# Jail/Prison Shows on TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808 "2017-02-26T04:08:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fruitbat2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/1 "2017-02-26T04:08:04Z")
Does anyone watch them? Which ones? Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on why these have become so popular. I am surprised to find myself a bit addicted to them lately. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/2 "2017-02-26T05:02:04Z")
I have MSNBC’s “Lockup” on right now, mostly as background noise. I guess they make me realize that I’m not as abnormal as I think I may be, and have had a better life than most of them could ever possibly imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Fruitbat2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/3 "2017-02-26T05:05:01Z")
Ha, I’ve got it on now too. And that’s what I was thinking was a big part of the appeal. It’s a bit of a lift to be able to think “There now, my day wasn’t so bad after all.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/4 "2017-02-26T06:13:38Z")
I like Orange is the New Black. Never gotten into another. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/5 "2017-02-26T07:42:08Z")
Do you mean fiction or non-fiction shows? ---
**Author:** ![Fruitbat2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/6 "2017-02-26T07:59:10Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Do you mean fiction or non-fiction shows? Both. I really liked Orange is the New Black and Lock Up etc. too. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/7 "2017-02-26T08:07:46Z")
Then I’d suggest Prison Break, Wentworth, OZ, and Breakout Kings to you. All are very good in various ways. Wentworth is the most like Orange is the New Black and (IMO) Prison Break is the best fictional show out there that is about a prison. OZ is very, very good as well, but much more gritty and raw. It was shown on HBO so it has no qualms with showing full frontal nudity and stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Fruitbat2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Fruitbat2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fruitbat2)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/8 "2017-02-26T08:09:38Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Then I’d suggest Prison Break, Wentworth, OZ, and Breakout Kings to you. All are very good in various ways. Wentworth is the most like Orange is the New Black and (IMO) Prison Break is the best fictional show out there that is about a prison. > OZ is very, very good as well, but much more gritty and raw. It was shown on HBO so it has no qualms with showing full frontal nudity and stuff like that. Ooh, thank you. I haven’t heard of any of those but I will definitely look them up now! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2017, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jail-prison-shows-on-tv/780808/9 "2017-02-26T14:44:25Z")
See if you can find _On the Rocks_. You might need a Betamax.