Newly-Reviewed Programs
TV on DVD
All Shows: A-Z Index
Advanced Search

2008-09 Midseason
2008 Fall Season
2008 Summer Season
2007-08 Midseason
2007 Fall Season
2007 Summer Season
2006-07 Midseason
2006 Fall Season
2006 Summer Season
2005-06 Midseason
2005 Fall Season
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss TV In Our Forums

XIII 45
NBC, 2/8

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story 63
TNT, 2/7

The Trials of Ted Haggard 64
HBO, 1/29

Loving Leah 62
CBS, 1/25

The Last Templar 29
NBC, 1/25

Prayers for Bobby 68
Lifetime, 1/24

The Exterminators 57
A&E, Wednesday

Trust Me 65
TNT, Monday

Prison Break
SERIES: Fox, Monday 9:00p (60 minutes)


8.8

based on 32 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?

based on 263 votes
read user comments
rate this tv show

Get more information on this show at TV.com.

Starring Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Stacy Keach, Robin Tunney, and Peter Stormare

This drama focuses on a prison designer who gets himself thrown into one of his own prisons to help his falsely accused brother escape death row. Described as in the vein of The Great Escape (and also compared to "24" due to its compressed time frame and season-length plotline), the series will unfold over 22 episodes, charting the course of a single break.

GENRE(S):	Drama
CREATED BY:	Paul T. Scheuring
FIRST AIR DATE:	August 29, 2005

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Entertainment Weekly Gillian Flynn

Prison Break has the dark social hierarchies of Oz and the clever inventions of Escape From Alcatraz.

Hollywood Reporter Barry Garron

Creator and writer Paul T. Scheuring offers this deal with viewers: Suspend credibility on a few key points and, in return, get a series that keeps you glued to the set for a full hour. My advice is to take the deal.

Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert

If the show can stay as gripping as its premiere... it will be a welcome new prime-time puzzle.

Chicago Tribune Maureen Ryan

As with "24," the whole enterprise, however action-packed, would fall flat if viewers didn't care about the characters, and "Prison Break" doesn't disappoint.

Philadelphia Inquirer Jonathan Storm

One of the best new TV shows this season.

San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum

Within the first 15 minutes, you realize you have jumped onto what could be one hell of a thrill ride.

The New York Times Alessandra Stanley

"Prison Break"... is more intriguing than most of the new network series, and it certainly is one of the most original.

USA Today Robert Bianco

Prison Break may not hold up as a weekly series; it's much too soon to tell. But by and large it works as a two-hour premiere special, one that grabs your attention from its first scene to its startling cliffhanger ending.

Slant Magazine Ed Gonzalez

Like Lost, the show seems predicated on an unsustainable premise, but Prison Break is moving along more briskly.

Detroit Free Press Mike Duffy

Like any over-the-top, conspiracy-laced concept, "Prison Break" will only work if viewers are giddily enticed to jump aboard the Willing Suspension of Disbelief Express.

New York Post Linda Stasi

The acting here is first rate -- not a bad apple in the whole rotten bunch.

Houston Chronicle Mike McDaniel

It's outlandish and contrived with story holes wide enough for a jackknifed 18-wheeler. But the two-hour pilot of Prison Break... is irresistible.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Mark Dawidziak

A riveting, suspenseful, briskly paced drama packed with intriguing performances.

LA Weekly Robert Abele

This could be a brisk and bruising weekly fix.

Newsday Diane Werts

It's one tasty piece of lunacy.

New York Magazine John Leonard

A preposterous premise...only somewhat distracts from an agreeable escapism and first-rate performances by Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell.

Salon Heather Havrilesky

The best thing about "Prison Break" is that we've never seen anything like it before.

Time James Poniewozik

What Prison Break lacks in plausibility--basically, everything--it makes up for in plotting, pacing and panache.

Wall Street Journal Dorothy Rabinowitz

Forget the preposterousness of the plot -- it's easy enough to do -- and enjoy the suspense, of which there's plenty.

The Onion A.V. Club

A lot about this series is frankly preposterous, but as pulp logic goes, Miller's bust-out plan is both ingenious and way cool.

People Weekly Tom Gliatto

An entertaining big-narrative concept. [5 Sep 2005, p.41]

Variety Brian Lowry

Yet even with the premiere sprinkling enough tantalizing bread crumbs to warrant a return visit, there's insufficient evidence as to how the more muddled aspects will unfold over future installments.

Village Voice Joy Press

Unfortunately, Prison Break's dialogue is nowhere near as sharp as its plotting.

Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd

It's a comic book, basically, a B-movie, a pulp fiction, and low enough in the cultural reckoning of things to set its own rules with impunity.... Part of the pleasure of the series is that particular pleasure of watching a super-heroic character who can't fail.

Kansas City Star Aaron Barnhart

“Prison Break” could be the fall’s breakout hit, but only if other actors can bail out Miller.

New York Daily News David Hinckley

Complexity is one thing; making the complexity compelling is another, and "Prison Break" fails there.

San Francisco Chronicle Tim Goodman

Preposterous ideas know no bounds on "Prison Break."

PopMatters Samantha Bornemann

For every step forward (intricate plotting, Wentworth's engaging lead performance), the show also manages to stumble back (rote subplots, incessant lame dialogue as exposition).

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Rob Owen

The premise, though bold, isn't as revolutionary as the "24" format, and the pilot is seriously lacking in thrills for an alleged thriller.

Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker

Viewers hoping for a rousing adventure instead will find a dark, grim and often repellent tale.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Melanie McFarland

A fat snooze.

Washington Post Tom Shales

Pitifully awful.

The average user rating for this tv show is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 263 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Patrick L. gave it a10:
Prison Break is the best thing that has happened to television for a long time.Unlike many other series a lot of intellect,heart,dedication of crew and talents,and heart was put into the show and it cannot be copared to any other show.

Nithi F. gave it a10:
Prison break is the BEST TV SHOW THAT HAS EVER COME OUT. I really really really hope they do NOT cancel it as there are rumors that season 4 is the last one!! Whether they are doing what the title says, or looking for Scylla, it is written very well, has a lot of suspense and a great story unfolding. I think it should stay on TV for a long long long time, until Sara and Michael are grandparents!

Jason S. gave it a9:
Amazing show, but not enough episodes and it is becoming a little repetitive: they are captured, then they escape, captured then escape, captured and escape, etc.

Piet K. gave it a10:
Very intellectual series with an moving plot and great acting

Oren I. gave it a10:
Without a doubt, the best season of any non-comedy T.V. in the history of TV... Every episode keeps you on the edge of your seat. It is the only T.V. show I would go out of my way to watch even though I could just watch them an hour afterwards online. Truly amazing!! The people giving this show a 0 are mad that it has such high ratings that they don't think it deserves. IMO, it deserves a 9.8 in total. WATCH IT!! After you see the first 4 episodes and things begin to clear up, you won't regret it.

Abdalla M. gave it an8:
Its a very good series and its worth watching.

Renji V. gave it a10:
Amazing...every season gets better.

Prison Break SERIES: Fox, Monday 9:00p (60 minutes)

Prison Break
SERIES: Fox, Monday 9:00p (60 minutes)