There was an era in our not-too-distant past when network TV was still dominant. Shows like Prison Break were the last of their kind, watched by tens of millions of people. Now, 20 years after the show premiered, Prison Break remains a hit thanks to its prominence on streaming.
If you’ve made your way through the show, which follows two brothers as they work to escape imprisonment and then take on a massive conspiracy, then we’ve got you covered. We’ve pulled together five other shows that are all equally worth your time and attention.
Better Call Saul (2016-2022)
One of the great prequels ever made, Better Call Saul largely concerns itself with the life of Saul Goodman in the years before he met Walter White. The core difference between this show and Prison Break is that the characters on this show are very much guilty of the crimes they’ve been accused of. What unites them, though, is the kind of intricate plotting that always seems totally planned out in retrospect, even when it very much wasn’t. Better Call Saul is an examination of one man’s descent into villainy, but it’s also a show about scams and heists, and it’s great at being both of those things.
You can watch Better Call Saul on Netflix.
True Detective (2014-)
Admittedly a little more existential than Prison Break, True Detective is also an anthology show that features a different cast in each season. The show tends to tell the story of mysteries that may or may not be solved, and may or may delve ever so slightly into the supernatural. Although some seasons are better than others, True Detective is the kind of elevated crime show that Prison Break always aspired to be, and at its very best, it could also inspire plenty of intricate theorizing.
You can watch True Detective on HBO Max.
Mayor of Kingstown (2021-)
Prison Break examines prison from the perspective of the prisoners, and Mayor of Kingstown examines the same topic from the perspective of a town that relies on the prison industrial complex to keep its economy humming. Over the course of its first three seasons, the show has taken on heady questions like systemic racism, corruption, and the rot at the heart of America. It can often be a pretty heavy watch, but Mayor of Kingstown is another reminder that prison is, in itself, a system that deserves to be questioned and closely examined.
You can watch Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+.
Oz (1997-2003)
One of HBO’s earliest experiments with making great TV shows, Oz is set almost entirely inside the walls of a correctional facility, and follows both the prisoners and the inmates inside that facility. As factions vie for power and contend with guards who don’t always have their best interests at heart, Oz doesn’t concern itself as much with escape as Prison Break does. Nevertheless, though, the show provides a thoroughly compelling look at life inside a correctional facility, and what it means to have committed a crime and have to do the time.
You can watch Oz on HBO Max.
Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Real-world prison escapes happen, but they’re rarer than you might think, and often, they’re also not all that interesting. Escape at Dannemora tells the true story of a pair of prisoners who become romantically entangled with a married prison guard. As the three of them get more connected, they begin to plot their escape and eventually get out of the maximum security prison designed to hold them.
Featuring great performances from Paul Dano, Benicio Del Toro, and Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora is a riveting thriller that also features some pretty incredible direction from Ben Stiller.
You can watch Escape at Dannemora on Netflix.
