nominations at the Artios Awards 22 23 24 25 26 three wins out of seven nominations at the CableACE Awards 27 28 one win out of twenty two nominations at the Online Film amp Television Association Awards 29 30 and two wins out of five nomination at the Satellite Awards 31 32 It has also received awards at Il Festival Nazionale del Doppiaggio Voci nell Ombra and the Edgar Awards 33 Additional nominations consist of the NAACP Image Awards seven a GLAAD Media Award 34 a Producers Guild of America Award 35 36 a Writers Guild of America Award 36 and although the series has not been the recipient of any major awards it was however nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Charles S Dutton 37 and Outstanding Casting for a Series Alexa L Fogel 38 Home media editVHS amp DVD edit The first two seasons of Oz were released on VHS in box sets 39 40 HBO Home Video has released all six seasons of Oz on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2 The Region 1 releases contain numerous special features including commentaries deleted scenes and featurettes The Region 2 releases do not contain any special features Season Release date AdditionalRegion 1 Region 2 Region 4The Complete First Season March 19 2002 February 5 2007 41 February 15 2007 42 Released on VHS amp DVD in U S 8 episodes BBFC rating 15 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Second Season January 7 2003 August 6 2007 43 August 16 2007 44 Released on VHS amp DVD in U S 8 episodes BBFC rating 18 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Third Season February 24 2004 October 29 2007 45 November 8 2007 46 8 episodes BBFC rating 18 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Fourth Season February 1 2005 March 3 2008 47 March 20 2008 48 16 episodes BBFC rating 18 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Fifth Season June 21 2005 June 30 2008 49 June 19 2008 50 8 episodes BBFC rating 18 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Sixth Season September 5 2006 September 22 2008 51 September 18 2008 52 8 episodes BBFC rating 18 ACB rating MA15 The Complete Series Seasons 1 6 September 5 2006 September 7 2009 53 TBA Released as Special Edition U S Released as The Emerald City Collection UK 56 episodes BBFC rating 18 Re released in UK on February 3 2014Soundtrack edit Main article Oz soundtrack Avatar Records released a soundtrack containing East Coast West Coast and Southern hip hop on January 9 2001 It peaked at 1 on the Billboard Soundtrack Charts 42 on the Billboard 200 and 8 on the Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums 54 The soundtrack featured the song Behind the Walls recorded by Kurupt amp Nate Dogg References edit Adam Dunn 21 February 2003 The end of Oz CNN Archived from the original on 2010 01 17 Retrieved 2009 10 21 Oz Production Notes Archived from the original on 2011 01 01 Retrieved 2010 08 05 a b Bruce Fretts 11 July 1997 Nasty As He Wanna Be Entertainment Weekly Retrieved 2009 10 21 Bish Joe 2017 06 06 20 Years of OZ The Show That Changed TV Forever Vice Retrieved 2024 03 16 Beeler Karin Nov 7 2005 Tattoos Desire and Violence Marks of Resistance in Literature Film p 120 ISBN 978 0786423897 Dilday K A 5 January 2003 In the Brutal World of Oz A Rare Place for Women The New York Times Archived from the original on 4 March 2010 Retrieved 17 June 2022 Klemm Michael D July 2003 Jailhouse Rock Outcome via cinemaqueer com Archived from the original Reprint on 21 November 2008 Retrieved 17 June 2022 Saturday Night Live season 25 SNL Transcripts Jerry Seinfeld 10 02 99 Oz October 8 2018 Archived from the original on August 6 2017 Retrieved October 13 2021 MICHAEL SCHNEIDER 20 April 2009 Oz Deadwood join DirecTV Variety Reed Business Information Archived from the original on 2010 03 09 Retrieved 2009 10 21 OZ SEASON 1 1997 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ SEASON 2 1998 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ SEASON 3 1999 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ SEASON 6 2003 Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved March 24 2024 Oz Season 1 Metacritic OCLC 911795326 Archived from the original on 2020 11 15 Retrieved 2020 04 20 James Caryn 12 July 1997 High Tech Prison and the Face of Horrors The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 OCLC 1645522 Archived from the original on 2020 11 15 Retrieved 2017 02 18 Oz Season 1 Metacritic OCLC 911795326 Archived from the original on 2020 11 15 Retrieved 2020 04 20 Biddle Frederic M 1997 07 11 Prison Drama Oz Locked in Bad Concept Homicide Creators Fail Inside The Boston Globe ProQuest document ID 403849210 Accession number 04647083 The New York Times Company p D 1 ISSN 0743 1791 OCLC 66652431 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint location link Biddle Frederick Metacritic Boston Globe OCLC 911795326 Archived from the original on 2020 11 15 Retrieved 2020 04 20 Rosenberg Howard Metacritic Los Angeles Times OCLC 911795326 Archived from the original on 2020 11 15 Retrieved 2020 04 20 Oz 1997 2003 Awards IMDb Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 1998 Artios Awards castingsociety com November 4 1998 Archived from the original on May 1 2021 Retrieved May 8 2022 1999 Artios Awards castingsociety com September 22 1999 Archived from the original on June 21 2015 Retrieved May 8 2022 2000 Artios Awards castingsociety com November 1 2000 Archived from the original on March 26 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 2001 Artios Awards castingsociety com October 4 2001 Archived from the original on April 8 2023 Retrieved May 8 2022 2002 Artios Awards castingsociety com Archived from the original on July 11 2019 Retrieved May 8 2022 CableAce Nominations Variety September 24 1997 Archived from the original on December 24 2017 Retrieved May 8 2022 CableAce Awards Variety November 16 1997 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 2nd Annual TV Awards 1997 98 oftaawards com Archived from the original on June 30 2018 Retrieved May 8 2022 3rd Annual TV Awards 1998 99 oftaawards com Archived from the original on May 5 2017 Retrieved May 8 2022 1999 3rd Annual SATELLITE Awards pressacademy com Archived from the original on February 1 2008 Retrieved May 8 2022 2000 4th Annual SATELLITE Awards pressacademy com Archived from the original on December 3 2007 Retrieved May 8 2022 Category List Special Edgars edgarawards com Archived from the original on July 5 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 GLAAD announces nominees The Advocate Pride Media January 19 2020 ISSN 0001 8996 Archived from the original on October 25 2000 Retrieved May 8 2022 12th Annual Golden Laurel Awards are announced Producers Guild of America Archived from the original on February 11 2001 Retrieved May 8 2022 a b Oz TV Series 1997 filmaffinity com Archived from the original on April 17 2023 Retrieved May 8 2022 Charles S Dutton emmys com Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 Alexa L Fogel emmys com Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 HBO Store Other HBO Shows OZ The Complete First Season VHS February 7 2005 Archived from the original on 2005 02 07 HBO Store Other HBO Shows OZ The Complete Second Season VHS February 5 2005 Archived from the original on 2005 02 05 Oz Complete Season 1 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 1 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Season 2 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 2 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Season 3 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 3 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Season 4 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 4 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Season 5 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 5 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Season 6 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 OZ Season 6 Archived from the original on May 3 2022 Retrieved May 3 2022 via Booktopia Oz Complete Season 1 6 DVD amazon co uk Archived from the original on May 8 2022 Retrieved May 8 2022 Steve Rosen Dave Darlington Oz Original Soundtrack 2001 Billboard Archived from the original on 2012 07 10 Retrieved 2009 10 21 Sources editSeason 1 Episode 2 DVD Commentary on Oz The Complete First Season Season 2 Episode 5 Oz The Complete Second Season Further reading editChavez Dannette 12 July 2017 20 years ago Oz locked down the prestige drama formula AVClub Archived from the original on 4 December 2017 Retrieved 17 June 2022 Jarvis Brian The Violence of Images inside the prison TV drama Oz ResearchGate Retrieved 22 June 2022 Oz behind these walls the journal of Augustus Hill New York HarperEntertainment 2003 ISBN 0 06 052133 3 OCLC 51241977 Peden Laura David 15 July 2001 The Inmates of Oz move Into a new Emerald City The New York Times p 2 24 ISSN 0362 4331 OCLC 1645522 Archived from the original on 27 May 2015 Retrieved 21 June 2022 Stemple Lara 2007 HBO s OZ and the Fight against Prisoner Rape Chronicles from the Front Line In Johnson Merri Lisa ed Third Wave Feminism and Television Jane Puts it in a Box London I B Tauris pp 166 188 ISBN 978 1 84511 245 5 OCLC 72151012 Van Elteren Mel Hart Kylo Patrick ed Mediated deviance and social otherness Interrogating influential representations Journal of American Culture Michigan State University East Lansing Wiley Blackwell doi 10 1111 j 1542 734X 2008 00674 33 x ISSN 1540 5931 OCLC 1754751 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Oz TV series Oz at IMDb nbsp Portals nbsp Television nbsp United States nbsp 1990s nbsp 2000s nbsp LGBT Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oz TV series amp oldid 1215315487, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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