SimilarScreen
Oz

Oz

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

19978.06 Seasons56 EpisodesEnded

Overview

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.

Created by Jim Finnerty
Produced by Irene Burns
NetworksHBO

Top Cast

Lee Tergesen

Lee Tergesen

Tobias Beecher

Harold Perrineau

Harold Perrineau

Augustus Hill

Dean Winters

Dean Winters

Ryan O'Reily

Eamonn Walker

Eamonn Walker

Kareem Saïd

Ernie Hudson

Ernie Hudson

Leo Glynn

Terry Kinney

Terry Kinney

Tim McManus

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno

Sister Peter Marie Reimondo

J.K. Simmons

J.K. Simmons

Vernon Schillinger

Kirk Acevedo

Kirk Acevedo

Miguel Alvarez

Craig muMs Grant

Craig muMs Grant

Poet

Themes & Keywords

prisonexperimentdystopiarevengebetrayalracismdrugsinmatecatholicismaryanprison lifeabuse of power

About Oz

Oz is a crime, drama series that first aired in 1997 exploring themes of prison, experiment, dystopia, revenge, betrayal, racism. Created by Jim Finnerty, it stars Lee Tergesen, Harold Perrineau, Dean Winters. 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 Similar to Oz

Discover shows like Oz — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 shows similar to Oz

If you enjoyed Oz, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, creator filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Oz.

Black Bird
25% Match

Black Bird(2022)

TV Show8.1/10

As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime.

The Penguin
24% Match

The Penguin(2024)

TV Show8.4/10

With the city in peril following the seawall's collapse, Oswald "Oz" Cobb seeks to fill the power vacuum left by the death of Carmine Falcone and finally give his mother Francis the life he's always promised. But first, Oz must confront his enemies and his own demoralizing reputation as "the Penguin."

Wentworth
23% Match

Wentworth(2013)

TV Show8.0/10

Bea Smith is locked up while awaiting trial for the attempted murder of her husband and must learn how life works in prison. A modern adaptation and sequel of the iconic Prisoner series.

Mayor of Kingstown
23% Match

In a small Michigan town where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the McClusky family are the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians in a city completely dependent on prisons and the prisoners they contain.

Escape at Dannemora
23% Match

The stranger-than-fiction account of a prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for two convicted murderers who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.

Brotherhood
23% Match

Brotherhood(2006)

TV Show6.7/10

A working-class Irish family rules a city built on loyalty and corruption. The Caffee brothers, Tommy, a rising politician desperate for reelection, and Michael, a hardened criminal returning from seven years on the run and eager to reclaim his turf, fight for survival on opposite sides of the law. In their ruthless quest for power, the entire Caffee family is driven to lies, betrayal and infidelity -- threatening to tear them and the city of Providence, RI apart.

Orange Is the New Black
22% Match

A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.

Jett
22% Match

Jett(2019)

TV Show6.8/10

Fresh out of prison, world-class thief Daisy ”Jett” Kowalski is forced back into doing what she does best by dangerous and eccentric criminals determined to exploit her skills for their own ends.

In the Heat of the Night
22% Match

In the Heat of the Night is an American television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name starring Carroll O'Connor as the white police chief William Gillespie, and Howard Rollins as the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995. Its executive producers were Fred Silverman, Juanita Bartlett and Carroll O'Connor. TGG Direct released the first season of the series to DVD on August 28, 2012.

Snowfall
21% Match

Snowfall(2017)

TV Show8.4/10

Los Angeles. 1983. A storm is coming and its name is crack. Set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic and its ultimate radical impact on the culture as we know it, the story follows numerous characters on a violent collision course.

Revenge
20% Match

Revenge(2011)

TV Show7.6/10

When Emily Thorne moves to the Hamptons, everyone wonders about the new girl, but she knows everything about them, including what they did to her family. Years ago, they took everything from her. Now, one by one, she's going to make them pay.

The Shield
20% Match

The Shield(2002)

TV Show8.1/10

The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact.