HBO's violent men-behind-bars drama is an addictive, testosterone-driven soap opera for guys. The eight episodes of the first season set the style for the show: a massive cast of a vivid characters on both sides of the bars, four or five stories unleashed at a breakneck pace and framed by angry, oddball introductions, and a soaring casualty rate. Created by Homicide producer Tom Fontana, this drama quickly earned its rightful reputation as the most brutal show on TV. It's simple chemistry: combine volatile ingredients in a confined space, shut tight, and shake.

The yellow brick road of the Oswald Correctional Facility (affectionately known as "Oz" among the inmates) leads to "Emerald City," an antiseptic cellblock of cement and glass overseen by prison-reform advocate Tim McManus (Terry Kinney). The first episode introduces its two most compelling inmates: meek lawyer Beecher (Lee Terguson), who transforms from a vulnerable lamb to a fearless, drug-addicted wildcat, and Muslim activist Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker), a fiercely non-violent leader whose campaign for reform explodes in a season-climaxing riot. The stunning first-season cast also features Ernie Hudson (the warden), Rita Moreno (a worldly drug-counseling nun), and Edie Falco (who jumped from her role as a single-mother prison guard to mob wife in The Sopranos). It carries no rating, but the drug use, nudity, and brutal violence make this highly inappropriate for young viewers and unsuited to the squeamish. Oz pulls no punches in its portrayal of prison violence and predatory abuse. --Sean Axmaker

What a disappointment. This is a drama that feels terribly dated. The characterisation is weak and the script more than slightly pedantic. "Give them a chance" "No they're not worth it. They're animals" etc. Yes - this is the kind of embarrassing stuff you have to listen to. In fact it is so risible in places, you may find it hard not to laugh out loud. Definitely not HBO's finest hour(s).

I have the distinct feeling that this may have been impressive at the time but far from now being a fine vintage drama, the show has turned into dramatic vinegar in a remarkably short period of time. After all the hype and the good reviews I'd read on amazon, this was a let-down. I'm going to return to The Wire for a proper fix.

An engrossing show that is hard hitting. The narration is a bit annoying and on the whole unnescessary, although occasionally it doesn add a thought provoking point or commentary.

I don't usually watch prison drmams, but decided to give this a go having read positive reviews- and I'm glad I did. It is dark and offers an antidote to syrupy sentimental drama, to implausible dramas, or to those relying on thinly drawn characters.

Each episode develops the characters further, and the storylines are high quality allowing tensions and dynamics to be explored. In fact this is quite an intersting study in psychology.

Worth a look.

OZ - rough letter tattooed on an arm in Oswald Penitentiary and the prison drama about the inmates and staff in the section of OZ call Emerald City. Any connotation to Dorothy and Toto stops here. OZ is serious, tough, uncompromising, real, stripped to the bone and still manages to show the characters as people, good or bad. There are no one dimensional characters here, and all the actors step up to the challenge.

I still haven't decided whether I like the show or not, but I recommend it for its brutality and humanity. No, the two are not conflicting here. This is the kind of show that like it or not, it stays with you.

Louise.

This series was offered to me from a friend saying it was amazing
so i gave it a watch and ever since then ive been glued to the telly for weeks i have just ordered the 3rd and 4th season.

The characters the story everything about this is superb.the prisoners range from black gangs memeber,latinos,neo-nazis,gays,mafia,muslims,biker gangs,rapests then there is the couple nearly OK guys such as tobius beecher and agustus hill(who will be the host of each episode)

Anybody thinking of buying this think no longer this is one of the best things i have ever seen in my life being an 18 year old. if it was ever held as ransom buy one of the thugs in it i would pay them ??100s of ??s for it back!!

I had previously watched the series on a random basis when it was shown on TV so I purchased the box sets for seasons 1 and 2. I now wish I'd looked a bit more and bought the complete series box set. Superb acting and a cast that runs through all my favourites, The Wire, Special Victims Unit, Law and Order, The Sopranos etc. Brutal, but not in a glorified way, and realistic. The only thing that annoyed me about the show was the commentary provided in the form of a wheelchair bound convict with various views on the world. Totally unnecessary. When expanding on another character it fulfilled a function, otherwise it appeared a bit arty farty in my opinion. However this aside another HBO gem.