Oz (1997–2003)

A series chronicling the daily activities of an unusual prison facility and its criminal inhabitants.

Creator:

Tom Fontana

Stars:

Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 11 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ernie Hudson	...	Warden Leo Glynn (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
J.K. Simmons	...	Vern Schillinger (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
Lee Tergesen	...	Tobias Beecher (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
Dean Winters	...	Ryan O'Reily (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
George Morfogen	...	Bob Rebadow (56 episodes, 1997-2003)
Terry Kinney	...	Tim McManus (55 episodes, 1997-2003)
Rita Moreno	...	Sister Peter Marie Reimondo (55 episodes, 1997-2003)
Harold Perrineau	...	Augustus Hill (55 episodes, 1997-2003)
Eamonn Walker	...	Kareem Said (51 episodes, 1997-2003)
Craig muMs Grant	...	Poet (49 episodes, 1997-2003)
Lauren Vélez	...	Dr. Gloria Nathan (48 episodes, 1997-2003)
Granville Adams	...	Zahir Arif (48 episodes, 1997-2003)
Tom Mardirosian	...	Agamemnon Busmalis (47 episodes, 1998-2003)
Kirk Acevedo	...	Miguel Alvarez (46 episodes, 1997-2003)
BD Wong	...	Father Ray Mukada (46 episodes, 1997-2003)
Chuck Zito	...	Chucky Pancamo (46 episodes, 1998-2003)
Philip Scozzarella	...	Officer Joseph Mineo (46 episodes, 1997-2003)
Scott William Winters	...	Cyril O'Reily (45 episodes, 1998-2003)
Otto Sanchez	...	Chico Guerra (40 episodes, 1998-2003)
Robert Clohessy	...	Officer Sean Murphy (38 episodes, 1999-2003)
Christopher Meloni	...	Chris Keller (37 episodes, 1998-2003)
R.E. Rodgers	...	James Robson (36 episodes, 1998-2003)
Kristin Rohde	...	Officer Claire Howell (35 episodes, 1999-2003)
Carl DiMaggio	...	Officer Len Lopresti (33 episodes, 1999-2003)
Evan Seinfeld	...	Jaz Hoyt (33 episodes, 1998-2003)
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje	...	Simon Adebisi (32 episodes, 1997-2000)
Timothy L. Brown	...	Officer Jason Armstrong (32 episodes, 1997-2003)
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Governor James Devlin (27 episodes, 1997-2003)
David Zayas	...	Enrique Morales (26 episodes, 2000-2003)
Sean Dugan	...	Timmy Kirk (26 episodes, 1998-2003)
Anthony Chisholm	...	Burr Redding (23 episodes, 2001-2003)
J.D. Williams	...	Kenny Wangler (23 episodes, 1997-2000)

Storyline

Oz chronicles life inside an experimental cell block in the Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility: Level Four called Emerald City. Under unit manager Tim McManus and Warden Leo Glynn, the inmates in Em City all struggle to fulfill their own needs. Some fight for power; either power over the drug trade or power over the other inmate factions. Others want money, either through slinging 'tits' (drugs), gambling or other scams. Others, Corrections officers and inmates alike, simply want to survive long enough to make parole or even to see tomorrow. The show gives a no-holds-barred account of prison life with all the plots, subplots and conflicts given context and explaination by the show's wheelchair-bound narrator, Augustus Hill.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | aryan | prison life | gambling | parole | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kylmä rinki

Filming Locations:

Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Levinson / Fontana Company, The, Rysher Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 100 min (series finale) 60 min (53 episodes) 63 min (season 4 finale) 68 min (season 2 finale)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (1997-1998) Dolby (1999-)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Four cast members went on to appear in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Christopher Meloni, Dean Winters, BD Wong, and J.K. Simmons. As well as Rita Moreno and Kathryn Erbe both starred in Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

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Goofs

Miguel Alvarez - The large black-and-white rose tattoo on the back of the character's hand, throughout the course of the series, alternates between being on his right hand and on his left.

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Quotes

Chris Keller: Hey, I'm gonna see you today, right?
Sister Pete: Three o'clock, visiting one of your ex-wives.
Chris Keller: Yeah.
Sister Pete: Which one? Kitty or Angelique?
Chris Keller: Bonnie, wife number 2 and number 4, she's the best.
Sister Pete: Hmmm.
Chris Keller: There she is, there she is.
Sister Pete: Aha, a redhead.
Chris Keller: No, the other one.
Sister Pete: Chris she's...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen/J-Kwon (2004)

User Reviews

hands down the best show on tv

Oz, no Dorothy you're not in Kansas anymore. Oz is the television show that pushed the limits in what you can get away with on television. Oz is real and violent, and it also makes for the single best series on TV, ever. With performance that grab attention, and some of the best direction ever on TV, Oz should be watched by ritual.