Oz

CrimeDrama1997TV-MA56 episodes6 seasonsScripted

Tagline: Life's not a word. It's a sentence.

First aired: 1997-07-12

Synopsis

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.

Creators

Tom Fontana

Casting

  • J.K. Simmons
    Vernon Schillinger
  • Harold Perrineau
    Augustus Hill
  • Eamonn Walker
    Kareem Saïd
  • Christopher Meloni
    Chris Keller
  • BD Wong
    Father Ray Mukada
  • Ernie Hudson
    Leo Glynn
  • Dean Winters
    Ryan O'Reily
  • Rita Moreno
    Sister Peter Marie Reimondo
  • Kirk Acevedo
    Miguel Alvarez
  • Terry Kinney
    Tim McManus
Oz Season 1 Poster

Season 1

Welcome to Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison or "Oz." As run by Tim McManus and overseen by Warden Leo Glynn. Em City is about prisoner rehabilitation over public retribution. No matter how hardened a criminal or killer, whether you're in for a few years or in for life, you have a role to play. Once inside, choose your friends carefully. Every group - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to mutual friends and terrorize mutual enemies. Don't smile. Get yourself a weapon. Stay on everybody's good side... if you can find one.

Number of episodes 8

Oz Season 2 Poster

Season 2

All that glitters is not Emerald City. Following the bloodbath that ended the prison riot, life is returning to far from normal for those who survived in the experimental unit of Oz. The Aryan Schillinger still butts heads with Beecher. The mob, led by Schibetta, continues to find its business cut into by the cold-hearted Adebisi. Warden Glynn and Tim McManus struggle to do the right thing for their prisoners, facing adversity at every turn from Governor Devlin. New prisoners include the sexually provocative child killer Shirley Bellinger and a guilty priest who will be forced to pay a terrible penance. The world of Oz will shatter your expectations in a new season where safety is not a option.

Number of episodes 8

Oz Season 3 Poster

Season 3

The name on the street is Oz, but the name on the wall is the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary - or it was. Now it's being changed to the Oswald State Correctional Facility. Maybe by getting rid of the word "penitentiary," the state is finally admitting that nobody's penitent. Nobody's sorry. NOBODY.

Number of episodes 8

Oz Season 4 Poster

Season 4

The Millennium ended with a bang at Oswald State Correctional Facility, Level Four - aka, Emerald City - as racial tensions reached an all-time high. Now, following a two-week lockdown and the appointment of a new Unit Manager, things are definitely changing, but not necessarily for the better. Prison officials are looking for ways to end the hostilities and return Emerald City to normal... but when was Em City ever normal?

Number of episodes 16

Oz Season 5 Poster

Season 5

It's a new year...but just another day in Oz. The renovations following the fire are complete: the walls are cleaner, the cafeteria is bigger and everything seems fresher...everything on the outside that is. Inside the hearts and minds of the prisoners, Oz is just as dark and raw as it ever was. Emerald City may look new, but the old, festering feuds are always just around the corner.

Number of episodes 8

Oz Season 6 Poster

Season 6

On the surface, not much has changed inside the walls of Oswald State Penitentiary. Schillinger has revenge on his mind, Cyril is facing execution, Beecher is hoping for parole, and McManus is finding solace in a meditative maze. But there's toil and trouble brewing in the Oz cauldron, as the Oz players rehearse for their presentation of Macbeth and the climactic final act.

Number of episodes 8