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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).
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