Why Oz? “Oz” is the nickname for the Oswald State Correctional Facility, formerly Oswald State Penitentiary, the fictional maximum-security prison (level 4) in an unnamed US state.The nickname “Oz” is a reference to the classic film The Wizard of Oz, which is notable for popularizing the phrase: “There’s no place like home”. The interaction of the various gangs is a feature of the series, all jostling to be the top dogs that’s the latinos, the Mafia, the Homies, the Irish, the Bikers, the White Supremacists, the Muslins, the trannies (transvestities), the Bible-Bashers- to name just a few!
Inevitably most of the best characters are the inmates, but there are one or two others who give great characterisation. It features a bunch of mostly bad-ass characters all trying to run various scams and rackets, usually involving drugs, while banged up in a maximum security institution. The series finale aired February 23, 2003. Oz premièred on Jand ran for six seasons. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. He also wrote or co-wrote all of the series’ 56 episodes.
Oz, the violent, funny and sometimes moving Prison television drama series was created by Tom Fontana.