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"Prison Break" was a game-changer when it first hit our screens, combining intricate plotlines, high-stakes escapes, and unforgettable characters.
Whether you're new to the world of pulse-pounding television or a seasoned binge-watcher looking for your next obsession, join us as we count down the 25 best shows to watch if you loved "Prison Break."
25. "Buried" (2003) This British series explores life inside a men's maximum-security prison, delving into the personal and professional lives of both the inmates and the staff.
24. "Prisoner" (1979-1986) Also known as "Prisoner: Cell Block H," this Australian soap opera is set in a women's prison and covers the lives of the inmates and staff, dealing with issues such as reform, violence, and personal relationships.
23. "Lockup: Maximum Security" (2007) A reality series that offers an in-depth look at life within the confines of maximum-security prisons throughout the United States.
22. "Bad Girls" (1999-2006) A drama series set in a women's prison in England, focusing on the inmates' personal stories, their relationships, and the struggles they face inside and outside the prison walls.
21. "Porridge" (1974-1977) A British sitcom about the daily lives of prisoners and staff in the fictional Slade Prison, focusing on an inmate serving a five-year sentence and his various schemes to make life more bearable.
20. "Someone Has to Die" (2020) Set in 1950s Spain, this mini-series revolves around a young man who returns from Mexico to his family, only to be embroiled in a web of societal expectations, family secrets, and a forbidden love.
19. "The Player" (2015) A former intelligence officer turned security expert gets involved in a high-stakes game where wealthy individuals bet on his ability to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable from happening.
18. "Minority Report" (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 28% Based on the Steven Spielberg film and Philip K. Dick's short story, this series is set in 2065 and follows a detective and a 'precog' struggling to find purpose after the end of the Precrime program.
17. "Nash Bridges" (1996) Rotten Tomatoes score: 58% This police procedural series centers around Nash Bridges, an inspector (and later captain) with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, balancing his professional challenges with personal ones in his colorful city.
16. "Remington Steele" (1982) Rotten Tomatoes score: 67% A private detective agency is transformed when a mysterious con artist assumes the identity of its fictitious male boss, Remington Steele, leading to a dynamic partnership and romantic tension with the female owner.
15. "CSI" (2000-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% Forensic investigators use high-tech science to solve crimes in Las Vegas, focusing on the details to uncover the truths hidden in the evidence.
14. "Detroit 1-8-7" (2010) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% A single-season American police drama that follows the lives of Detroit homicide detectives, showcasing the challenges they face both on and off the job.
13. "Perception" (2012) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% A brilliant neuropsychiatrist with schizophrenia helps the FBI solve complex cases, using his hallucinations to piece together the puzzles in his investigations.
12. "Making a Murderer" (2015-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% This true-crime documentary series examines the story of Steven Avery, a man from Wisconsin who served 18 years for a wrongful conviction and was later charged with a different crime under controversial circumstances.
11. "NCIS" (2003-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% Follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, who investigate crimes involving the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
10. "Millennium" (1996) Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% A former FBI agent with the ability to see into the minds of killers joins a mysterious organization known as the Millennium Group, which investigates serial killers, occult murders, and other crimes linked to the turn of the millennium.
9. "Orange Is the New Black" (2013-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% A woman with a seemingly perfect life is sentenced to a year in a minimum-security women's prison, where she encounters eccentric inmates and staff, forcing her to confront her past and reevaluate her future.
8. "Person of Interest" (2011) Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% A former CIA operative and a mysterious billionaire use a supercomputer with the ability to predict terrorist acts and violent crimes to stop crimes before they happen.
7. "Oz" (1997-2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% Set in the fictional Oswald State Correctional Facility, this series explores the various factions vying for power and survival in a harsh prison environment.
6. "Ordeal by Innocence" (2018) Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Adapted from Agatha Christie's novel, this mini-series revolves around the murder of a wealthy matriarch and the subsequent impact on her family, revealing dark secrets and resentments.
5. "Wentworth" (2013-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% This series delves into the lives of the inmates and staff of Wentworth Correctional Centre, focusing on the internal politics, personal struggles, and the fight for survival and power within the prison system.
4. "Mindhunter" (2017-present) Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% Set in the late 1970s – early 1980s, the series follows two FBI agents as they pioneer the development of modern serial-killer profiling, interviewing imprisoned murderers to understand how they think.
3. "Hogan's Heroes" (1965-1971) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% A sitcom set during World War II, this show follows the exploits of a group of Allied prisoners in a German POW camp, who secretly use the camp as a base for their espionage operations against the Nazis.
2. "The Prisoner" (1967) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% A former British secret agent is held captive in a mysterious coastal village resort where his captors try to find out why he abruptly resigned from his job.
1. "The Firm" (2012) Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% Continuing the story from John Grisham's novel and the 1993 film, this legal drama series follows attorney Mitch McDeere and his family as they emerge from witness protection to reclaim their lives and face new threats.
