What is 'Prison Break'?

Basq

"Most men would do anything to get out of prison... But Michael Scofield would do anything he can to get in."



For the uninitiated among us who are wondering what the hell is "Prison Break", you've come to the right place for an explanation...

Brief Synopsis:

Prison Break is an American television series on Fox that premiered on August 29, 2005. The story revolves around a man who was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and the lengths that his brother will go to save him.

The drama focuses on a prison designer who gets himself thrown into one of his own prisons to help his falsely accused brother escape death row. Described as in the vein of The Great Escape, the series will unfold over 22 episodes, charting the course of a single break.

Source: Wikipedia / TV.Com

Main Cast:

• Dominic Purcell as Lincoln Burrows
• Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield
• Robin Tunney as Veronica Donovan
• Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre
• Marshall Allman as L.J. Burrows
• Wade Williams as Captain Brad Bellick
• Paul Adelstein as Agent Paul Kellerman
• Robert Knepper as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell
• Rockmond Dunbar as Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin
• Sarah Wayne Callies as Dr. Sara Tancredi

Origins / Ratings:

The origins of Prison Break begin in 2003 when the idea was pitched to the Fox Broadcasting Company, but was turned down as Fox felt somewhat nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a television series.

It was later considered as a possible 10-part mini series, which allegedly drew interest from big names in the film industry such as Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis. However, the mini series never materialized. Following the huge popularity of serialized prime-time television series such as 'Lost' and '24', the Fox Network had a change of heart and backed the production in 2004.

Fox backed 'Prison Break' with a large advertising campaign. The show debuted on August 29, 2005, to an estimated audience of 10.5 million viewers. Fox has not seen such success for summertime Monday numbers since Melrose Place and Ally McBeal aired in September of 1998. The two-hour premiere was credited as two episodes by the network. The premiere was the seventh most watched show in America that week according to Nielsen Research.

The show has regularly attracted an average audience of 10 million viewers each week and led the debuts of television in the 2005 American fall season. Prison Break was originally planned for a 13-episode run, but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity.

In the United States, the first 13 episodes ran from August to November 2005, with the remaining nine airing from March to May 2006.

Season 1 reached its completion in the U.S. on 15 May 2006. Fox has tentatively scheduled Season 2 to begin on 28 August 2006.

Source: Wikipedia

Oh.. and this WILL become your new favourite show!

PS - you could have learned most of the information on other sites but i'd advise against it especially Wikipedia as the page is just one big spoiler for the first series so better to read it here in a more condensed spoiler-free format.

PPS - Thanks to Myth for the suggestion of the thread!