13 TV Finds for Orange Is the New Black

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

On June 9, the fifth season of the series "Orange is the hit of the season" was released. If you have already managed to swallow all the episodes and want more, here is a selection of no less worthy TV series dedicated to both life in prison and the fate of their strong-willed heroines - criminals and bisexuals.

1. Wentworth

• Drama.
• Australia, 2013.
• Duration: 5 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

An Australian drama that will feel painfully familiar to Orange fans. The series tells about adaptation to the prison life of Bee Smith, convicted of the murder of her husband.

As the plot develops, the heroine learns to fight and prove her superiority over other prisoners in a new and initially hostile environment. For power over the rest of the convicts, one of the senior authorities, Jax, and the arrogant beauty Frankie, who does not want to lose her influence on inmates, are arguing.

Shortly after B's settling in the prison, the inmates start a riot, during which the local guard is killed. After that, the administration begins to tighten the screws and look for her killer.

The undisguised sincerity of prison realities, the search for a survival strategy in an exclusively female community and a tangle of intricate intrigues without any nods to the comedy side - the series is deeply serious and dramatic, and its morally ambivalent characters on both sides of the bars can keep you in suspense throughout the entire viewing.

Surprisingly, in the debate about which of the series about women's prisons is livelier and more original, "Orange is the new black" often loses to "Wentworth", although the assessments are always subjective. We recommend that you rate it too.

2. Sex in another city

• Drama.
• Canada, USA, 2004.
• Duration: 6 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Released on small screens in 2004, Sex in Another City was the first television series to feature gay women as its protagonists. This soap-comedy-drama tells about their glamorous life in the most luxurious suburbs of Los Angeles, fabulous entertainment, mind-blowing clothes, dazzling hairstyles, sometimes diluting the bright picture with a sufficient dose of melodrama.

If you watch Orange Is the New Black for the sake of observing the romantic relationship between prisoners, then this female drama about love, meetings and breakups of lesbians and bisexual girlfriends has every chance to please you.

And if you are seriously interested in this series, then you will be pleased with the news that the creator of the project is not at all opposed to reviving it on Showtime or filming a special crossover episode with one of the modern series.

3. One night

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 2016.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

New York crime drama about the investigation of a brutal murder and the subsequent trial of a suspect.

Nazir Khan is a modest college student who, after a nightly cocktail of sex and drugs, wakes up in the same apartment with the corpse of yesterday's new acquaintance and does not remember anything about how this could have happened. A little later, he is caught by the police, steps on every rake that can only be stepped on, and for the first time finds himself behind bars in Rikers Island prison, where he is held throughout the entire trial.

As an Asian, he faces open hostility from most of the inmates, but finds help and protection in the person of former boxer Freddie. Although the maelstrom of prison life, drugs and fights changes Naz before our eyes.

The series is literally imbued with the spirit of New York, because most of the scenes were filmed in real locations, which the authors of the project are very proud of. If you are attracted to reality and the feeling of touching life behind bars, then eight episodes of "One Night" will be a real godsend for you.

4. Vis-a-vis

• Drama.
• Spain, 2012.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

One of the most talked about Spanish detective thrillers about a prison for women. The series tells about the unjustly convicted Macarena Ferreiro, nicknamed Snow White by the inmates. She tries to get justice and get out into a normal life. Her new acquaintances behind bars are the psychopath Zulema, the local masculine "mother" Souldad Nunez, and Estefania, who has fallen in love with Macarena.

The authors emphasize that the similarities between the two series end in the hair color of the main characters. This is a hard drama about female feelings and female violence: in the very first scene, we are shown how one of the prisoners is boiled alive in a local laundry. And the creator of the series, Alex Pina, claims that "Spanish television has never seen so much sex and violence." We readily believe and prepare our stomach in advance.

5. Prison OZ

• Thriller, drama, melodrama, crime.
• USA, 1997.
• Duration: 6 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

Another prison drama is not for the faint of heart, although along with the abundance of scenes of animal violence and sex, it has a place for sincerity and compassion. It is one of the first iconic HBO releases to set the trend for realism and brutality in the genre, while also addressing subtle racial, gender and class issues.

In the center of the plot - the prisoners of the New York prison Oswald, namely - its special wing, known as the "Emerald City", where instead of punishment they experiment with a rehabilitation approach and instilling an awareness of responsibility. The story is told from the perspective of a wheelchair-bound prisoner.

Plausibility at the documentary level and carefully drawn characters convey to us the horror of imprisonment in the most intelligible way. From deadly racial and religious quarrels to rape and violent homosexuality, from hard drugs to brutal violence, Prison OZ is a genuine chronicle of inhumanity and insanity.

6. Escape

• Action, thriller.
• USA, 2005.
• Duration: 4 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The most recently reborn drama on Fox, the hero of which deliberately committed a crime in order to go to jail and help his unjustly convicted brother escape from there. As they develop their escape plan, the brothers learn that the original judgment goes much deeper than they thought it would, and would involve keeping them behind bars for the rest of their days.

"Escape" is far from a social comedy-drama, but will delight fans of action and action. In addition, it has much more suspense, intrigue and attention to plotting, especially in the first seasons. In any case, this is another example and interpretation of how a prison can serve as an organic backdrop for an intelligent and dynamic storytelling.

7. Fangar

• Drama.
• Iceland, 2017.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

A fresh, poignant European drama about the inmates of an Icelandic women's prison. She introduces us to Linda, trapped in the cold walls of the cell for violently attacking her father, as a result of which he ended up in a state of coma. But no one realizes what a terrible secret she hides in her heart. A secret that can permanently separate her from her family, but at the same time ensure future freedom.

A contemporary story of bullying and silence, told from the perspective of a woman living in a world of male domination, both in prison and in the judicial and political systems. Strong female characters of different ages and backgrounds paint a sentimental picture on the screen, so the series has become not a typical crime thriller, but, first of all, a difficult family drama.

This is a great find for Nordic noir lovers, and has had impressive ratings during its New Year's premiere. The authors have no doubt that the series has enormous potential in capturing television audiences abroad as well.

8. Bad girls

• Drama, crime.
• UK, 1999.
• Duration: 8 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

British drama about the life of the staff and inmates of the Larkhall Women's Prison. Adjusted for a year of premiere, it can be called a more dramatic distant relative of the series "Orange is the hit of the season."

In the first season, one of the prisoners has a miscarriage right in the cell, another is stripped naked and searched for drug cover-ups, and the third commits suicide due to incessant harassment. But despite the seriousness of the plot, there is enough room for simple human warmth, compassion and daring humor, which sometimes overcome mental pain even behind bars.

Over the years, the series has received many positive reviews from television critics, and there were even rumors that HBO was planning to film an American version of it with the same characters and storylines.

9. Alcatraz

• Science fiction, action, thriller, detective.
• USA, Canada, 2012.
• Duration: 1 season.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

If you do not want to burden yourself with long series, then the untimely closed "Alcatraz" can be an excellent choice.

The series mixes procedural crime drama with fantasy time travel. A group of secret agents will have to find in modern America the caretakers and prisoners of one of the most famous prisons in the world who have once disappeared and returned to our days. It is a pity that, despite the brilliant cast, a truly original plot and an unexpectedly high level of humor, the series was canceled after the first season.

Of course, this is a project for a wider audience who did not dare to watch scenes 18+, but no less interesting from the point of view of perspective and comparison of the setting of the series "Orange is the New Black" with the cameras of the infamous prison island.

10. Escape Kings

• Thriller, drama, crime.
• Australia, 2011.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Who can catch criminals better than the criminals themselves? This is the essence of the plot of the funny, but short-lived series "Escape Kings". The police create a team of selected prisoners and begin to effectively and effectively capture the escaped criminals. The interaction of the characters in the frame is fantastic, and the show manages to combine the comedicism of opposing heroes with impressive action.

The narrative deviates from the traditional police series, but despite the fact that we see heroes outside the prison walls, "Escape Kings" remains a fun and unusual story about prisoners.

11. Datura

• Drama, comedy, crime.
• USA, 2005.
• Duration: 8 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Black Comedy from Jenji Cohen - the screenwriter of Orange is the New Black. Here the main character, a pretty housewife Nancy Botwin performed by Mary-Louise Parker (Billions), after the unexpected death of her husband decides to sell weed in order to maintain her usual wealth and lifestyle.

The problem of interracial and inter-sex relationships is presented here not through the prism of a prison cell, but through the eyes of a city dweller. Nancy, on the other hand, joins a number of other endearing formal antiheroes - Tony Sopranos and Walter White - but the female nature adds humor and piquancy to the story.

If you love the characters and tone of the Orange Is the New Black series, diving into Datura is sure to be an enjoyable and easy adventure.

12. Get high with delivery

• Comedy.
• USA, 2012.
• Duration: 3 seasons.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Another comedy from Jenji Cohen about the everyday life of a weed dealer and his funny adventures with numerous clients.

The series began as a web project, so it was initially freed from the traditional framework of TV broadcasting. Each episode features new characters and, like Orange Is the New Black, explores the economics of the underground business in America. Despite the relative brevity of the sketches - the segments last about 10 minutes on average - some of the narrative lines are later intertwined, gathering into a complex pattern of an amusing urban miniature.

"High with Delivery" openly and honestly talks about the psyche of our unnamed hero's clients, while remaining sympathetic and humane. The show moved to HBO last year and aired its first television season, with the next one slated to premiere later this year.

13. Wives of prisoners

• Drama.
• UK, 2012.
• Duration: 2 seasons.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

British drama about four regular visitors to a prison in Sheffield - Gemma, Francesca, Lou and Harriet - their fates and mutual friendship.

Gemma, who is preparing to become a mother, is shocked by the news that her seemingly ideal husband “accidentally” shot someone in the park, and now she has to raise a child on her own. Her marriage turns into weekly dates with her husband in a filthy prison cafeteria. The heroine overcomes all life difficulties with dignity no worse than the beauty Emma Rigby ("Ripper Street") plays her role.

Harriet is driven to despair by her bully son and one day goes to the police, putting her son behind bars. Now she has to endure the humiliation of prison visits and personal searches, and her inner fear, feeling of guilt and loss in the new environment arouse sincere empathy in the viewer.

But we empathize with Lou least of all: the girl got involved in the drug trade and got caught, but her young man nobly decided to take the blame so that she could stay at home with her little son.

Finally, the brilliant Polly Walker plays the fearless Francesca, a former glamorous young wife, now forced to feed herself and her children alone in anticipation of bankruptcy and a sharp fall down the social ladder.

It is safe to say that without Walker, The Wives of the Prisoners would have been just a high-quality artistic drama, but with her participation, you just can't take your eyes off the quartet of the main characters. Take a break from Orange to compare his characters to women imprisoned outside the iron bars.