Airs Next: FOX at Monday 9:00 PM (60 min.)
Premiered: August 29, 2005
Prison Break is an American serial drama television series created by Paul Scheuring, which premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on August 29, 2005. The series revolves around two brothers; one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other, a genius, who devises an elaborate plan to help him escape prison. The series is produced by Adelstein-Parouse Productions, in association with Original Television and 20th Century Fox Television. The current executive producers are head writer Scheuring, co-head writer Matt Olmstead, Kevin Hooks, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Parouse, Neal H. Moritz, and Brett Ratner. The series' theme music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2006.
The series was originally turned down by Fox in 2003, which was concerned about the long-term possibilities of such a series. Following the popularity of serialized prime time television series Lost and 24, Fox decided to back production in 2004. The first season received generally positive reviews, and performed well in the ratings. The first season was originally planned for a 13-episode run, but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity. Prison Break has been nominated for several industry awards, and won the 2006 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. The first three seasons have been released on DVD, while the first and third seasons have been also been released on Blu-ray Disc. The series has been aired internationally, including several non-English speaking countries.
The success of the series has also inspired short videos for mobile phones, several official tie-ins in print and on the internet, and a video game in development. A spin-off series, Prison Break: Proof of Innocence, has been produced exclusively for mobile phones. The series has spawned an official magazine and a book written in an in-universe perspective. The fourth season is Prison Break's final season and it will return on April 17, 2009 to complete its season.
